Chapter 1.35
LEGISLATIVE POLICY ADVISORY COMMISSIONS
Sections:
1.35.020 Identification and scope of advisory commissions.
1.35.030 Organization of commissions.
1.35.040 Origination of work of advisory commissions.
1.35.050 Advisory commission work approval process.
1.35.060 Advisory commission meetings.
1.35.070 Reporting to Council by advisory commissions.
1.35.080 Appointment process for advisory commissions.
1.35.010 Intent.
City Council commissions provide a community sounding board and focus group to originate ideas and assist the City Council in fashioning legislative policy. Commissions are exclusively advisory to the City Council. Commissions may not take independent action representing the City with other agencies or bodies, and do not direct or duplicate the work of the City’s administration.
(Ord. 692 § 2 (Exh. A), 2017).
1.35.020 Identification and scope of advisory commissions.
A. Planning Commission. The Planning Commission advises the City Council and conducts public hearings on matters relating to the City’s zoning and land use and development regulations as well as the City’s Comprehensive Plan and other obligations under the State Growth Management Act.
B. Public Safety Advisory Commission. The Public Safety Advisory Commission advises the City Council on matters relating to public safety in the City.
C. Economic Development Advisory Commission. The Economic Development Advisory Commission advises the City Council on matters relating to economic development in the City.
D. Park Advisory Commission. The Park Advisory Commission advises the City Council on matters relating to City parks.
(Ord. 692 § 2 (Exh. A), 2017).
1.35.030 Organization of commissions.
A. Membership. There shall be seven regular voting members of each commission. Except as set forth below, members shall be City residents, and will immediately forfeit their appointment if they move outside the city limits.
1. The Public Safety Advisory Commission shall be comprised of both voting members and nonvoting representatives. The seven at-large members will be voting members. It is recommended to have one representative from each police department, fire district, and school district to act as Commission liaisons who will be active Commission participants but will be nonvoting representatives.
2. The Economic Development Advisory Commission shall be comprised of City residents, business owners, property owners, or business professionals working in the City. One member will be a member of the West Side Branch of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce.
3. The Park Advisory Commission should include one member from the City’s youth population, if feasible.
B. Vacancies and Appointments. Appointments to the commissions, whether due to term expiration or resignation, will follow the commission recruitment and appointment process established by this chapter.
C. Term. Regular voting commission members shall be appointed to four-year terms that shall expire on January 31st.
D. Removal of Members. Members and liaisons may be removed by City Council motion and affirmative majority vote. Positions shall be deemed vacated after a member is absent for four consecutive unexcused regular meetings.
E. Public Meetings. All commission meetings shall comply with the Open Public Meetings Act and be held in the City. The City Clerk will publish commission meeting notices.
F. Compensation and Staff Support. Members shall serve without compensation. Any expenditure for the commission shall be within the amounts appropriated for the purposes set by the City Council and approved in advance by the City Manager or designee. Staff resource and support shall be as provided by the City Council in the adopted budget under the City Manager’s authority.
G. Organization. Each commission shall elect its own chairperson and vice-chairperson. The vice-chairperson shall preside in the absence of the chairperson. The chairperson and vice-chairperson shall be voting members of the commission. The commission may adopt rules for transaction of business, and shall keep a written record of its meetings, attendance, and recommendations. Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern the deliberations of the commission except when in conflict with any of the provisions of this chapter. These records shall be public records and filed with the appropriate support staff in accordance with the requirements of the Public Records Act.
H. Conflict of Interest. Each voting member present shall vote on all questions put to the commission unless a conflict of interest as defined in State law precludes it.
(Ord. 692 § 2 (Exh. A), 2017).
1.35.040 Origination of work of advisory commissions.
A. Work Originating from Council. The City Council may direct a commission’s review of legislative policy matters in any of three ways: (1) by reviewing and approving a commission’s proposed annual work plan resolution; (2) by adopting a resolution assigning a legislative policy issue for commission review; or (3) by adopting a resolution approving a commission-recommended legislative policy matter for further commission work.
