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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8A - City Council Liaisons to Advisory Bodies AGENDA #: PREPARED BY: SUBJECT: DATE: BACKGROUND: DISCUSSION: ISSUES: STAFF AGENDA REPORT () 8 A 'X~ ~ FRANK BOYLES, CITY MANAGER '\ ~ INITIATION OF CITY COUNCil LIAISON SEPTEMBER 7,1993 The City Council directed that the question of whether Councilmembers should serve as liaison to the various advisory bodies was to be considered by the Council at the September 7 meeting. Since receiving this direction I have corresponded with the Chairs of the City's advisory bodies soliciting their feedback to this proposal. Attached is a copy of the memo I sent to each, a draft policy statement entitled "City Council Liaison" and the comments I have received from advisory body members. The City Council Liaison concept is intended to foster better communication between the City Council and its advisory bodies. By having a Councilmember present at advisory body meetings the Council will have a better awareness of the issues and concerns which that advisory body faces. Moreover, the Council member will be able to monitor the advisory body's progress toward, or variance from, the Council's objectives for that body. In this respect the liaison position can facilitate greater accountability and teamwork. For the Liaison concept to work, however, Councilmembers must have the time available to be able to regularly attend meetings of the advisory body which they represent. While they are not a voting member of the committee, the Liaison is able to offer suggestions and Council insight on advisory body issues. A number of issues are inherent in this proposal. First, Councilmembers must be willing, available and interested enough to devote the time to attend periodic advisory body meetings. There is also the question of whether the liaison concept can result in micro management. Other potential disadvantages are: 1) a sense by the advisory body that the Council is prying; 2) an over zealous Liaison may tend to dominate the advisory body or 3) advisory body representatives may perceive the Liaison as restricting their freedom in decision making. -1- 4629 Dakota St. S.E., Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372 / Ph. (612) 447-4230 / Fax (612) 447-4245 A"i EQUAL OPPORTUNITY H..\PLOYER ALTERNATIVES: Council has the following alternatives: 1. Maintain the status quo. 2. Initiate the Council Liaison concept and select which Councilmembers will be Liaison to which advisory body. 3. Table for a specific reason. RECOMMENDATION: Consider the pros and cons of the Liaison concept and act accordingly. ACTION REQUIRED: If the Council favors the concept, a motion to approve the Liaison concept through adoption of the attached City Council Liaison Policy Statement "as is" or without amendments. If the Council is opposed, no action is necessary. AGN8A.WRT -2 - Role of City Council Liaison Representative The City of Prior Lake operates under Optional Plan B, Council-Manager Plan. Under this plan the City Council is the policy establishing legislative body. To assist in obtaining information required to make policy decisions, the City Council is advised by four voluntary advisory bodies responsible for making recommendations relating to planning, zoning, park and recreation, economic development, and lake matters. To be well informed, the Council must also maintain a close liaison between itself and other organizations, agencies and governmental bodies serving City residents. Consequently, the Council has deemed it appropriate to establish City Council Liaisons. Each Council member is assigned as a Liaison to one or more bodies annually, generally in January. The singular, essential function of a Liaison is to assure two-way communication between the City Council and the body to which the Council member serves. In performing this function, the Liaison must be both a listener and communicator. In order to keep the Council appropriately advised of that body's activities, the Council member must be aware of issues which have or will be facing the body, the objectives of the organization, the politics and individuals involved in the organization, its resources and other matters which might influence the organization's ability, desire or capacity to accomplish its day-to-day ends. With this information the Uaison is able to both provide the Council with information and actions taken by the body, as well as an appreciation for why or how those actions took place, and what may be expected in the future. The Liaison must also be a good listener in order that he/she can advise the Council of the impact of its actions, positions, plans or lack of action upon that respective body. This is essentially a matter of maintaining a high degree of trust and cooperation. A Liaison is also responsible for advising the body of the City Council's positions on various issues, and the impact that the body's action may have on the City. To be an effective CCR, the Council member should periodically expect to provide other Councilmembers with a short verbal report to keep them advised of the actions or conditions affecting the body or agency they represent. "COMM4" \ Phone Call to Frank Boyles from EDC Chair Bob Barsness: With regard to the Council liaison, the EDC heartily supports the Idea. At the recent EDC meeting Roger Guenette proposed that he would like to have a liaison from the Council and a motion and a resolution was passed. The EDC would be happy to have someone in that capacity. The following Is a telephone message from Dave Vinlove you asked me to transcribe: "Frank, this is Dave Vinlove, Lake Advosory Chair, responding to your memorandum dated August 3 related to a City Council liaison. I think that's a great idea. Our committee sometimes operates In sort of a vacuum. I know you've attended a couple of our meetings. Basically, the issues we deal with sometines don't get communicated, and I would just as soon have a City Council peson assigned to our group and attend all of our