HomeMy WebLinkAbout74-24RESOLUTION 7 4 -24
RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS
ESTABLISHING STANDING COMMITTEES AND
ADOPTING GENERAL AND SPECIAL RULES PERTAINING THERETO
WHEREAS, the City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills wishes to establish standing
volunteer committees to assist the Council with various issues;
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the Town does RESOLVE that the following standing
committees are established, and the following general and special rules pertaining to standing
volunteer committees are hereby adopted:
Section 1. Committees Established. The following are hereby constituted as the regular
Standing Committees of the Town:
a) Community Relations Committee
b) Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee
C) Environmental Design and Protection Committee
d) Finance and Investment Committee
e) Parks and Recreation Committee
f) Pathways Committee
g) Open Space Committee
h) Environmental Initiatives Committee
i) History Committee
j) Public Art Committee
k) Technology Committee
Section 2. General Powers and Duties
a) Each of the Standing Committees shall have the general power and duty to
render advice and make recommendations to the City Council, Planning
Commission, or the City Manager and other Town bodies designated by the
City Council on all aspects of its particular sphere of interest.
b) Each Standing Committee shall make regular oral reports to the Council, in
addition to any specific reports and recommendations requested by the City
Council or deemed necessary by a majority of the members of the Standing
Committee.
C) Each Standing Committee shall meet with the City Council, once a year at
the Council's request, to discuss and report on its goals, projects,
accomplishments, and concerns.
d) Each Standing Committee shall study its own structure, specific charges
and direction, and recommend any changes, if needed, to the City Council.
e) The City Council shall advise Standing Committees of any evaluation made
of the Standing Committee's actions and direction, and any proposed action
to amend the Standing Committees charges.
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f) Each Standing Committee is encouraged to send a representative to City
Council and Planning Commission meetings whenever possible.
Section 3. Appointment of Committees. The following general rules shall be applicable to
the qualifications of members and associate members of Standing Committees, and
their appointment and removal;
a) The members of each Standing Committee shall be appointed with the
approval of a majority of the City Council.
b) Each Committee member shall:
i) be a resident of the Town at the time of their appointment and for
so long as they serve except as otherwise set forth herein related to
the Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee.
ii) serve at the pleasure of the Council, without compensation or
payment of mileage, for a term of four {4} years. In the case of the
Councilmembers serving on a Standing Committee as voting
members, their terms shall not exceed their terms of elected office.
Upon leaving elected office the City Council shall appoint other
members of Council to those committees with Councilmember
participating as voting members.
iii) be eligible for reappointment upon application to the City Council,
but the City Council shall encourage new applicants in order to
promote widespread community involvement. To achieve this, the
City Council will generally not appoint an applicant who has served
for two {2} consecutive terms as a member of that Committee,
within a period of two {2} years from the expiration of their most
recent term. These term limits do not constrain a resident from
being appointed as an associate member of that Committee, nor
from applying for appointment to any other Town Committee.
A Committee member's record of attendance at the Committee's
meetings may be a factor in determining whether that member
should be reappointed to the Committee.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the City Council retains the ability
to appoint anyone that it may select by majority vote for
membership on a Town Committee.
iv) not serve as a member (as distinguished from an associate member)
on more than one of the following committees concurrently:
Pathways Committee; Open Space Committee; and Environmental
Design and Protection Committee. Individual committee members
currently serving as members on more than one of these committees
are grandfathered in and may continue to
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serve on more than one of these committees until their respective
term ends on one of these committees.
v) be considered to have resigned in the event of three consecutive
absences from the meetings of their Committee, unless the
Chairperson of the Committee shall have excused the member's
absence and informed the other Committee members of the
exception at the third consecutive meeting missed.
c) The associate members of each Standing Committee shall be appointed by
a majority vote of their respective committees. Each Associate Committee
member shall:
i) serve at the pleasure of the Committee without compensation or
payment of mileage for a term not to exceed four {4} years.
ii) have non-voting membership status.
iii) be of assistance to their respective committees with their charges
and duties on an as -needed basis. Residency and regular meeting
attendance is not required.
