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DISCUSSION TO AMEND CITY COUNCIL POLICY MANUAL (CPM) CHAPTER 3.03 ATTENDANCE POLICY FOR APPOINTEES
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
Review the current City Council Policy Manual (CPM) Chapter 3.03 Attendance Policy for Appointees to provide clarity and improve communication with the goal of achieving consistent quorums for effective governance.
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Summary
The current City CPM, Chapter 3.03 Attendance Policy for Appointees, contains information on how to evaluate a board, commission, or committee member’s attendance for excessiveness and how to communicate that information to the appointing Councilmember. Staff is bringing this chapter to the Legislative Committee for review and discussion with the goal of improving attendance for effective governance.
DISCUSSION
Background
As absenteeism increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, meeting body quorums became more difficult to achieve, and it became necessary to fall back on the attendance policy more frequently. During this time, it became apparent that the existing policy did not reflect best practices. It is necessary to revisit the Attendance Policy for Appointees to ensure the process continues to support effective governance.
Present Situation
City CPM Chapter 3.03 Attendance Policy for Appointees (Attachment A) sets the policy and procedure to monitor attendance to the City’s various boards and commissions.
Staff recommends the following areas for discussion:
Unexcused absence
Staff recommends a review of the unexcused absence policy to ensure it meets the current needs of the City for effective governance.
Currently, an unexcused absence as defined by the Policy is determined by the Chairperson. The Commission Support Staff is most frequently in receipt of the communication of absence and responsible for following up if no communication is received. It is Staff’s recommendation that the determination of unexcused versus excused absence be determined without bias by the Commission Support Staff.
Excused absence
At this time, there is no mechanism in place for a position to be vacated due to excused absences. Staff recommends a review of the language for excused absences to provide direction in the case of extreme circumstances where excused absences are impacting effective governance.
Lack of Quorum
When a meeting does not achieve a quorum, it is canceled, and no attendance record is made. The meeting must then be rescheduled, costing staff hours, and delaying City business. Staff recommends that language is developed to reflect this absenteeism to support the intention of the attendance policy.
Notification to Council
The CPM states that the Staff Person assigned to the Commission shall notify the Councilmember of attendance concerns. Making the above-stated change to the attendance policy as relates to the determination occurring under Commission Support Staff would streamline and expedite the notification process. Staff also recommends a change to the language that currently states,
“As to any Commissioner who is required to be a resident of a Councilmember’s district, if the attendance record of that Commissioner is such that additional unexcused absences would result in the position being vacated, the staff person assigned to the Commission shall notify the Councilmember from that district of the Commissioner’s attendance record.”
Staff recommends changing this language to reflect Councilmember direct appointments to be inclusive to Commissions that do not have district-based residency requirements.
Attachment A - CPM Chapter 3.03