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Home My WebLink About08/05/1975Pledge Roll Call City Staff MINUTES ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AUGUST 5, 1975 - 12:10 P.M. CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL PRESENT: Myron Graham, T. K. Gurnee, J. E. Norris, S. Petterson and Kenneth E. Schwartz ABSENT: None PRESENT: J. H. Fitzpatrick, City Clerk; R. D. Miller, City Administrative Officer; A. J. Shaw, Jr., City Attorney 1. The City Council continued their discussion of ways and means of improving the management and administrative organization at City Hall, to include the relationship of the City Council to their appointed staff, department heads and City employees. The City Council Sub - committee (Gurnee /Petterson) submitted the following draft for Council consideration: 1 ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY #1 RELATIONSHIP AND CONDUCT BETWEEN COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF It is the intent of this policy: To re- assert guidance of City Government by the Council as a whole. To insure Council members.free access to and flow of any information relative to the running of the City, and to insure that such information is communicated by staff in full and with candor to those requesting it. To avoid intrusion by individual Council members into those areas which should be the responsibility of staff,and to prohibit intervention by individual Council members in staff decision - making, the making of staff recommendations, scheduling of work, and executing department priorities without the prior knowledge and approval of the City Council as a whole. To protect staff from undue influence and pressure from individual Council members,.and to allow staff to execute ' priorities given by management and the Council as a whole without fear of reprisal. Thus, a policy guiding the conduct between.Council members and staff in their contacts with each other is hereby stated. City Council Minutes August 5, 1975 Page 2 COUNCIL AND COUNCIL MEMBERS "The full City Council retains full power to accept, reject, amend, influence, or otherwise guide and direct staff actions, decisions, ' recommendations, work loads and schedules, departmental priorities, and the conduct of City business. Individual members of the Council shall make no attempt to pressure or influence.staff decisions, recommendations, work loads and schedules, and departmental priorities without the prior knowledge and approval of the Council as a whole. "If a Council member wishes to influence the actions, decisions, recommendations, work loads, work schedules, and priorities of staff of • given department that member must prevail upon the Council to do so as • matter of Council policy. "Individual Council members as well as the Council as a whole shall be permitted complete freedom of access to any information requested of staff and shall receive the full cooperation and candor of staff in being provided with any requested information." STAFF "The Council recognizes the primary.functions of staff as executing Council policy and actions taken by the Council and in keeping the Council informed. "Staff is obligated to take guidance and direction only from appro- priate management superiors and the Council as a whole. Staff is , directed to reject any attempts by individual members of the Council to unduly influence or otherwise pressure them into making, changing, deleting staff decisions or recommendations or changing departmental work schedules and priorities. Staff shall report such attempts to influence them in confidence to the City Administrative Officer, who in his best judgment, may inform the Council as a whole of such attempts. "Staff shall be obligated to provide any individual Council member with any information that member requests, including but not limited to statistical information., information serving as a basis for certain actions by staff or their department, any justifications for staff recommendations, etc. Staff shall communicate fully and with candor any. information to the member requesting it. "If staff is unable to provide requested information by reason of information deficiency or a major interruption in departmental work schedules, work loads, and priorities, that staff member shall inform, the individual Council member requesting the information and the City Administrative Officer in writing why the information is.not.or cannot be made available and what steps should be taken to acquire and provide that information. The City Administrative Officer shall then exhaust all means that are in his judgment feasible to provide the Council member with.the information he requests. "If the information still cannot be proti;ded,.the City Administrative I Officer shall place an item on the Council agenda for Council direction as to their desire and directed methods of correcting the information deficiency." City Council Minutes August 5, 1975 Page 3 A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE.CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ESTABLISHING THE POSITION OF CITY CLERK - COUNCIL EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND APPOINTING A NEW DIRECTOR OF FINANCE. BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo as follows: 1. This Council hereby establishes the position of.City Clerk - Council Executive Officer who shall.be the Council employee designated by the City Charter as City Clerk- Assessor, with general duties and responsibilities to serve all the.func.tions of a City Clerk and to serve as coordinator between the Council and the City Administrative section. The coordination duties are.-described generally upon Exhibit "A" job specifications attached hereto and entitled "Council Executive Officer "; said job description is to serve as illustrative of the type of duties of said Executive Officer and shall not in any way be interpreted to limit his coordination function. Salary for the position of City Clerk - Council Executive Officer for the fiscal year 1975 -76 shall be the same as that previously established for City Clerk- Finance Director for said fiscal year. The position.of City Clerk- Finance Director is hereby abolished. 2. The City Administrative Officer and all personnel under him in the Administrative Section shall at all times cooperate fully with the Council Executive Officer to the best of their ability. 3. The architect and appropriate City staff on the City Hall remodeling program are directed to review and redesign the Council section of the new Administrative Office or portions of the present City Clerk's office to provide appropriate-facilities for the City Clerk- ' Council Executive Officer and his staff, with ease for Council and public accessibility as a prime consideration. 4. Rudy Muravez is hereby appointed Director of Finance with power and duties as set forth upon Exhibit "B" job specifications attached hereto entitled "Director of Finance ". The City Administrative Officer shall make recommendations to the Council at the next Council meeting concerning the salary for fiscal year 1975/76 for the Director of Finance. AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL EXECUTIVE OFFICER The Council Executive Officer shall have authority equal to that of the Council itself to make inquiries concerning City business of City department heads or those designated by the department heads to answer inquiries from the Council. It shall be the function and duty of the Council Executive Officer to: Provide information to the Council for ongoing City programs and projects so the Council can make informed decisions. Provide the Council with reports on investigations or progress of projects-and programs. Keep the Council informed of day -to -day matters involving or affecting the Council. Keep the Council informed of .the.activities of the various citizens' advisory committees-through analysis of reports, minutes, etc. Keep the Council aware-of actions and.activities of other legislative groups,-County, State, Schools, etc., affecting the City. City Council Minutes August 5, 1975 Page 4 Make reports to the Council on conflicts or progress in departmental organization or operation. Perform a coordinating function for the Council with all City departments and employees. Perform special assignments as directed by the Council. Provide staff and clerical support to the Council. After discussion of the draft of Administrative Policy #1, it was the general consensus of the Council to accept the recommendation of the Council sub - committee on Policy #1 with the City Council staff to clear up wording and form for Council consideration on Tuesday, August 12, 1975. The City Council sub - committee (Gurnee /Petterson) then submitted for the Council's consideration, a draft resolution entitled: "A Resolution of the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo establishing the position of City Clerk- Council Executive Officer and appointing a new Director of Finance" The City Council was in general agreement with the proposal of the sub- committee, but several Councilmen questioned the additional titles of "Council Executive Officer" as being extraneous as-they felt the additional authority and duties rightfully could be included in the job description of the City Clerk. The City Council's staff was also asked to review the wording of the draft resolution, in light of the Council's discussion and bring it back for Council consideration on Tuesday, August 12, 1975. . 2. R. D. Miller, Administrative Officer, announced the following appointments and promotions in the Fire Department: Michael R. Provero, Range 28F, Step 5, rate $1428, effective 8/25/75 Ellis B. Berliner, Range 26F, Step 3, rate $1214, effective 8/16/75 3. City Council adjourned to Executive Session. 4. City Council reconvened in regular session and Mayor Schwartz adjourned the meeting to 7:30 p.m. Monday, August 11, 1975. APPROVED: �! H. FITZPATRICK, City Clerk r