iv) be unlimited in number based on the needs of each committee.
v) the appointment of associate members of the Environmental Design
and Protection Committee, Pathways Committee, and Open Space
Committee shall be subject to the approval of the City Council.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the duties of the associate
members of those committees do not include site visits, City
Council approval shall not be required.
d) Notification of resignations or terminations of committee members shall be
submitted to the City Council in writing. Notification of appointments and
resignations of associate members shall be submitted to the City Cleric in
writing. Vacancies in the membership of any Standing Committee with the
exception of the Councilmembers serving as voting members on any
Standing Committee shall be filled in the following manner:
i) The City Cleric shall post in three {3} public places in the Town a
notice of the fact that a vacancy has occurred and that the
applications will be received prior to a date stated in the notice.
ii) All persons interested in serving shall submit to the City Clerk a
written request for appointment containing such information on
their background and qualifications as they deem appropriate. The
City Clerk shall notify all applicants of the Council meeting at which
their application shall be considered.
iii) The City Council shall, during a public meeting, appoint Standing
Committee members by selecting appointees from a roster of
persons offered by individual Council members and applications
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from candidates. The City Council shall endeavor to appoint the
best qualified persons.
e) One member of the City Council shall be designated by the Mayor as a
liaison for each Standing Committee with the exception of the Finance and
Investment Committee which shall include two council liaison members
(Mayor/Vice-Mayor). The designated Council liaison(s) may attend
meetings of the Standing Committee to which he or she is assigned, and
shall try to do so at least quarterly, but shall not vote. The Council liaison
shall contact each member of the Standing Committee to which he or she
has been assigned at least once annually to determine any problems which
may exist and to receive information for use in Council evaluations of
Standing Committee actions and direction.
Section 4. Organization of Standing Committees. The following general rules shall be applicable
to the organization and conducting of business by each Standing Committee:
a) Each Standing Committee shall establish a time and place for its regular
meetings. Once the Standing Committee has established a time and place
for its regular meetings, the Standing Committee shall request the City
Council to approve the time and place of the regular meeting. The City
Clerk shall cause notice of the schedule of regular meetings to be posted on
the bulletin board at Town Hall. The agenda shall be set by the Chairperson,
but upon the request of any Standing Committee member an item shall be
placed on the agenda. Agendas of meetings shall be posted in compliance
with the provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Act (commencing with
Government Code Section 54950), as hereafter amended. No Standing
Committee meeting shall be considered to have been held unless notice of
the time and date of the meeting shall have been properly available pursuant
to the Ralph M. Brown Act, as hereafter amended, and unless a quorum
shall have been present. Special meetings of a Standing Committee may
only be called by the Standing Committee Chairperson, Mayor or City
Manager and must be called in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act.
b) The quorum is a majority of the currently appointed membership.
c) A committee may be required to participate in property site visits. Site visits
must be performed by only current committee members and are permissible
as long as any group of committee members does not contain a quorum of
current members. In the event a site visit is necessary, a Standing
Committee chair shall inform Town staff at least one week in advance of
any visit. Town staff shall send the homeowner(s) a courtesy postcard
notifying them that a site visit will be taking place within a defined time
period. The postcard shall be sent a minimum of 72 hours in advance of any
visit.
d) At its first regular meeting in July of each year, each Standing Committee
shall elect, by a simple majority of the members present, from its
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membership a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, and such other
officers as the Standing Committee deems advisable, who shall not serve
for more than two {2} consecutive one {I) year terms. If at the time of the
election, it is determined that there are no viable nominations for the slate
of officers including the Chairperson, the Committee may request an
exemption of the general rule pertaining to the term(s) for the
Officers/Chairperson from the City Council. At the July meeting, any
subcommittees deemed advisable by the Standing Committee for specific
activities within the purview of the Standing Committee shall be appointed
by the members. At any other meeting an officer may be replaced. However,
at any meeting other than the first regular meeting in July, a vote of the
majority of the Standing Committee is necessary to replace or elect an
officer.
