{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 1, "text": "MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING\nNEDNESDAY--DECEMBEI 18, 2019- - -12:15 P.M.\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft convened the meeting at 12:21 p.m. and made brief welcome\ncomments.\nROLL CALL -\nPresent:\nCouncilmembers Daysog, Knox White, Oddie, Vella\nand Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft - 5.\n[Note: Councilmember Daysog arrived at 1:40 p.m.]\nAbsent:\nNone.\nWORKSHOP\n(19-718) Workshop Setting Priorities for Fiscal Year 2020-21 and Reviewing Effective\nPractices for Elected Officials and Staff\nThe Management Partners report on the workshop is attached hereto and made part of\nthe minutes by reference.\nNancy Hetrick and Lisa Phan, Management Partners, introduced themselves.\nMs. Hetrick gave a Power Point presentation guiding the workshop.\nCouncil participated in an exercise: hidden gem.\nThe City Manager made brief comments.\nThe City Council provided input on priority initiatives under three focus areas, which\nwere gathered from a Council survey prior to the meeting.\n***\nCouncilmember Oddie left the meeting at 1:08 p.m. and returned at 1:10 p.m. Mayor\nEzzy Ashcraft called a recessed at 1:45 p.m. and reconvened the meeting at 2:00 p.m.\nCouncilmember Vella returned at 2:04 p.m.\n***\nThe City Council continued to provide input on priority initiatives under the remaining\ntwo focus areas, which were gathered from a Council survey prior to the meeting.\n***\nMayor Ezzy Ashcraft called a recessed at 2:58 p.m. and reconvened the meeting at\n3:20 p.m. Councilmember Vella returned at 3:22 p.m.\n***\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nDecember 18, 2019", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 2, "text": "Ms. Hetrick facilitated a discussion on effective practices, including completion of a self-\nassessment exercise.\n***\nCouncilmember Oddie left the meeting at 4:01 p.m. and returned at 4:03 p.m.\n***\nMs. Hetrick wrapped up the meeting and had Council complete evaluation forms.\nADJOURNMENT\nThere being no further business, Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft adjourned the meeting at 4:39\np.m.\nRespectfully submitted,\nLara Weisiger\nCity Clerk\nThe agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nDecember 18, 2019", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 3, "text": "ALAMEDA\nCity of Alameda\nCity Council Workshop\nDecember 18, 2019\nDecember 2019", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 4, "text": "", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 5, "text": "City Council Workshop\nTable of Contents\nManagement Partners\nTable of Contents\nWorkshop Report\n1\nWorkshop Overview\n1\nWorkshop Objectives\n1\nParticipants\n1\nWorkshop Agenda\n2\nGround Rules\n2\nWorkshop Preparation\n2\nWelcome by the Mayor and Call to Order\n2\nComments from the City Manager\n2\nIcebreaker - Hidden Gems\n2\nEstablish Priorities for FY 2020-21\n3\nReview Effective Practices for Elected Officials\n6\nReview of Articles\n6\nCouncil Norms Discussion\n7\nWrap-Up and Next Steps\n9\nEvaluation Summary\n9\nAttachment A - Workshop Articles\n10\nAttachment B - Workshop Evaluation\n27\ni", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 6, "text": "", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 7, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nWorkshop Report\nWorkshop Overview\nThe City of Alameda held a Council workshop on Wednesday, December\n18, 2019, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Alameda City Hall West. The\npurpose of the workshop was to have a collaborative discussion about City\npriorities for the next year and to identify Council norms.\nWorkshop Objectives\nReach agreement on norms for working together and working\nwith staff on behalf of the community.\nClarify roles and enhance trust.\nDiscuss opportunities and challenges on the horizon for the City\nof Alameda.\nSet priorities for 2020-21.\nParticipants\nActive workshop participants included the following:\nMayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft\nVice Mayor John Knox White\nCouncilmember Jim Oddie\nCouncilmember Malia Vella\nCouncilmember Tony Daysog\nCity Manager Eric Levitt\nCity Attorney Yibin Shen\nCity Clerk Lara Weisiger opened and recorded the meeting and\ndepartment heads were present for the discussion of priorities to hear the\ndiscussion and provide information as requested by Councilmembers.\nFacilitation\n1", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 8, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nNancy Hetrick of Management Partners facilitated the workshop with\nsupport from Lisa Phan.\nWorkshop Agenda\nWelcome by the Mayor and Call to Order\nPublic Comment\nWorkshop Overview\nIcebreaker - Hidden Gems\nFY 2020-21 Priorities\nEffective Practices for Elected Officials\nWrap-Up and Next Steps\nAdjournment by the Mayor\nGround Rules\nSeek consensus\nListen to understand\nParticipate\nStay focused\nAssume good intent\nSpeak up if we need a course correction\nWorkshop Preparation\nBefore the workshop, Nancy Hetrick discussed workshop objectives with\nthe City Manager and used an online survey to obtain input about\nCouncilmembers' priorities to help develop workshop materials. The\nMayor provided feedback on the draft survey and agenda before they\nwere finalized.\nWelcome by the Mayor and Call to Order\nThe workshop began with a welcome and a call to order by Mayor\nMarilyn Ezzy Ashcraft and opened public comment. No members from\nthe public were present, so Mayor Ashcraft turned the session over to the\nfacilitator and City Manager Eric Levitt.\nComments from the City Manager\nCity Manager Levitt welcomed and thanked everyone for taking the time\nto attend the workshop. He highlighted the value of investing time away to\ndiscuss priorities. Eric underscored the importance of aligning Council\npriorities to the budget and shared that he and department heads are\npreparing their workplan using the Council priorities as a framework.\nIcebreaker - Hidden Gems\nCouncilmembers were asked to identify a hidden gem in the City;\nsomething they enjoy or are most proud of. City Manager Levitt and City\n2", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 9, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nAttorney Shen were also invited to share hidden gems. Below are\nhighlights from the icebreaker.\nProud of:\nCity staff/team\nAlameda transportation plans and projects\nEnjoy:\nLittle jetty path next to Crab Cove\nWest-end Library\nMosley's Caf\u00e9 on the water (before it closed)\nJean Sweeney Open Space Park\nHaving the ability to bike all around town\nPeople of the community adding to the City's quality of life\nCity Hall building that has a rich historical background\nChildren's story hour at the Library\nEstablish Priorities for FY 2020-21\nIn advance of the workshop, Management Partners administered a short\nsurvey to seek input on which of the City's current initiatives (identified\nby staff) are the highest priority for the coming year. The City Manager\nobserved that with limited staffing resources available, affirming Council\npriorities and ensuring a shared understanding of what can be\naccomplished is essential.\nThe initiatives identified as a \"high priority\" by three or more\nCouncilmembers were the focus of discussion at the workshop. For those\ninitiatives, Nancy asked Councilmembers to discuss what they would\nconsider to be success and what can be accomplished in the next year.\nTable 1 summarizes the discussion.\nTable 1. Priorities Discussion on Survey Results\nFocus Area\n(Goals)\nInitiative(s)\nWhat success looks like in the next year\nFocus Area 1.\n*Traffic safety/\nReduce the number of collisions to zero.\nPreparing\nVision Zero\nImplement recommendations and changes provided by staff:\nAlameda for the\nDaylighting\nFuture\nGetting rid of push buttons\nPainting crosswalks\nTraffic lighting solutions\nImprove communication with the community regarding traffic safety\nimprovements and changes that are implemented.\nImplement short-term strategies while pursuing long-term goals.\nPartner with the school district to improve traffic safety around schools.\nPromote discussions about carpools and safe routes to school.\nTransform streets by being strategic and innovative about finding new/\ndifferent ways of approaching traffic safety problem(s).\nContinue infrastructure improvements (i.e., is street lighting bright enough?).\nIdentify resources needed to address traffic safety and improvements\n3", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 10, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nFocus Area\n(Goals)\nInitiative(s)\nWhat success looks like in the next year\nStaff. Need professional staff to conduct research and gather data to\nrecommend changes and implement them.\nData. Data provides focus to solve the problem.\nLong-term\nNeed to anticipate the next economic downtown by understanding in advance\nfinancial\nthe City's core services.\nstrategies\nCity's core services need to be identified\nReview City spending\nDevelop a longer-term financial plan after working with a financial planner.\nIdentify values for financial planning - values-based budgeting.\nIdentify a dashboard model for financial spending and investments.\nFocus Area 2.\nNew ferry\nIdentify funding for parking management at the new terminal.\nEncouraging\nterminal at\nEconomic\nSeaplane Lagoon\nDevelopment\nDevelopment at\nDefine/identify a shared vision (City Council and staff) about how to accomplish\nAcross the Island\nAlameda Point\nshort- and long-term goals for Alameda Point.\nCreate a plan for infrastructure needs; look at underground infrastructure for\nimprovements.\nMaintain the choice to provide affordable housing.\nIncrease array of options for potential developers (economic development).\nFigure out how to move current plans forward (RESHAP housing).\nMaintain active\nProvide safety for business districts.\nbusiness districts\nExplore vacancy tax.\nShopping mall challenges:\nIdentify what the City can provide for commercial landowners.\nIdentify business incentives and how they impact large/small\nbusinesses.\nRecognize the dichotomy between large and small businesses. Code\nenforcement can impact small businesses more significantly than large\nbusinesses.\nIdentify new partnerships with businesses.\nSupport business districts versus commercial districts and identify strategies\navailable to help them.\nIdentify business improvement areas (BIA)\nEnlist the support of the City prosecutor to enforce laws related to code\nenforcement.\nFocus Area 3.\nHousing\nUnderstand that the City is losing rental housing units.\nSupporting\nAddress housing costs by limiting the number of licenses for short-term\nEnhanced\nhousing.\nLivability and\nConsider options for more housing units (although this is a of more long-term\nQuality of Life\nplan).\nConsider donating City land to a nonprofit to offset the cost of building\naffordable housing.\nHave a focus of \"housing first.\"\nDevelop a housing plan by identifying what will be in the housing plan, number\nof units, land, etc.\nDevelop a funding plan.\nIdentify temporary shelters for the homeless population.\nSupport the Planning Board's review of Article 26 in the City Charter (Measure\n4", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 11, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nFocus Area\n(Goals)\nInitiative(s)\nWhat success looks like in the next year\nA in 1973).