Chapter Two –Commission/Committee Role and Relationships
2.1 Council–Commission/Committee Relationship The primary purpose of all advisory bodies is to provide judicious advice to the City Council. The role of a commission/committee can include hearing public testimony on the City Council’s behalf, building community consensus for proposals or projects, reviewing written materials, facilitating study of critical issues, guiding the implementation of new or regulating established programs, assessing the alternatives regarding issues of community concern, and ultimately forwarding recommendations to the City Council for consideration. There are times when a commission/committee recommendation will not be sustained or will be modified by the City Council. It is important not to recognize this as a rejection of the integrity of the recommendation, but rather, as an inevitable part of the process of community decision-making. Throughout this process, the form and formality of the relationship between commission/committee members and Councilmembers will vary. Some commission/committee members will have regular contact with individual Councilmembers as well as the appointing Councilmember, while others may serve solely in the group context. There are times when the Chairperson may address the City Council formally on behalf of the commission/committee, and other times when a commission/committee member may meet with a Councilmember individually. It is important to aim for clarity and mutual respect for the different responsibilities and roles at all times.
2.2 Staff Responsibilities Staff responsibilities include:
Being informed about the latest developments in their field.
Providing background and internal perspective to the commission/committee on important issues. Providing administrative support, including agenda and report preparation, and recording of minutes at meetings. Assisting the commission/committee to move through meeting agenda items to ensure Commission business is advanced. Interpreting relevant City, State, and Federal laws and policies. Alerting commission/committee members of concerns related to Commission business. Presenting commission/committee recommendations to the City Council.
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