e) All committee leadership (chairperson and vice -chairperson) shall attend
annual training before taking their seats as chair or vice -chair, or as soon
after appointment as possible, to insure they are well versed in managing
meetings in an effective, fair, open, and transparent manner in compliance
with the Brown Act and Rosenberg's Rules of Order. Once the training has
been completed, the Chair and Vice -Chair are not required to repeat the
training annually. The Chair will also be responsible for: addressing
compliance to these principles both before and after the meeting; assuring
all agenda items describe the topic sufficiently to promote proper
discussion; making reasonable efforts to ensure that project applicants and
residents are given a reasonable opportunity to present and respond to
questions raised during the meeting; assuring the committee does not react
or respond to comments on topics that have not been agendized; and
assuring that items raised by speakers during presentations from the floor
that are not on the agenda are discussed to seek clarification only or to
provide public information about prior relevant actions of the committee or
the Town.
f) The duties of the Chairperson shall be consistent with those of a presiding
officer as they pertain to the conduct of the Committee meetings and
adherence to the general powers and duties, organization of Standing
Committees, Committee charges and duties and procedures as set forth in
this resolution.
g) The Chairperson shall be responsible for monitoring the attendance of
committee members and shall meet with any committee member who the
Chairperson believes is negatively impacting the operation of the Standing
Committee due to absences from committee meetings to discuss a plan to
eliminate future absences. If following the meeting, the Chairperson does
not believe the committee member will be able to attend the future meetings
and will therefore continue to negatively impact the operation of the
Standing Committee, the Chairperson may recommend that the City
Council either remove the person from the Standing Committee or
recommend that the Standing Committee vote to convert the person to
Associate membership status on the Committee
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h) Each Standing Committee shall keep minutes of its meetings, which shall
include its determinations, recommendations, attendance of members and
an indication of who prepared the minutes. The minutes shall be reviewed
by the City Manager who, in consultation with the City Council liaison to
the particular committee, shall determine which items need to be agendized
for a City Council meeting. The minutes shall also be public records.
Section 5. Code of Conduct for all Committee Members:
a) Appointees on Committees are volunteers who desire to provide their time,
service, and expertise to the Town.
b) Appointment to any Los Altos Hills Town Committee or Commission is
contingent upon each prospective appointee's acceptance of this Code of
Conduct.
c) Appointees agree that their service is intended for the greater benefit of the
Town and not for any private, commercial, or personal interest.
d) Appointees will agree to:
Abide by the laws of the Federal, State or County and the Town's
regulations and ordinances and to follow the direction oflegal authorities.
Accept and follow Town Council defined charters, objectives, and
requirements and to provide their service, advice, and recommendations to
the Council and, if approved by the Council, to others.
Not disclose confidential information that they may discover during their
service unless legally authorized to do so.
i) Also, such confidential information shall not be used to advance
the personal, financial, or private interests of themselves or others.
Recuse themselves if or when a situation arises in which a member could
be perceived to have a conflict of interest.
All discussions, decisions and votes must be made in public and shall
follow the provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Open Meeting Act.
Appointees shall also complete bi-annual Ethics and Brown Act training.
Keep official discussions within the body's charter.
Consider issues that come before the body by using an objective,
responsible and equitable process.
Treat all persons in a courteous, dignified, and professional manner.
i) Confront Ideas and Issues - but not People.
ii) A Personal attack, in any form, by an appointee to any other
person(s) is unacceptable behavior.
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Use Town bestowed titles or positions only when conducting Town
business, for information purposes or to qualify their background and
expertise and not for personal gain or to promote ideas that their committee
have not approved.
Reject any form of gifts or compensation from any entity or person for their
service except when authorized by the Town Council.
Respect and follow established channels of communication with Town
staff.
Use Town equipment, supplies, personnel, or facilities for approved Town
activities only.
i) Care should be exercised when requesting Town staff services.
Satisfy all participation requirements that the Town or the body may
impose upon its members.
i) Respect others by being on time and properly prepared to conduct
the body's business.