\nLook at the density limit and see how it factors into the housing plan.\nLook at the capacity issue with all services, (i.e., businesses, bike,\ntransportation choices plan, etc.).\no Look into how live/work mixed-use services fit.\nEvaluate the City's short-term housing plan particularly as it relates to the\nmilitary community, which has shorter-term rental needs.\nDevelop a deeper partnership with Housing Authority to the make the City's\nneeds known.\nThe Section 8 housing waitlist is long. Evaluate the requirements for\nallowing room rentals by homeowners to be funded through Section 8\n(to increase supply).\no\nDiscuss services associated with transitional/supportive housing.\nHomelessness\nObtain more regular reports from the homeless outreach team (police and\nservice providers) to measure progress and to increase communication and\ntransparency between staff and City Council.\nSince the City was chosen by the State of California to conduct the state's first\npilot program, the Community Paramedicine Program, consider advocating for\nthe program at a statewide level. The program has been beneficial for the City.\nConsider providing street medical services (not just medications), such as\nmental health and housing outreach to build relationships with the community.\nFocus Area 4.\n*Public safety;\nSupport recruitment and retention by identifying ways to maintain current\nProtecting Core\npublic safety\nlevels of service.\nServices\nrecruitments;\nImprove diversity of the department.\ntraffic\nNeed staff to let City Council know if they need more help.\nenforcement\nDevelop a Fire Services Plan to discuss levels of service.\nIdentify ways to retain staff by considering compensation, and by improving\nthe facilities and identifying what is needed (e.g., space capacity, women's\nroom, infrastructure maintenance, etc.).\nPay attention to the response time for public safety requests.\nIdentify innovative ways for developing the next fire station (i.e., as part of\na\nmixed-use residential/commercial space.)\nFocus Area 5.\n*Balanced budget\nExpenditures. Make sure the City Council continues to review spending above a\nEnsuring Effective\ncertain limit/threshold.\nand Efficient\nReview the priorities and stay focused when reviewing/approving the budget.\nOperations\nMid-cycle budget. Identify how the budget can be tied to priorities/ initiatives.\nFind creative ways to increase revenue.\nVoters may be maxed out with taxes. Council needs to be aware of limits.\nEncourage the City Manager to be transparent when creating the budget.\nMake the budget easy to read when providing the departments and citywide\nbudget.\nCheck-in on values of the budget (early check-in); mid-cycle (values will be tied\nin).\nFinance ERP software is underway; it is a big project for staff and requires a lot\nof work.\n*Initiatives that were identified by all Councilmembers as a high priority for next year.\nIn addition to the initiatives listed above, Councilmembers brought up some\npriorities they thought are equally important to keep in mind for the next year.\nBelow highlights the remainder of the discussion.\n5", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 12, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nDevelop and finish a City Pool Facility Plan by the end of 2020.\nLibraries. Identify ways to become a community center.\nRecreation and Parks. Continuing the work on improvements and\nmaintenance.\nParking program. Parking ties into many of the City initiatives (i.e.,\nSeaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal, Alameda Point, business districts,\netc.)\nClimate Action and Resiliency Plan. Addressing the following:\nUnfunded plan to plant 325 trees\nAddress resiliency projects\nWork with the City Manager to address what the first phase is\nin the budget\nDevelop a workload assessment between in-house staff compared\nwith contractors when working on transportation safety projects.\nThere might be a project overlap of goals and initiatives.\nReview Effective Practices for Elected Officials\nDuring this part of the session, Nancy divided the discussion into two\nparts: 1) a discussion of the articles she shared with Council before the\nworkshop, and 2) a discussion about Council agreements.\nReview of Articles\nTo inform the discussion around Council norms and practices,\nManagement Partners distributed the following two articles for the\nCouncil to review in advance of the workshop:\n\"Attributes of Exceptional Councils\" from the Institute of Local\nGovernment, and\n\"A Key Ingredient for Success: An Effective City Council/City Manager\nRelationship\" by Kevin Duggan.\nBoth articles are included in Attachment A.\nDuring the workshop, Nancy asked Councilmembers to share their\nreactions to the articles. Below are highlights from the discussion.\n6", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 13, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nGive the City Manager a clear direction of what the Councilmembers\nwant.\nThe City Manager is doing a good job of listening to all\nCouncilmembers without assuming and providing advice\nindividually and collectively.\nRecognize that you are now \"different\" from before you were elected.\nCouncilmembers acknowledged the need to switch perspectives\nfrom campaigning to an elected official representing the City.\nCollaboration. Work together to find a common solution.\nCommunication. There should be no \"gotcha\" or surprises when\ncommunicating with each other, and everyone should be open to\nlistening to each other.\nLiked the idea of having more Council teambuilding workshops/\nretreats to continue to build trust.\nUnderstanding roles and responsibilities. Councilmembers expressed\nthe need to have a better understanding of their roles and\nresponsibilities compared to that of the City Manager/staff.\nCouncilmembers would like a better understanding of the\nCity Manager's role when working with Councilmembers\nindividually and collectively as a group.\nHave respect for Councilmembers' outside life (work and\ncapacity), even though they are also committed to the City\nand their constituents. This is a volunteer job.\nDon't burn bridges with peers and operate in a political/civic\nvacuum. Respect disagreement and support the Council's final\ndecision.\nFocus on current City challenges and not on old battles.\nRespect the Mayor's role and the extra amount of time invested in\nthe community.\nCouncil Norms Discussion\nNancy distributed a Council norms worksheet to each Council member to\nreview and complete. The worksheet listed attributes for effective\ngovernance and asked each participant to assess whether they are doing it\nwell or could do better. Table 2 lists the attributes for which three or more\nCouncilmembers self-reported the same opinion on the worksheets.\nTable 2. Results from Council Norms Activity\nAreas we are currently doing well:\nAreas we can do better:\n7", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 14, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nAreas we are currently doing well:\nAreas we can do better:\nMaintain a citywide perspective.\nBeing open to compromise; look for commonalities;\nHave well-run meetings and discussions where\nfocus on a \"team\" win, not the individual; move from I\neveryone is heard, with Councilmembers recognized to\nto we, and move from campaigning to governing.\nspeak.\nHave respect for the roles of Council and staff in\nDo our homework before coming to Council\ncreating policy and in implementing policy; Council to\nmeetings.\nset the \"what\" not the \"how\" to accomplish tasks;\nrespect the council/manager form of government.\nRespect each other's opinions. Accept that we\nwill not always agree, and then disagree respectfully\nListen, be open-minded to each other, staff, the public.\nand professionally. Do not make things personal. Do\nCommunicate with each other. Seek to understand.\nnot criticize others for having a different point of view.\nCheck egos and electronics at the door.\nFind consensus when we can; find the area of\nKeep confidential things confidential.\nagreement within the areas of disagreement.\nSeek to be efficient in comments at Council meetings.\nDemonstrate honesty and integrity in every\naction and statement.\nInspire public confidence in our City\ngovernment.\nWork for the common good, not personal\ninterest.\nParticipate in scheduled activities to increase\nCouncil effectiveness.\nShare information with other Councilmembers\nabout committee meetings attended.\nHonor \"discussion\" before \"decisions;\" reserve\nmaking formal motions until initial discussions have\ntaken place.\nApproach the business of governing in a\nprofessional manner; conduct business in a way that\nbrings honor to the institution of government.\nWork together as a body, modeling teamwork\nand civility for our community.\nAfter completing the worksheet, Nancy asked if they had any thoughts.\nCouncilmember Vella indicated she would have liked a third assessment\noption that indicated the attributes they are doing \"adequately\" but could\nstill do better (or \"we are doing better\").\nDiscussion highlights are presented below.\nAreas where Council can do better - discussion highlights:\nSeek to be efficient in making comments at Council meetings. Three\nCouncilmembers agreed that Council could do better at this, and\nthat questions on consent items should be addressed prior to City\nCouncil meetings.\nBe open to compromise.\nSeek discussions where everyone is heard. Time constraints need to be\nbalanced so everyone has enough time to speak and be heard.\nSome Councilmembers think Council is doing better now than six\nto 12 months ago.\n8", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 15, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nSuggest changing the worksheet columns for future use to: Are we\ndoing this adequately? Better? Better than before?\nThe order of comments at a Council meeting can affect the\ndiscussion. It is important to allow time for response.\nAppreciation for the Mayor's approach of \"going down the line\"\nwas expressed.\nIt is harder to manage a discussion where one or more individuals\nare passionate about the topic. Some people are not given an equal\namount of time to speak and be heard.\nAreas where the City Manager could do better - discussion highlights:\nCome to Council early on things - no surprises.\nIt is helpful to get information early on regarding what\nstaff is working on (i.e., projects); doesn't need to be \"fully\nbaked.\"\nWithout early input, staff may misunderstand or have\nunclear direction regarding Council expectations.\nTell the Council what resources are needed to do what the Council\ndesires. Be empowered to provide full candor while providing\nsupporting documents for clarity.\nFollow through on Council priorities. Be transparent with the Council\nregarding the status of priorities and what can be accomplished.\nThere was acknowledgement that staff wants to please.\nWrap-Up and Next Steps\nThe workshop concluded with Nancy sharing that a workshop summary\nreport will be prepared by Management Partners to document the\noutcomes of the day.\nEvaluation Summary\nAt the end of the meeting, all five Councilmembers completed an\nevaluation form. Attachment B provides the evaluation and all written\ncomments.