B. Work or Annual Work Plans Originating from Advisory Commissions. When two or more commissioners desire to propose a legislative policy topic for work by the commission, at least two proponents of the proposed legislative policy topic will describe in writing their proposal, and explain how the proposal is consistent with current adopted City Council goals, and will also set forth the potential budget or staff impact for further development or implementation. The proponents will sign the written proposal and file it with the staff representative assigned to the commission. The written proposal will be distributed to all commission members and calendared for initial review at a commission meeting. At the conclusion of the full commission review, the commission will vote on whether to advance the proposal for a City Council study session. If a majority of commissioners support the proposal, the commission will submit a written request from the commission to the City Clerk to be calendared for a City Council study session through the City Council's established agenda process. For commissions desiring to propose an annual work plan for Council review and consideration, the draft work plan must be submitted through the City’s regular agenda process early enough to be studied by Council and be ready for final consideration not later than the first meeting in December prior to the year it is intended to go into effect.
C. Work Originating through Other City Code Provisions. Where other University Place Municipal Code provisions provide additional means and processes for work to be assigned to advisory commissions, such additional processes remain in effect.
(Ord. 692 § 2 (Exh. A), 2017).
1.35.050 Advisory commission work approval process.
A. All work of legislative policy advisory commissions will be assigned by, or approved by, at least a majority of the City Council by written resolution before City resources (administrative staff work or public funds) are utilized. Council resolutions assigning, or approving, legislative advisory commission work will provide commissions with clear direction, and may establish any appropriate processes and procedures for the work.
B. Unless the resolution or the law provides otherwise, a resolution assigning or approving legislative advisory commission work authorizes the commission to seek public opinion, review, provide recommendations, form ad hoc subcommittees, meet jointly with other City legislative policy advisory commissions and authorizes the commission reasonable means to carry the resolution into the effect which may appear most conformable to the spirit of the resolution.
(Ord. 694 § 1, 2017; Ord. 692 § 2 (Exh. A), 2017).
1.35.060 Advisory commission meetings.
A. Commissions will not have standing monthly meetings, but will meet only when there is work to be done. Commissions should meet only as a majority of the commission deems necessary to work on matters specifically assigned by the City Council, either as part of an annual work plan or by separate resolution, or in the event that two or more commissioners have filed a request to meet to discuss work to be proposed by the commission to the Council for approval.
B. At least annually, the Council will hold a joint meeting with all commissions.
(Ord. 692 § 2 (Exh. A), 2017).
1.35.070 Reporting to Council by advisory commissions.
A. When a commission reports to the City Council on a proposed commission work item, proposed commission annual work plan, or reports back to Council on commission work previously assigned or approved by Council, the report will include attendance by the commission chairperson or vice-chairperson at the Council’s first study of the matter, and may include a minority report.
B. When a commission has met, but has not yet completed any assigned or approved work items, the commission chairperson or vice-chairperson will provide a quarterly update to the Council on the commission’s progress.
(Ord. 692 § 2 (Exh. A), 2017).
1.35.080 Appointment process for advisory commissions.
A. Advertisement for commission vacancies will be posted by the City Clerk’s office. The Human Resources Department will conduct background checks on all applicants.
B. Review of applications and interviews of candidates will be performed by a City Council subcommittee comprised of no more than three Council Members appointed by the City Council each year on a rotating basis to ensure all council members participate. In considering appointments, the subcommittee will confer with the City Attorney and Police Chief regarding any applicant criminal history disclosed by a background check.
C. The subcommittee’s recommendations will be provided to the full Council and inform the Mayor’s final appointments, but are not binding on the Mayor. The Mayor’s appointments will be reviewed for confirmation by vote of the full City Council. The full Council, by majority vote, may choose to interview all of the Mayor’s appointments to any commission, or all commissions.
D. It is the Council’s intent that in making appointments to any and all advisory bodies, that the Council should seek to afford the greatest number of University Place residents the opportunity to serve for a time on commissions, and should seek to appoint commissioners who are residents and who are representative of the diversity of our community.
(Ord. 692 § 2 (Exh. A), 2017).
1.35.090 Scope of chapter.
A. To What Entities Applicable. This chapter shall govern all matters before City advisory commissions. Where a State statute provides for a procedure before a commission, which is in conflict with this chapter, the procedure shall be governed by such statute.
B. Conflicting Statutes and Rules. Subject to the provisions of subsection (A) of this section, this chapter supersedes all resolutions and other rules that may be in conflict.
(Ord. 692 § 2 (Exh. A), 2017).