meetings, I think that would be great and I fully support the initiative that you've made in your memo. So put me down as being positive about it and I hope we can implement it. Thanks, Frank." To: Frank Bovles, City Council and Mavor ../ - - From: Commissioner Greenfield Subject: Council Proposal for Liaison A memo from our City Manager solicited our inputs regarding a proposal tor committee liaisons. I \vould like to take a few moments and share mv comments on this matter. Our city, by law, must make written and recorded records of our proc,eedings. These records are also available to the Council. If there is any concern on behalf of the Council as to the nature, content or direction of any of our proceedings. certainly feel free to question or visit our meetings. I commend this level of commitment by Council to volunteer ex'tra time in this capacity. However, I feel that quality government can be achieved with strong management skills demonstrated in well written and consistently enforced ordinances, detailed explanation of duties, limits and scope of power and performance criteria in our Bylaws. Well-defined goals and direction provide the most effective form of management. Any other form would resemble micro- management, which has histOlically proven inetlective in government. Your attendance is always welcome as is your continued guidance and direction, Thank vou tor vour time and consideration. . . SincerelY'. Allen Greenfield ~ -- -- .. -- -~"b'-'-'-'-~ u~... ..n.., .........'^-1... VB lB~ clWdlU Uldl IIC lc\:ClVCU llU111 MAUMA lor "Outstanding Student of the Year". The next item was discussion from the members regarding issues that they ma(!).Aoncerned about. 'r. Sam Emond asked the status of the fishing pier at Sand Point Beach and also if there ~... damage done due to the amount of rain we had this summer and the high water. , - Bill Mangan indicated that all the parts are in for the fishing pier and is currently being installed; it should be in the water for fall fishing. There was some erosion at Watzl's from the water and a few severe wash outs at Lakefront Park. Bill Mangan presented a memorandum from Frank Boyles asking for recommendations from the various committees regarding the initiation of City Council Liaison. This City Council member would be a representative of a particular committee to listen and communicate that committee's activities, etc. to the City Council. There was some discussion. In general, the committee felt that it would be nice to have a representative; however, felt it was not necessary for someone to be assigned to attend each meeting. The committee felt that if there was a pertinent issue, a coucilmember could be invited to attend at that time. The Council members currently receive copies of the monthly agenda and minutes. KATHY SMITII MADE A MOTION THAT THE PARKS ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THAT, AT THIS TIME, THEY DO NOT FEEL THAT AN ASSIGNED COUNCILMEMBER TO REPRESENT TIlE COMMITTEE IS NECESSARY. HOWEVER, IF AN ISSUE SHOULD ARISE TIlAT THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WOULD LIKE COUNCIL INPUT, THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO CALL UPON SOMEONE AT TIIAT TIME. SAM EMOND SECONDED THE MOTION. THERE WERE 2 NO'S AND 5 YES'S. MOTION CARRIED. PAT HEANEY MADE A MOTION TIlAT WE RECOMMEND TO THE CITY OF PRIOR LAKE THAT IN AN EFFORT TO SHOW CONCERN FOR TREES AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND IN AN EFFORT TO SHOW THE PUBLIC THAT WE ARE USING PAPER EFFICIENTLY THAT THE CITY STAFF WILL MAKE AN EFFORT TO PUBLISH DOCUMENTS UTILIZING BOTH SIDES OF THE PAPER WHENEVER POSSIBLE. SAM EMOND SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Art Schoot suggested that the survey should be redone in the near future. This item will be put on an upcoming agenda for discussion. Doug Berens asked for New Business. Bill Mangan reviewed the five year Capital Improvement Program. A copy of this report was previously been sent to each of the members to review, and a copy is included with the files. The following is a summary of what is covered in the CIP report: 1. A high priority will be the construction of trails in the Knob Hill Subdivision, Carriage Hills Subdivision, Westbury Ponds Subdivision, and cardinal Ridge Subdivision. 2. The replacement of bathrooms at Memorial park will be constructed in 1994. The restrooms will be constructed under the new grandstand with additional storage added for n'lrv~ f'ln~ "P"'~'lh"n n"'l'l;T"ltp",,"I"'~ Ql,..,n~,,",T"MQl"" , / SP cr/y Iffl1(e,,.:_ TO: Bob Barsness, Economic Development Committee Chair Doug Berens, Parks Advisory Committee Chair Dave Roseth, Planning Commission Chair Dave Vinlove, Lake Advisory ~~ittee Chair Frank Boyles, City Manage/A y August 3, 1993 FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Initiation of City Council Uaison The Council Is considering whether or not it would be appropriate to formally establish a City Councilmember as liaison to each of the City's advisory bodies. Prior to doing so, however, the Council has asked that I solicit your Input to determine what you and/or your committee think of such a proposal. To provide you with a general guideline on the role of the liaison, I have attached a document entitled "City Council Coordinating Representative" . Once you have had the opportunity to review the attadlment and reflect upon this issue, perhaps with the input of your Committee members, I would appreciate receiving your feedback on the proposal. Please feel free to make comments, both positive and negative. If I receive your comments before 4:30 p.m. Monday, August 9, I will include them in my Agenda Report for the August 16 meeting. To save time, you may wish to leave me a voice message at 447-4230. I will have your message transcribed and conveyed in typewritten form to the City Council. Better yet, feel free to attend the August 16 Council meeting to share your perspective with the Council in person. In the meantime, feel free to contact me if you have any questions. FB:db Attachment FBFORM.WRT