\n9", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 16, "text": "City Council Workshop\nAttachment A - Workshop Articles\nManagement Partners\nAttachment A - Workshop Articles\nINSTITUTE FOR\nLOCAL GOVERNMENT\" RM\nPromating Goad Gewrument at the Local Level\nAttributes of Exceptional Councils\nLeading public organizations and governing with colleagues on a council is a challenging art of\ncommunity service. The Institute recognizes that many aspects of leadership and governance are not\nintuitive. This piece is intended to provide councilmembers and city managers insight into the attributes of\nexceptional councils as well as provide practical tips to help them become exceptional\n1. Exceptional councils develop a sense\nKEY CHARACTERISTICS\nof team - a partnership with the city\nmanager to govern and manage the city\nSuccessfully transition from candidate\nto a member of the council.\nThe mayor, councilmembers and city manager see\nBecome a champion of the city. Make\nthemselves and work as a team as they undertake a\ndecisions based on the needs and\ninterests of the community at-large / the\nseries of tasks to further their common purpose. The\ngreater good.\nindividual team members work in a coordinated and\nDevelop, communicate and support\ncollaborative manner with a high degree of respect, trust\npolicy goals and council decisions.\nand openness. The team values diversity in style and\nDemonstrate a willingness to work\nperspective. The team thinks and acts strategically as it\ncollaboratively (as a team) and have a\ncitywide perspective.\nexamines issues/situations and decides on a course of\naction serving their city's mission and goals.\nBEST PRACTICE TIPS\nBuild capacity to create a more effective team. The governance team (mayor, councilmembers and\ncity manager) should get to know each other, how each person approaches issues, decision making\nstyle and so on. This can be accomplished at annual meetings or workshops through-out the year.\nIn the event that councilmembers disagree, clear ground rules (norms of behavior and practice) can\nhelp quell acrimony before it becomes a problem. It's important to remember that trust is built\naround understanding and respect, not necessarily agreement\n1\n10", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 17, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nAttributes of Exceptional Councis\n2. Exceptional councils have clear\nKEY CHARACTERISTICS\nroles and responsibilities that are\nunderstood and adhered.\nUnderstand the role of local\ngovernment and their responsibilities.\nExceptional councils understand their role is to serve as\nKnow their role- to set vision and policy.\npolicy maker - to represent the values, beliefs and priorities\navoid micromanagement.\nof their community while serving in the community's best\nCouncilmembers should strive to be\ninterest They carry out a variety of responsibilities including\ninformed about the issues facing the\ncity and be prepared to ask questions of\ndeveloping and adopting a vision for the city, focusing\nstaff and each other.\nand aligning plans, policies, agreements and budgets in\nfurtherance of this vision; and holding themselves and\nthe city manager accountable for results.\nExceptional councils understand that the city manager\nis responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city.\nThe city manager is responsible for undertaking and\naccomplishing the policy objectives of the council.\nExceptional councils recognize the subject matter expertise\nof staff and utilize their knowledge and experience to\nguide and inform decision making.\nBEST PRACTICE TIPS\nCreate a shared understanding of the city manager's role and the council's expectations to optimize\nthe working relationships. This shared understanding is informed by local charter and ordinance\nprovisions that provide the overall framework for the relationship. The council should make time to\nhave conversations during retreats and or study sessions to define and/or reveal and refine their\nrole and responsibilities. Since role clarity between the city council and city management is critical to\nmutual success, having clear protocols helps avoid misunderstandings.\n4\nINSTITUTE FOS.\nLOCAL GOVERNMENT* -\nPrometing Geat - des Lout\n2\n11", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 18, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nAttributes of Exceptional Councis\n3. Exceptional councils honor the\nKEY CHARACTERISTICS\nrelationship with staff and each other\nCouncilmembers have the ability to\nExceptional councils understand that a good working\nrespectfully disagree (to disagree\nrelationship with staff is vital for the city to be run\nwithout being disagreeable).\nsuccessfully. Exceptional councils treat each other and\nThey are able to leave it at the dais;\ndebates are about policy, not\nstaff with dignity and respect. They act with civility and\npersonality.\na high level of professional decorum. Councilmembers\nExceptional councilmembers reflect\nbuild trust by not playing the \"gotcha game\" and strive to\npositive decorum/model of leadership\nhave a no secrets, no surprises approach as an operating\nby providing respectful tone with\nnorm. Finally, they respect the diversity of styles and\ncolleagues.\nEstablish a set of behaviors ahead of\nperspectives among their colleagues and staff and are\ntime, potentially documented in a code\nopen to new ideas.\nof conduct, to help promote civility and\nrespect.\nBEST PRACTICE TIPS\nSet council priorities and strategic goals at an annual meeting; these goals and priorities are a tool\nto guide the city manager and staff on where to focus their efforts. This annual meeting provides\ntime for the council to reflect on community priorities as well as offer an opportunity to discuss their\ndecorum and their relationship among each other and the relationship between the city\nmanager/staff and the council.\n4. Exceptional councils routinely conduct\nKEY CHARACTERISTICS\neffective meetings\nCouncilmembers are respectful of each\nOpen and public meetings are central to democratic\nother, the public and everyone's time.\ndecision-making. Exceptional councils master the art\nCouncilmembers use engaging body\nof effective meetings. They develop and adhere to meeting\nlanguage as a way to demonstrate\nprotocols and processes. They spend time planning and\nrespect.\nIssues are not personalized, thoughtful\norganizing the agenda with the aim of having a more\ndialogue is the objective.\nfocused meeting They allocate the council's time and\nAgenda packets are read,\nenergy appropriately (focused on the council's role and\ncouncilmembers come prepared and\nresponsibilities) and meeting short-and long-term priorities.\nhave an open mind\nRespect is demonstrated for varied\nThey honor the public's participation and engagement\nopinions.\nand they generally start on time and are held during\nEveryone strives to be civil and act with\nreasonable hours.\ndecorum.\nExceptional councils use public meetings not only for their\nintended purpose, information sharing and decision-making\nINSTITUTE FOR\nLOCAL GOVERNMENT*\nPrometing Gead - de loufled\n3\n12", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 19, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nAttributes of Exceptional Councis\nbut they also use the meeting to demonstrate respect and\ncivility for each other, staff and the public. Exceptional\ncouncilmembers prepare in advance of the meeting, remain\nfocused on the city goals and objectives and mindful of their\nrole and responsibilities.\nBEST PRACTICE TIPS\nDevelop and adopt (with regular reviews and updates), guidelines for conducting meetings and\nmaking decisions. These governance protocols typically address meeting procedures (agenda\npreparation, how to put issues on the agenda, debate and voting procedures (parliamentary rules)\nand standards of decorum (civility))- As part of a regular self-assessment, councils should evaluate\ntheir meetings and their effectiveness and adjust behavior and practices for better results.\n5. Exceptional councils hold themselves\nKEY CHARACTERISTICS\nand the city accountable\nCouncilmembers operate ethically and\nExceptional councils operate openly. ethically and work to\nwith integrity.\nengage the community in a myriad of decisions impacting\nCouncils conduct team building / goal\nthe prosperity and well-being of their community. Toward\nsetting exercise to track progress\nthat end, exceptional councils consistently provide short-\ntowards mutually agreed upon goals\nCouncils taking responsibility for the\nand long-term strategic direction and goals, as well as\nresults (good and bad).\nprovide budget, program and policy oversight.\nCouncils celebrate success.\nCouncilmembers hold themselves\nExceptional councils hold themselves accountable for the\nresponsible for adhering to operating\nprotocols and codes of conduct.\nconduct, behavior and effectiveness of the council. They\nestablish clear priorities and goals and hold the city\nmanager accountable for results. And finally, they embrace\naccountability as a process and tool to calibrate ongoing\nefforts to address and meet policy and program objectives.\nBEST PRACTICE TIPS\nAnnually evaluate council and city manager performance toward achieving the city's priorities and\ngoals (consider having this be part of an annual goal setting meeting). Council should consider\nassessing its own behavior and effectiveness as part of its annual self-assessment.\nINSTITUTE FOR\nLOCAL GOVERNMENT\nPrometing Good - der Lour Level\n4\n13", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 20, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nAttributes of Exceptional Councis\n6. Exceptional councils have members\nKEY CHARACTERISTICS\nwho practice continuous personal\nlearning and development\nStay informed on key issues\nGain key insights and knowledge on all\nGovernance is not intuitive. In addition, the policy and\naspects of governing, from budgets to\neconomic environment impacting cities are ever changing.\nplans and everything in between.\nLearning to listen is sometimes more\nExceptional councils continually provide the opportunity\nimportant than learning to give a\nto build their knowledge and skills, to enhance their\nspeech.\nunderstanding of key issues, increase their awareness\nof best practices and sharpen their leadership and\ngovernance skills.\nBEST PRACTICE TIPS\nSeek out national, state and local professional growth and educational opportunities. These\nopportunities can focus on the nuts and bolts of governing to helping you gain valuable information\nand/or insights on key policy issues facing your city. In addition, city run orientations for newly elected\nofficials provide a good way to acclimate new members to the council's norms and protocols as well as\nthe budget and key policy issues.\nINSTITUTE FOR\nG\nLOCAL GOVERNMENT\nPrometing Geal - de\n5\n14", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 21, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nA Key Ingredient for Success: An Effective City Council/City Manager Relationship\nKevin C. Duggan\nICMA West Coast Regional Director\nInternational City/County Management Association\nIntroduction\nMayors and councilmembers need to have effective working relationships with a\nnumber of key audiences in order to successfully undertake their responsibilities. These\naudiences include citizens/voters, community groups, the press, other governmental\nagencies, other elected officials, nonprofit organizations and many more. However,\ncritical to a successful and satisfying career on the city council in a city council/city\nmanager form of government is a successful and effective working relationship with the\ncity manager. This article suggests the necessary ingredients for a mutually successful\ncouncil/manager working relationship.\nThe City Council/City Manager Form of Local Government:\nThe \"Council/Manager Form of Government\" is designed for the elected city council\nto\nset policy direction as the direct representatives of the community with the city\nmanager providing the professional expertise to manage the organization and carry out\nthe council's direction. Policy direction is provided in a variety of ways, including\nthrough local laws/ordinances, planning policies (general plan and zoning), financial\npolicies, the annual budget and capital improvement plan, the adoption of city council\npolicies and through numerous other program directives.\nThe city manager is responsible for carrying out the council's policy direction through\nthe day-to-day management of city functions, including the oversight of city operating\ndepartments. Key tasks associated with this role include the hiring and supervision of\ndepartment heads, the recommendation and implementation of the annual budget and\nthe assurance of quality service delivery. This form of government is predicated on\nthe philosophy that elected representatives are better able to make community value\njudgments on behalf of residents and translate these values into policy direction-th\n\"what\" in city government. It is also based on the belief that professional staff are best\nable to determine the \"how\" of implementing policies and delivering day-to-day\nservices due to their experience and training. Since both roles are closely related, it is\nthe city manager's responsibility to coordinate between both realms to assure the\neffective delivery of services consistent with city council direction.\nThis is often referred to as the policy/administration dichotomy (the separation of these\nresponsibilities)- - which, oftentimes, has a good deal of \"gray\" on the boundaries.\nWhen it works most effectively, the elected officials focus on big picture of policy\n-1- -\n15", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 22, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\ndevelopment and minimize their role relating to administrative implementation while\nthe staff works to avoid an undue influence on policy development while focusing on\npolicy implementation and service delivery. While the line between the two can\nbecome blurred, the city council/city manager system is subject to failure if the line is\ndisregarded.\nIf the city council and the city manager have an effective and mutually supportive\nworking relationship, the likelihood of the policy and administrative roles being\neffectively coordinated increases significantly, resulting in a more successful city\ngovernance and management.\nAmong the issues to consider in trying to establish the best possible city council/city\nmanager working relationship are the following:\nThe relationship cannot be taken for granted and requires attention and work to\nestablish and maintain. If not diligently pursued, it will not be accomplished\nThe work of city councils is not easy! Not only do you confront the typical\nchallenges of group decision-making, but the \"group\" in this case may not have a\ngreat deal in common. Also, the issues can be weighty and controversial. The\ndecision-making is also done in public, often on TV or the Web, scrutinized by the\npublic and press, and anyone can join in on the deliberations.\nAmong the factors that can get in the way of an effective relationship include:\n- Not understanding/appreciating/respecting each other's roles.\n- Differing philosophies.\n- Differing personalities.\n- Challenging issues.\n- External pressures from the media, community groups, employee\norganizations, etc.\nFully appreciate that you need to establish a good working relationship with your\nfellow councilmembers and the city manager in order to maximize:\n- Organizational performance.\n- Organizational reputation.\n-\nValue to the community.\n-2-\n16", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 23, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\n- Personal reputation.\n- Community pride and confidence.\nDon't underestimate how important it is to a city manager to have a good working\nrelationship with the city council. It has been reported that the relationship with\nthe city council is the primary factor impacting a city manager's job satisfaction.\nAmong the reasons for this are the following:\n- City councils are the source of formal performance feedback. Like almost\neveryone, positive feedback from supervisor(s) is very important.\n- City councils control the city manager's job security.\n- City councils determine the city manager's compensation.\n- City councils establish the city manager's \"parameters of success.\"\n- City council support for the city manager, particularly during tough times, is\nof tremendous value.\nRecommended Practices:\nSo while the stakes are high and the challenges significant, there are a variety of \"best\npractices\" and techniques that can improve the odds of your individual success as a\nmayor or councilmember, as well as the success of the city council and city as a whole.\nThe following are offered as ideas to consider in your efforts to establish and maintain a\nstrong and effective working relationship with your city manager:\nRecognize that you are now \"different\" than before you were elected (and more\nthan you may realize):\nYou are now viewed as a community/city leader and what you do and say can\nhave a much greater impact. Your comments will now be viewed as representing\n\"the city.\" What you do and say will also be more closely scrutinized. You should\nbe aware that the city staff will view you much differently now that you are one of\nthe organization's leaders. Even an offhand comment can be viewed as a directive\nfor action. So even though you may not view yourself any differently than before\nyou were elected, don't underestimate to what degree others are viewing you\ndifferently.\n3 -\n17", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 24, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nUnderstand and respect the city council/city manager plan of governance:\nIt is critical for you to understand why your city is organized under this plan of\ngovernance and how it should operate. It is important to understand and\nappreciate- ate the distinction between policymaking and implementation and the\ndifferent roles played by individual councilmembers, the city council as a whole,\nthe city manager and the city staff.\nAllow time for you and the city manager to get to know each other and develop\na working relationship:\nTry not to overly rely on what you have heard from others regarding what it will\nbe like to work with the manager-others views may or may not be accurate.\nMost city managers understand the need to work very hard to adjust to the issues,\nconcerns and priorities of the new city council. Try to be open-minded to your\nability to establish a productive and effective working relationship with the\nmanager.\nCity managers will do their best to carry out the policy direction of the city\ncouncil (even when there is a major change in policy direction):\nProfessional city managers are committed to carry out the policy direction of the\ncity council regardless if they personally agree or disagree with the policy as long\nas what they are asked to implement is:\n- Legal.\n- Ethical.\n-\nWithin their/the city's authority.\nIt is often misunderstood that when a city manager effectively implements a city\ncouncil's policy, the manager personally agrees with the policy or can only\nimplement city services consistent with that policy. City managers can change the\norganization's approach to an issue as may be directed by a new city council.\nAvoid overly associating the city manager with the policies that the city has\npreviously implemented at the direction of the previous council.\nTake your role seriously, but not yourself:\nThis common advice is particularly important for mayors and councilmembers.\nWhile you are doing important and serious work on behalf of the community, you\nwill do it better and more effectively if you keep the normal \"ups and downs\" and\n\"wins and losses\" in perspective. You were elected to make tough decisions on\n- 4\n18", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 25, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\noftentimes controversial issues. It's a given that you will be criticized and there\nwill be those who vehemently disagree with your decisions. That is unavoidable.\nDevelop a thick skin and do your best to not take personally the conflicts and\ndisagreements that are a normal part of your new role. If you don't develop a\nthick skin, you will overreact to criticism.\nAdditionally, you are now part of an organization and will be blamed/criticized\nfor the actions of the organization that you had nothing to do with That is the\nreality of your new role and you should keep that in mind.\nAnd remember, the city manager is not always to blame when things go wrong,\nthough he/she should take appropriate responsibility for the organization's\nactions. It can be easy to focus your frustration on the city manager. You will be\nhappier and more effective if you can experience the normal \"ups and downs\" of\ncity life without needing to always find someone at fault.\nWhatever the issue or encounter, try not to take it personally. Try to keep personal\nlikes and dislikes out of the equation Your fellow councilmembers and the city\nmanager are not your family or personal friends; they are your \"professional\ncolleagues,\" and you need to work effectively with them even if you would not\nselect them as friends.\nLastly, always \"live to fight another day.' There are always future issues to decide;\nfocus on those versus the votes already taken. And always remember not to burn\nbridges due to a difficult defeat; you will need those \"bridges\" for future votes!\nAppreciate the legitimate difference between the \"community perspective\" and\nthe \"professional/technical' perspective:\nWhile you will primarily view issues from your perspective as a resident/citizen in\na manner similar to the other residents of the community, the city staff will often\nhave a more \"technical/professional\" perspective. What might make a great deal of\nsense to the staff looking at an issue from a purely \"business\" point of view may not\nbe the right answer based on community perspectives and values. While the city\nmanager will do his or her best to bridge the gap between the two points of view, it\nis very helpful for councilmembers to understand that while the staff should be\nsensitive to community values, they will often raise issues based on their\nprofessional training that can differ from a purely community values point of view.\nAn appreciation for these varied perspectives is critical to the council-staff\nrelationship. That does not mean the one perspective is \"right\" while the other is\n\"wrong\"; but both parties should try to understand and appreciate the views of the\nother.\n- -5 -\n19", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 26, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nDon't fall into the trap of feeling you are VERY special:\nWhile being elected to a city council is an honor bestowed upon you by the voters,\nkeep that \"honor\" in perspective. Citizens view electing you as showing trust in\nyour judgment in representing their interests in community decision-making.\nThey did not elect you because they felt you were personally deserving of special\nrights and privileges. Don't expect the city manager or staff to be able to assist you\nin ways outside your formal role on the city council. By and large, they will be\nrequired to treat you just the same as any other citizen on matters outside the\nrealm of your official duties. Any compensation and \"perks\" of office should be\nvisible and public.\nProfessional city managers will not \"play favorites\":\nProfessional city managers will strive to have a positive working relationship with\nall the members of the city council regardless of personality, philosophy or\npositions on specific issues. They will also not let personal likes or dislikes affect\nhow he or she interacts with councilmembers, and you should not expect the\nmanager to act otherwise.\nIt is critical to city managers to have clear policy direction:\nThe city manager and the city organization cannot carry out the policy direction of\nthe city council if that direction is not clearly established. The clearer the direction,\nthe more effectively the manager and staff can implement. Even when the council\nis split on an issue, the majority's will needs to be clearly stated. The manager\nshould seek clarification from the city council when necessary.\nBe sensitive to the need for city managers to sometimes tell you \"what you don't\nwant to hear\":\nOne of the least favorite tasks for a city manager is to tell an individual council-\nmember or the council as a whole something they don't want to hear. This could\nrange from a mistake the organization has made to informing a councilmember\nthat something they want done (or want to do) cannot be done or is not\nappropriate. While city managers try to be as flexible as possible in meeting the\nneeds of the city council, you will not be well served by a manager who will not\ntell you when something is not appropriate or cannot be achieved simply to avoid\nappearing uncooperative. While the manager needs to be clear why the request\ncannot be fulfilled, it is very helpful for you to understand that the manager has a\nprofessional obligation to give you advice contrary to what you would like to hear\nwhen he/she is so required.\n- 6 -\n20", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 27, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nWhy managers can't always do what you want them to do:\nThe manager can often be confronted with a situation of an individual council-\nmember wanting something done that is not consistent with the wishes of the city\ncouncil. The manager needs to respond to the direction of the city council as a\nwhole. While managers try to be as responsive as possible to the needs/desires of\nindividual members, on matters of any consequence, the direction of the city\ncouncil will often be required.\nTake your role to evaluate your city manager's performance seriously:\nLike any other employee, the city manager benefits from regular and thoughtful\nperformance evaluations. Performance evaluations are an important\ncommunication tool between the manager and council. Working for multiple\nindividuals is challenging enough without clear and consistent feedback on\nperformance. At least annual evaluations should be conducted. This provides the\nopportunity to communicate how the council views the manager's performance,\nincluding areas of strength and areas for potential additional emphasis. This is\nalso the only opportunity for the council as a whole to provide this input in\nprivate. Also, due to the inherent challenge of multiple individuals attempting to\nevaluate an individual who works for them as a group, the use of a consultant to\nfacilitate the evaluation can be very helpful. If done right, evaluations can be a\nvery valuable communication mechanism for the council and manager.\nTolerance for organizational imperfection (mistakes!):\nWhile no one likes mistakes, they are unavoidable in the context of organizational\nlife. Cities are complex organizations dealing with a wide variety of services with\nunique and sometimes challenging clientele. It is not a matter of whether mistakes\nwill be made, but when. It is critical as a leader of your city that you react to\nmistakes appropriately. While mistakes should be avoided to the greatest extent\npossible, overreacting can cause further damage. You should expect that mistakes\nwill be addressed promptly, fully disclosed and that steps will be taken to avoid\nrepeating the same mistakes again. You will need to trust the manager to follow\nup and effectively address the situation when organizational miscues occur. Have\nhigh expectations but recognize that mistakes will occur, even in the best\norganizations, and try not to overreact when they do.\nSupport of reasonable risk-taking:\nHigh-performing organizations will occasionally need to take \"reasonable risks\" in\norder to achieve community objectives. Sometimes these endeavors will not be\nsuccessful. However, organizations that avoid ANY unnecessary risk are not\nlikely to accomplish a great deal. While city councils need to be informed and\nconcur that the risk being taken is reasonable for the potential benefit being\ngained, councils should also be understanding that projects and initiatives that\nhave inherent unknowns may not always turn out as hoped Intolerance for any\n- -7-\n21", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 28, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nmistakes/risk will breed an overly conservative organization and will stifle\ncreativity and flexibility and the benefits these values can bring.\nTry to focus feedback on service quality, not individuals:\nAn ongoing challenge is the difficulty of reconciling the ultimate responsibility of\nthe city council for city service quality versus the need to avoid interfering in the\ndaily management of the organization. It is much better for the city council to\ncommunicate service level or quality concerns to the city manager versus\nperformance judgments regarding individual staff members. It is particularly\ninappropriate for individual members or the council as a whole to try to direct the\nmanager to hire, fire, or promote members of the city staff.\nDon't expect managers to take sides in councilmember disputes:\nRegardless of how they may personally feel, most city managers will avoid, at all\ncosts, \"taking sides\" in disputes between councilmembers. While on occasion the\nmanager might try to help reconcile councilmembers, don't expect the manager to\ntake your side in a dispute with a fellow member. Even if they may agree with\nyou, most managers will avoid taking part in public or private criticism of council-\nmembers unless professionally required to do so in extreme cases.\nDon't jump to conclusions regarding citizen/customer feedback:\nWhile it is your responsibility to be available to listen to citizen and customer\nfeedback regarding the city organization, be careful not to jump to conclusions\nbased on what you are told. Oftentimes an individual may sound completely\nsincere and credible while providing you an inaccurate account of their experience\nwith the city organization. It is best to not jump to conclusions, one way or the\nother, until the manager is able to provide you a response to the concern. It is\nembarrassing to criticize staff for poor performance only to find out that the\ninformation you relied on was not accurate. At the same time, the manager needs\nto not be overly defensive regarding staff performance until he or she also has\nheard \"both sides of the story.\"\nDon't expect the manager to exercise \"political leadership\":\nWhile managers are inherently leaders of their organizations and, to varying\ndegrees, in their communities, their role is not to be political leaders. That is, it is\nnot intended for the manager to be \"out front\" on community policy issues. Some-\ntimes city councils want managers to take leadership (advocate publicly) on\ncontroversial issues to avoid potential political consequences to themselves. While\ntempting, this is contrary to the intent of the council/manager form of government\nunder which the elected officials are to take the lead on purely policy matters.\n8 -\n22", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 29, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nDisagree with the recommendation/don't attack the \"messenger\":\nWhen dealing with a difficult issue at a council meeting, it can be tempting to not\nonly disagree with the recommendation being presented, but also to challenge/\ndiscredit the manager or staff member presenting the recommendation. The best\npractice is to focus your comments on the recommendation, not the individual\nHaving a policy discussion devolve into a personal attack is uncomfortable and\nembarrassing to everyone involved. Even if you are frustrated by the\nrecommendation, it is poor form to attack the presenter. If you do have concerns\nregarding how a recommendation was developed or presented, that should be\nprovided privately to the manager.\nP.S.: Don't play \"stump the staff\" by trying to ask questions at the meeting that you\nthink staff will have difficulty answering on the spot. It doesn't really make you\nlook smarter, nor is it helpful to the deliberations to ask a question that cannot be\nanswered. While staff members should work diligently to anticipate questions, it\nis not possible to anticipate all possible questions. If you really want the answer,\nget the question answered before the meeting or provide a heads up regarding\nwhat you will be asking.\nConduct yourself at council meetings in a professional/businesslike manner:\nEven on very controversial topics with greatly varying opinions, the council\ndeliberation can be and should be \"businesslike\" and professional. While it may be\nmore entertaining (possibly from a reality TV perspective) to see councilmembers\nand citizens yelling and having temper tantrums, it gets in the way of thoughtful\ndeliberations and only tends to lower the respect for the council and city in the eyes\nof your constituents.\nConsider the use of council team-building and goal-setting workshops:\nRecognizing the importance of both effective councilmember/councilmember and\ncouncil/city manager working relationships, often an investment of time in team-\nbuilding workshops is very worthwhile. These workshops allow for a thoughtful\nconversation of working relationships outside the context of discussing specific\nissues. These discussions can help create a better understanding of work styles\nand perspectives.\nAdditionally, recognizing that clear direction and priorities are critical for effective\ncouncil/manager relations, goal-setting workshops can be very effective forums\nfor establishing city council and organizational priorities.\n- 9 -\n23", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 30, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nHave a clear understanding with the manager of the type and frequency of\ncommunication you prefer:\nWhile a fundamental value of city managers is to provide regular and complete\ninformation equally to each councilmember, councilmembers can vary significantly\nregarding the type and frequency of contact with the manager they desire. While\nthe manager will use written reports in one form or another as a base line of\ninformation to all the members, it is important for the manager to understand your\npreference for how information should be communicated, including the frequency\nof personal contact. While some members prefer regular \"face-to-face\" contact with\nthe city manager, others prefer less time-intensive information-sharing methods.\nWhile sharing the same information among all councilmembers, it is helpful for\nyou and the manager to understand how much and what type of contact you\nprefer.\nDo your homework:\nIt takes time and effort to be a successful councilmember. It makes the manager's\nand staff's job a lot easier if you have reviewed the reports and related materials\nprovided to you prior to the city council meeting. This facilitates efficient\nmeetings, accelerates decision-making and gives the impression that staff and\ncouncil are working well as a team. Additionally, it will avoid you appearing\nunprepared to your fellow councilmembers, the staff and your constituents.\nTrust above all:\nAs in all relationships, an effective city council/manager relationship must be based\non trust. Other potential obstacles such as differing personalities, styles,\nphilosophies, etc., can be overcome if there is mutual trust. Without trust, little else\nwill be successful. Both parties need to treat each other with respect and be truthful\nand forthcoming in their dealings.\nNo Surprises:\nBoth the manager and council should do their best to make sure that important\ninformation is not first learned from others. While in this age of instant\ncommunication this is more difficult, and in some cases impossible, the parties\nshould do their best to make sure that noteworthy information to which they are\nprivy is not communicated to other organizational leaders by third parties\n(particularly the media). The manager needs to work hard to make sure that the\ncouncil is not taken off guard while councilmembers should keep the city manager\nin the loop as well. \"Surprises\" can have a very negative impact on the working\nrelationship in that it speaks directly to the trust issue.\n10 -\n24", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 31, "text": "and the mayor on respective roles. At times there can be a conflict between the\nrole the mayor views themselves as playing and the expectations of the remainder\nof the council. It is difficult if the manager gets caught in a dispute over these\nrespective roles. In particular, how the city manager relates to the mayor versus\nthe other councilmembers needs to be clear.\nDon't blame the manager or staff for carrying out the direction of the city\ncouncil:\nThe city manager and staff are required to faithfully carry out the direction of the\ncity council, regardless if they did or did not recommend it and regardless if some\ncouncilmembers oppose it. Respect the staff for faithfully carrying out the will of\nthe council, whether or not you share the view of the council majority.\nIf the council/manager relationship is not going well:\nIf you or the council are having difficulty with the city manager, try your best to\nresolve the issue. First of all, find an appropriate way to communicate the\nconcerns. The manager can't respond if he/she is not aware of the concern. As\nnoted earlier, try to obtain clear council consensus for the expectations for the\nmanager and communicate those expectations clearly. Try to be optimistic\nregarding the possibility of the manager making adjustments to satisfy the\nconcerns of the council and give sufficient time to do so. Additionally, provide\nthe manager opportunities to respond to the feedback and communicate how\nhe/she will address the concerns.\nIf all else fails and there needs to be a \"parting of the ways\":\nA forced separation of the manager is not a good experience for the council, the\nmanager or the city. It can be costly, controversial and can cast everyone in a\nnegative light. It can also erode citizen confidence in the city. Assuming all\n11-\n25", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 32, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nreasonable steps have been taken to avoid a forced transition and recognizing a\nparting based on \"irreconcilable differences\" is always better than an \"ugly,\ncontested divorce\" (in an \"ugly divorce,' both parties end up looking bad), keep\nthe following in mind:\n- Keep it professional.\n- Don't unnecessarily damage the manager's reputation- it is not needed to\nmake a change.\n-\nProvide a reasonable period of time for the manager to find another position\nor provide reasonable severance-it takes time to find a manager's job.\n- Remember, how you handle the transition of the current manager will have\nan impact on the quality of the candidate pool for the next manager.\nSummary/Conduding Thoughts:\nAn unstable council/manager relationship has negative consequences for the city\ncouncil, the manager, the organization and the community. A positive and mutually\nsupportive relationship will increase the odds of having a high-performing and\nsuccessful city. Councilmembers and the manager need to make creating, supporting\nand sustaining the relationship a high priority. If made a high priority, the odds of\nsuccess are great.\nRemember that your service on the city council is a unique honor that has been\nbestowed on you by your fellow citizens. While it is often a challenge, with inherent\ndifficulties, someone needs to do it and your community has selected you for that\nresponsibility. You have been selected to serve in a professional and honorable manner,\nduring good times and bad. Your service on the city council will be over soon enough.\nConduct yourself in a manner that will allow you to look back with pride-not only for\nwhat you accomplished, but also the way in which you conducted yourself (which will\nlikely be remembered the longest).\nJanuary 2017\n- 12-\n26", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 33, "text": "City Council Workshop\nWorkshop Report\nManagement Partners\nAttachment B - Workshop Evaluation\nAt the end of the workshop participants were asked to complete a workshop evaluation form.\nThe following responses are a compilation of answers from five of the workshop participants.\nOverall usefulness of the workshop (4.7 average score)\nNot Useful\nVery Useful\n1\n2\n3\n4\n5\nOverall quality of the workshop (4.5 average score)\nPoor Quality\nHigh Quality\n1\n2\n3\n4\n5\nThe best thing about this workshop was.\nHaving uninterrupted dialogue about our priorities.\nDiscussion of effectice practices for elected officials and establishing City Council norms.\nLetting Council talk.\nWell planned and organized. Open and honest dialouge.\nAbility to talk through priorities.\nSome things that could have been better.\nMore time for communications discussion.\nRoom temperature.\nRegarding establishing priorities, questionnaire may have had some redundancies.\nA warmer room!\nOther Comments\nNeed to do these two times a year.\n27", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "CityCouncil", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 34, "text": "MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING\nNEDNESDAY--DECEMBEI - - 18, 2019--4:00 P.M.\n(19-719) The special closed session meeting was cancelled.\nLara Weisiger\nCity Clerk\nThe agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.\nSpecial Meeting\nAlameda City Council\nDecember 18, 2019", "path": "CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "OpenGovernmentCommission", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 1, "text": "MINUTES OF THE OPEN GOVERNMENT COMMISSION MEETING\nWEDNESDAY DECEMBER 18, 2019 - 7:00 P.M.\nActing Chair Schwartz convened the meeting at 7:00 p.m.\nROLL CALL -\nPresent:\nCommissioners Little, Shabazz, Tilos and Acting Chair\nSchwartz - 4.\nAbsent:\nNone.\n[Staff present: Chief Assistant City Attorney Michael Roush; Assistant\nCity Attorney John Le; and City Clerk Lara Weisiger]\nORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA\nNone.\nAGENDAITEMS\n3-A. Minutes of the July 23, 2019 Meeting\nCommissioner Shabazz moved approval of the minutes.\nCommissioner Little seconded the motion.\nUnder discussion, Commissioner Shabazz stated that he submitted correspondence with\ncorrections to the minutes; inquired the practice regarding including information on\npresentations in the minutes and requested changes be made.\nThe City Clerk stated the changes can be done to expand the minutes.\nCommissioner Shabazz stated the changes include a summary; noted the minutes\nincluded a comment about speaking to other Commissioners; requested clarification of\nthe Brown Act.\nThe City Clerk stated the comment was about contacting one other Commissioner; stated\na quorum, or three Commissioners, cannot have a discussion about an agenda item.\nActing Chair Schwartz inquired the practice of summarizing comments.\nThe City Clerk responded if someone gives a presentations on something that is in writing,\nthe minutes typically state a presentation was given; adding more detail is acceptable.\nOn the call for the question, the motion carried by unanimous voice votes - 4.\nMeeting of the\nOpen Government Commission\n1\nDecember 18, 2019", "path": "OpenGovernmentCommission/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "OpenGovernmentCommission", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 2, "text": "3-B. Action on Open Government Commission's Written Decision Following a Hearing on\na Sunshine Ordinance Complaint Concerning a Failure to Respond Timely to a Public\nRecords Act Request\nActing Chair Schwartz inquired whether Commissioner Shabazz is recusing himself.\nCommissioner Shabazz responded in the affirmative; inquired at what time is he required\nto recuse himself, during voting or discussion.\nThe Chief Assistant City Attorney responded as the Complaintant, Commissioner\nShabazz would be required to recuse himself from the vote and discussion, but could\npresent to the Commission as the Complainant.\nIn response to Acting Chair Schwartz's inquiry regarding public comment, the Chief\nAssistant City Attorney stated the Complaintant is given an opportunity to verbalize their\nposition; the Commission can ask questions; the City would make its presentation and\nhave an opportunity to respond; the Commission could then have discussion and reach\na decision regarding the issue.\nMr. Shabazz stated he would like to clarify that he filed his complaint as a member of the\npublic and not as a Commissioner; he would like to address two specific issues: 1) the\nefforts to resolve the issue informally and any additional facts that existed, and 2) the\nstatement that there is no evidence of subsequent violations, which is inaccurate; cited\nexamples of potential violations included in the staff report; expressed concern about\nresolving violations informally discouraging folks from bringing issues before the\nCommission; stated that he chose to move it forward just to set a precedence; inquired\nhow the City Attorney's office could improve its internal process for an increased sense\nof transparency.\nActing Chair Schwartz requested more details about Mr. Shabazz's requests from\nFebruary 22 and 27, 2018.\nMr. Shabazz responded on February 27, 2018 he made a request for bodycam footage\nof an incident that occurred on August 21, 2017 regarding a robbery and Alameda Police\ndrawing firearms; stated the response he was given from the Police Department was that\nhe would not be able to access the bodycam footage.\nActing Chair Schwartz inquired whether Mr. Shabazz had issues with the response failing\nto address his request timely or at all and whether he had to be persistent and follow up.\nMr. Shabazz responded he cannot answer at the moment because he submitted several\npublic records requests on separate issues, but can get the information from his computer\nand provide it later.\nCommissioner Little stated that she recalls asking the same questions at the last meeting.\nMeeting of the\nOpen Government Commission\nDecember 18, 2019\n2", "path": "OpenGovernmentCommission/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "OpenGovernmentCommission", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 3, "text": "Mr. Shabazz agreed the issues discussed at the last meeting are separate.\nThe Chief Assistant City Attorney stated the draft decision was revised per the\nCommission's direction, which included removing objectionable language, adding a\nreminder that the City needs to do a better job with timely responses, and requiring an\nannual report on records requests; the changes were added to the findings sustaining the\ncomplaint; hopefully, the revised decision meets the Commissions requirements and the\nCommission will sign it.\nCommissioner Little stated this is the first time a staff report has been provided regarding\nrecords requests; the report revealed an additional item; she is satisfied that the City\nAttorney's office did a nice job of capturing and cataloguing the requests; she would like\nto move forward by acknowledging that there are appropriate checks and balances in\nplace; if the pattern continues, the Commission can revisit the issue.\nCommissioner Tilos stated data should be provided by department to determine if there\nis a pattern and to allow tracking and addressing of timely responses; expressed support\nfor the provisions added to the decision.\nActing Chair Schwartz stated it takes courage, persistence, and incredible amount of civic\nengagement to raise the issue to the Commission; expressed appreciation to Mr. Shabazz\nand the City Attorney's office for taking the matter seriously; proposed some amendments\nto the decision language: removing the phrase \"in light of the facts changing the\nphrase to \"no evidence in the record of a subsequent similar violation to \"though limited\nevidence suggests similar violations, the Commission does not assess a fine \" and\nadding a sentence \"However, the Commission will not hesitate to assess a fine in the\nfuture if similar violations are reported\" to make it clear how seriously the Commission\ntakes the matter; after the sentence, \"we sustain the complaint,\" he would like to remove\nthe phrase, \"no other remedy is necessary.\"\nCommissioner Little stated at the time the decision was written, the Commission did not\nhave a staff report or evidence in hand; the staff report on record requests shows one\nadditional violation; she appreciates the spirit of what Acting Chair Schwartz would like to\ndo, but does not want to introduce something that was not in hand at the first hearing.\nActing Chair Schwartz stated the Commission is issuing the order tonight and should be\ngiving a decision based on what is known today.\nCommissioner Little stated she is not comfortable making an amendment or motion to the\ndecision when the agenda item has not yet been addressed.\nCommissioner Tilos stated a decision should have been approved back in October; it is\na muddy water and technically the Commission should not even be discussing the item\ntonight; he understands both Commissioner's points, but is leaning toward the frame of\nmind as of October.\nMeeting of the\nOpen Government Commission\n3\nDecember 18, 2019", "path": "OpenGovernmentCommission/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "OpenGovernmentCommission", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 4, "text": "Mr. Shabazz stated the issues and information, including the spreadsheet, being\ndiscussed tonight were included in the October meeting; regardless of whether the\nCommission has reached the item on the agenda, the information was sent out to the\npublic and the information is readily available.\nCommissioner Tilos concurred with Mr. Shabazz; stated his point was the Commission\nwas ready to make the decision coming into the meeting in October, after having the\ninformation and data from the July meeting.\nActing Chair Schwartz reiterated the amendments.\nCommissioners Little and Tilos suggested amending the language to \"no evidence in the\nrecord of a subsequent similar violation. \" to add \"since that time.\"\nCommissioner Little moved approval of the decision with the amendments noted.\nCommissioner Tilos seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous voice vote - 3.\n[Absent: Commissioner Shabazz - 1.]\n3-C. Report Concerning Responses to Public Records Act (PRA) Requests Referred to\nthe City Attorney's Office\nCommissioner Shabazz moved approval of accepting the report.\nCommissioner Little seconded the motion.\nUnder discussion, Commissioner Little stated it is important to make sure the public\nunderstands there is an Open Government Commission, a Sunshine Ordinance and the\nCity has a responsibility to address public records requests; inquired whether the\nCommission has an obligation to follow up on public records request to prevent another\ninstance of requests falling through the cracks.\nThe Chief Assistant City Attorney responded the Sunshine Ordinance is prominent on the\nCity's website and is included on every Board, Commission, and Council agenda; the\nrecord shows that public records requests are responded to timely; the City Attorney's\noffice can work with the City Clerk to explore other avenues to make the information more\navailable to the public.\nCommissioner Little stated that she concurs with Mr. Shabazz regarding having an\neducational component about the Public Records Act; she appreciates the time and\nresponsiveness that went into the decision; every data system can be flawed, humans\nare inherently flawed; she appreciates the strong response to the Commission's request.\nCommissioner Shabazz stated that he us grateful to the City Attorneys and staff for their\nefforts regarding the matter; concurred with Commissioner Little regarding the importance\nof access to information; discussed some discrepancies he found in the spreadsheet\nMeeting of the\nOpen Government Commission\nDecember 18, 2019\n4", "path": "OpenGovernmentCommission/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "OpenGovernmentCommission", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 5, "text": "regarding timing and responses related to his own requests; offered beneficial\nsuggestions, including requesting the City Attorney's office assign a number to each\npublic records request, using the year and number of the request; stated that would like\nto incorporate the data in an annual report; recommended a method for other departments\nto have consolidated and central tracking of requests.\nThe City Clerk stated See Click Fix has not been a great tool for records requests; the\nClerk's office is working with the Public Information Officer on alternative, more efficient\nonline way to submit public records requests.\nCommissioner Little stated that she would like a column added to the spreadsheet which\nindicates the number of days between when the request was received and when\nresponsive information or documents were produced.\nOn the call for the question, the motion carried by unanimous voice vote - 4.\n3-D. Accept the Annual Report\nThe Chief Assistant City Attorney gave a brief presentation.\nCommissioner Shabazz stated that he was not a member of the Commission at the time\nprevious complaints were filed and wanted to confirm with the other Commissioners that\nthe information in the report is accurate.\nActing Chair Schwartz inquired what happened with the \"null and void\" decision on the\nordinances, to which the City Clerk responded in January 2019, the Council decided to\nrescind the ordinances, which were re-introduced and finally passed.\nActing Chair Schwartz requested adding a few sentences after the statement to indicate\nthere was effective Commission action regarding the ordinances.\nActing Chair Schwartz moved approval of accepting the annual report.\nCommissioner Tilos seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous voice vote - 4.\nActing Chair Schwartz proposed hearing item 3-F. before 3-E.\nCommissioner Shabazz inquired whether the Commission has a set meeting cut-off time,\nto which the City Clerk responded in the negative.\nCommissioner Shabazz inquired whether a formal motion is required to change the order\nof the agenda, to which the Chief Assistant City Attorney responded the Chair has the\ndiscretion to move ahead with minor agenda order changes such as the one Acting Chair\nSchwartz proposed.\n3-F. Select Chair and Vice Chair\nMeeting of the\nOpen Government Commission\n5\nDecember 18, 2019", "path": "OpenGovernmentCommission/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "OpenGovernmentCommission", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 6, "text": "Acting Chair Schwartz stated the selection of Chair and Vice Chair is based on seniority;\nsince Chair Henneberry stepped down, he is next in line for Chair; inquired whether\nCommissioner Tilos would then be next for Vice Chair.\nCommissioner Tilos stated he was not aware of the selection precedence and suggested\nopening the discussion; requested staff remind the Commission of meeting logistics;\nexpressed concerns about not having a quorum the last meeting, which wasted time and\nresources.\nThe City Clerk stated the Commission's two regular meetings are the first Monday in\nFebruary and October at 7:00 p.m.; meetings are also scheduled within 30 days if a\ncomplaint is filed and as needed.\nCommissioner Shabazz inquired which Commissioner would be interested in the Chair or\nVice Chair roles and why.\nActing Chair Schwartz responded that he is interested in taking on the Chair role; stated\nhe regrets not being able to attend the October meeting due to an emergency\nappendectomy and the last-minute July meeting was called while he was away on\ninternational travel; with those two exceptions, he has attended all the meetings and plans\nto going forward; he is proud of the work the Commission does; giving access to the public\nas well as helping the City Council function more effectively is why he would like to\ncontinue to serve on the Commission; the Commission has achieved many meaningful\nthings; having proper disclosure is important; he would like to continue being proactive\ngoing forward.\nCommissioner Tilos moved approval of appointing Commissioner Schwartz as the Chair.\nCommissioner Little seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous voice vote - 4.\nAcing Chair Schwartz moved approval of nominating Commissioner Tilos as the Vice\nChair.\nCommissioner Little stated the selection is a rotating process; she has already been Chair\nand Vice Chair; she feels it is a good way for appointed members to gain experience; she\nsupports Commissioner Tilos as Vice Chair.\nCommissioner Tilos stated he is humbled by the nomination and would like to fill the role\nas Vice Chair; he would like to continue the rotational process so that Commissioner\nShabazz could also have a turn at the Vice Chair/Chair roles.\nCommissioner Little seconded the motion, which carried by the following voice vote: Ayes:\nCommissioners Little, Tilos and Acting Chair Schwartz - 3. Abstention: Commissioner\nShabazz - 1.\nMeeting of the\nOpen Government Commission\nDecember 18, 2019\n6", "path": "OpenGovernmentCommission/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "OpenGovernmentCommission", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 7, "text": "Commissioner Shabazz inquired whether the rotational selection process is a formal\nprocess that has been codified, to which the Chief Assistant City Attorney responded in\nthe negative; stated the selection process is informal; selecting the Chair and Vice Chair\nis at the Commission's discretion.\nCommissioner Little stated participation in previous meetings would be a factor for her in\nthe nomination process; she would bypass a Commissioner who was absent for a majority\nof the meetings.\nCommissioner Shabazz stated that he is fine with the informal process but would like to\nconsider making it more formal in the future; discussed the example of the School Board\nchanging its process.\nCommissioner Tilos concurred with Commissioner Shabazz; stated the School Board\nsituation had the necessary votes to change the process.\n3-E. Consider Further Revisions to the Sunshine Ordinance by Amending Various\nProvisions of Article VIII (Sunshine Ordinance) of Chapter II (Administration), Including\nProvisions Related to Public Access to Public Meetings and Public Records, and\nSunshine Ordinance Enforcement.\nCommissioner Shabazz stated he is interested in how revising the ordinance is coming\nforward now.\nActing Chair Schwartz stated the City Attorney's office claims the ordinance has been\naround for a decade and is being cleaned up; it felt like revising the ordinance was in\nresponse to the Commission nullifying two City Council actions and the fact that the City\nAttorney's office seemed to dispute whether the Commission has the authority to do so;\nit seems that the City Attorney's office wants change to the ordinance to take the authority\naway from the Commission; all of the other modifications to the ordinance seemed like\ngravy poured over the real issue.\nSection 2-93.8\nThe Assistant City Attorney stated the use of the Null and Void remedy was historic in a\nsense that it had not been used prior; when it was used, Councilmembers wanted the City\nAttorney's office to look into revising the Sunshine Ordinance; from said direction, the City\nAttorney's office drafted the ordinance amendments which are before the Commission\ntonight.\nActing Chair Schwartz inquired whether the Council requested the revisions because they\nwere upset that the Commission nullified their actions.\nThe Assistant City Attorney responded in the negative, stated that he would not\ncharacterize it that way; it is typical for ordinances to adopt provisions that are not\ntriggered, but it cannot be ignored that the remedy was used; his understanding is that\nthe Council wanted a review of the entire Sunshine Ordinance.\nMeeting of the\nOpen Government Commission\n7\nDecember 18, 2019", "path": "OpenGovernmentCommission/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "OpenGovernmentCommission", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 8, "text": "ensure proper procedure is taken away, there is no point in having an Open Government\nCommission or a Sunshine Ordinance.\nCommissioner Tilos concurred with Commissioner Little, stated the Commission needs\nthe authority in order to be an effective body.\nChair Schwartz moved approval of rejecting the changes to Section 2-93.8.\nMeeting of the\nOpen Government Commission\nDecember 18, 2019\n8", "path": "OpenGovernmentCommission/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "OpenGovernmentCommission", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 9, "text": "Commissioner Tilos seconded the motion.\nUnder discussion, the Chief Assistant City Attorney clarified that the Commission would\nlike Section 2-93.8 to remain unchanged.\nThe Assistant City Attorney inquired whether the Commission's recommendation is that\nnot only are the changes rejected, there are no alternative proposed changes to Section\n2-93.8, to which Acting Chair Schwartz responded in the affirmative.\nOn the call for the question, the motion carried by unanimous voice vote - 4.\nCommissioner Shabazz stated he would like the Commission to use how making changes\nto the Sunshine Ordinance makes government more accessible as a framework to\nevaluate the changes.\nSection 2-91.1\nCommissioner Shabazz inquired whether an ad hoc Charter Review Committee\nappointed by the Mayor would be considered a passive meeting body as defined in the\nSunshine Ordinance.\nThe Assistant City Attorney responded in the negative; stated it is a typical ad hoc meeting\nbody and not a passive meeting body; an example of a traditional ad hoc committee is\nsimilar to a ballot argument ad hoc committee where two members of the Council convene\nto come up with a revised ballot argument.\nThe Chief Assistant City Attorney stated it is defined in the ordinance that a passive\nmeeting body shall not include an ad hoc committee appointed for a single purpose;\nconcurred with the Assistant City Attorney that the Charter Review Committee would not\nbe considered a passive meeting body.\nIn response to Commissioner Shabazz inquiry, the Assistant City Attorney stated a\nmeeting body that includes City employees and outside agency staff would not be\nconsidered a passive meeting body and would be an exception.\nThere was no Commission discussion of Section 2-91.5\nSection 2-91.12\nCommissioner Shabazz inquired what is the impetus for the section [regarding Closed\nSessions] being amended, to which the Assistant City Attorney responded a\nCouncilmember requested the change.\nCommissioner Shabazz stated it would be helpful for elected officials to clarify Closed\nSession votes on matters, whether it is for their own political purposes, but also for people\nto understand their intention; it would make sense in making government further\naccessible.\nMeeting of the\nOpen Government Commission\n9\nDecember 18, 2019", "path": "OpenGovernmentCommission/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "OpenGovernmentCommission", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 10, "text": "Section 2-91.15\nIn response to Commissioner Shabazz's inquiry, the City Clerk stated the Council adopted\nnew Rules of Order eliminating the ceding of time, which was also approved by the Open\nGovernment Commission and a Council subcommittee.\nCommissioner Little stated the change in policy was a result of trying to streamline the\nCouncil meetings; there were complaints that the same members of the public and\nCouncil were talking about the same issues repeatedly.\nActing Chair Schwartz stated it does not create greater public access when decisions on\nimportant issues that people come to hear about are not getting heard until late in the\nevening or postponed to another meeting because people are talking too long.\nSection 2-92.2\nCommissioner Shabazz inquired who are the designated custodian of records.\nThe City Clerk responded any person within the City can accept a public records request\nfrom anybody; stated the custodian of records is the staff person responsible for tracking\nrequests within the department; each department designates one person so requests can\nbe filtered directly to the department's custodian of records.\nSection 2-92.4\nCommissioner Shabazz inquired what are the benefits of posting an Environmental\nImpact Report (EIR) and other environmental documents on an external consultant's\nwebsite as opposed to just posting it on the City's website.\nThe Assistant City Attorney responded the practice is not common, but sometimes the\ndocuments are very large, especially when building an administrative record, and hosting\nthe documents on the City's website can be cumbersome.\nActing Chair Schwartz inquired whether a link is posted on the City's website in the event\nthe consultant hosts the documents, to which the Assistant City Attorney responded he is\nnot absolutely certain, but believes posting a link is a standard practice.\nActing Chair Schwartz requested confirmation of the accessibility to the documents be\nincluded in the changes.\nThere was no Commission discussion of Section 2-92.9\nSection 2-93.2\nIn response to Acting Chair Schwartz's inquiry regarding forfeiture of a hearing date, the\nCity Clerk stated that she reaches out to all the contact information provided by the\nrequestor; it becomes a problem when there is a timeline to schedule a hearing and she\nis not getting any response from the complaintant.\nMeeting of the\nOpen Government Commission\nDecember 18, 2019\n10", "path": "OpenGovernmentCommission/2019-12-18.pdf"}
{"body": "OpenGovernmentCommission", "date": "2019-12-18", "page": 11, "text": "Acting Chair Schwartz stated it might be helpful to add a sentence to emphasize the point,\nsuch as: \"every reasonable attempt will be made to reach the individual through all\navailable contact information and all attempts will be documented.'\nIn response to Commissioner Shabazz's inquiry about re-submitting a complaint, the City\nClerk responded the timelines in the Sunshine Ordinance would not allow a re-submission.\nThere was no Commission discussion of Section 2-93.7.\nThe City Clerk summarized the changes the Commission agreed to; stated there were\nslight revisions to 2-92.4 requiring a link be posted and 2-93.2 requiring outreach; the\nchanges have been noted and staff will work to draft the language.\nChair Schwartz moved approval of adopting the recommendations with the two\namendments.\nCommissioner Little seconded the motion.\nOn the call for the question, the motion carried by unanimous voice vote - 4.\nCOMMISSION COMMUNICATIONS\nCommissioner Shabazz expressed his appreciation for all the work of staff regarding his\ncomplaint as a member of the public; stated he would like to use his role as a\nCommissioner to make the Public Records Act more available to Alamedans and\nwelcomes suggestions from other Commissioners and staff on ways to do that.\nThe Chief Assistant City Attorney stated staff could agendize the issue at the February\nmeeting.\nADJOURNMENT\nThere being no further business, Chair Schwartz adjourned the meeting at 8:34 p.m.\nRespectfully submitted,\nLara Weisiger\nCity Clerk\nThe agenda for this meeting was posted in accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.\nMeeting of the\nOpen Government Commission\n11\nDecember 18, 2019", "path": "OpenGovernmentCommission/2019-12-18.pdf"}