Section 6. Special Powers and Duties. Each Standing Committee shall be empowered and
obligated as follows:
a) Community Relations Committee.
i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a maximum of
seven (7) members appointed whenever feasible from different
geographical areas of the Town.
ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be:
to encourage communication and participation between residents
and Town government, and study and identify means of assuring
continued cooperation among different groups;
Conduct a coordinated program for welcoming new residents to the
Town that may include mailing welcome and information packets,
personal visitations, telephone calls, and/or invitations to a
dedicated welcoming event or special recognition at any regular
event(s);
Coordinate and sponsor regular Town events including an annual
Town Picnic and other special events as the Committee may
recommend.
Inform Los Altos Hills residents of community activities through
written communication, articles and/or reports in "Our Town,"
and/or other appropriate methods such as information tables at
events.
to assist other Committees, in implementation of special projects;
to actively seek interested volunteers to serve on Town
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committees and commissions.
b) Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee
i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of
five (5) members and a maximum of nine (9) members. The EPRC
may include Town residents and residents from the unincorporated
area within the Los Altos Hills County Fire District (LAHCFD)
boundary adjacent to the Town municipal boundary.
ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be:
Advise the Town on its emergency mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery programs,
goals, policies, plans, protocols, and priorities related to emergencies, and make
recommendations to Staff and City Council.
Provide guidance and support to the emergency volunteer programs and community outreach
programs on their operations, planning, protocols, and procedures.
C) Environmental Design and Protection Committee.
i) The membership of this committee shall consist of a minimum of
five {5} members and a maximum of eight {8} members including,
whenever feasible, professionals in the fields of landscape design
and construction, environmental science, and pollution control.
ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be:
to work for the beautification of the Town and the protection of its
resources;
to assist staff in implementation of the Town landscape policy
through recommendations at subdivision, site development,
Planning Commission and City Council meetings, and through
review and inspection of required plantings;
to study and make recommendations relating to landscaping and
protection of public property, such as park lands, and treatment of
riparian habitat and open space within the Town;
to identify nuisance problems and sources of pollution and
recommend actions for abatement; and
to prepare educational materials for residents outlining Town
ordinances and enforcement with regard to landscape design and
protection of the environment.
When requested to make recommendations to staff on proposed
new development including new homes, remodels, secondary
dwellings, and auxiliary structures as to impact on site specific and
the surrounding neighboring sites reviewed by the Site
Development Plans and Field visits. Such impacts would include
topography, vegetation, drainage, lighting, skylights, riparian
habitat, and conservation easements.
To attend all Fast Trach/Site Development meetings to support
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committee and staff recommendations.
d) Finance and Investment Committee.
i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five {5}
members and a maximum of nine {9} members. The Mayor and Vice -
Mayor shall serve as non-voting Council liaisons. Members shall meet at
least one of the following qualifications: { 1 } five years accounting and
financial experience in a public corporation, municipal government or
privately held business; {2} financial officer of a public corporation with
five years' experience; {3} investment officer of a F.D.I.C. member
institution with five years' experience; {4} money manager who specializes
in corporate or government agency issues with a minimum of five years'
experience; or {5} five years' experience in investment banking, venture
capital and/or general management.
ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be:
to serve as an advisory body to the City Council on financial and
investment matters and operations related thereto;
to review five-year capital budgets and revenue projections and make
recommendations to the City Council;
to review the annual budget and make recommendations to the City
Council;
to review the annual audit and make recommendations to the City
Council;
to advise the Council on change and selection of auditors;
to study all fiscal issues and recommend possible improvements and
economies;
to develop and recommend an investment Policy that protects to monitor
investment performance and recommend changes as appropriate. All such
recommendations shall be approved by the City Council. The City Manager
shall execute any approved investment decisions.
to monitor pension and OPEB obligations and recommend appropriate
mitigation and reserve policies.
e) Parks and Recreation Committee.
i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five { 5 }
members and a maximum of ten {10} members, including whenever
feasible, residents who are parents of young children.
ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be:
to serve as an advisory body to the Council on matters related to year- round
recreational programs and activities, including, but not limited to,
recreational programs and activities to serve children and adults; and
to develop new recreational programs and activities and study all
recreational facilities available within the Town and make
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recommendations regarding their status, consistent with the General Plan.
f) Pathways Committee.
i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five { 5 )
members and a maximum of nine {9} members.
ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be:
to work for the preservation and enhancement of the pathways within the
Town for the use and enjoyment of all residents;
to review and recommend changes to the Master Path Plan and the Bicycle
Plan of the Town;
to make recommendations at subdivision, site development, Planning
Commission and City Council meetings regarding pathway easements;
to meet regularly with the City Manager or the Manager's designee to
render advice on pathway activities, priorities, and necessary maintenance;
to communicate to residents the concepts and locations of paths and trails
within the Town as approved by the City Council;
to study and recommend ordinances and resolutions relating to acquisition,
construction, maintenance and use of public trails and pathways;
to communicate Town policies and procedures regarding pathways if
advised to do so by the City Council; and
to make recommendations to the City Council regarding both the
maintenance and capital improvements budgets with regard to pathways.
g) Open Space Committee.
i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five { 5 }
members and a maximum of nine {9} members.
ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be:
to advise and assist the City Council, Planning Commission, and staff in
implementing the policies and goals of the General Plan, specifically with
respect to acquisition and maintenance, and protection of voluntary
conservation, open space easements and open space;
to make recommendations at subdivision, site development, Planning
Commission and City Council meetings regarding the acquisition,
maintenance and protection of conservation easements, open space
easements and open space;
to advise and assist the work for the preservation, restoration and
enhancement of the environment and natural resources within the Town;
to study and recommend ordinances and resolutions relating to acquisition,
restoration, maintenance and use of conservation easements,
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open space easements and open space within the Town;
to communicate Town policies and procedures regarding conservation
easements, open space easements, and open space following standard
Town communication policies;
to provide educational material and informational forums and programs to
the public regarding natural resources (e.g., wildlife, creeks, native plants,
and wildlife habitat) following standard Town communication policies;
and
to develop relationships with other Town committees, neighboring
municipalities, and regional entities to collaborate on environmental issues
following standard Town communication policies.
h) Environmental Initiatives Committee
i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five { 5 }
members and a maximum of eleven {I I } members.
ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be:
to assist the Town in the development of and refinement of the Council's
Environmental Strategic Goals for Town -owned property;
to recommend a set of initiatives that would lead to the progress and
achievement of these goals; and
to review other environmental initiatives to be proposed to the City
Council, subject to the appropriate hearings, that would affect other aspects
of Town policy including residential development and Town infrastructure.
i) History Committee
i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five ( 5 )
members and a maximum of nine {9} members. The mission of the
Historical Committee shall be the preservation of the Los Altos Hills
heritage.
ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be:
to implement policies that preserve the historic and cultural fabric of the
Town;
to protect the historic and cultural resources from inappropriate destruction;
to preserve community input into the policy-making process;
to research and document best practices and model preservation policies;
to organize and make available to the public the historic artifacts that have
been preserved and to continue to collect historic artifacts for future
generations.
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iii) Nothing in the aforementioned charges and duties shall be interpreted as
authorizing the mandatory historic preservation of private residences or
require property owners to submit their pending site development plans
before the Committee.
Public Art Committee
i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five {5 }
and a maximum of nine {9} members appointed whenever feasible from
different geographical areas of the Town.
ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be (in order):
Work with art consultants and/or others to find or create appropriate art for
display.
Propose appropriate sites for the recommended art.
Identify any funds that may be required to acquire recommended works of
art.
Then present applications for new art work(s), including siting
recommendations, to the Council for approval. If approved, the Town shall,
with the Committee's support, acquire the proposed art work(s).
Work with the artist or consultant, Town and donor regarding installation,
security, and lighting.
Be available for problem solving of maintenance and other issues.
Maintain a public resource for all installed and displayed works of art
(including artist statements, description of the art, donor information, etc.).
Note: The Town is the only entity that can accept a donation of funds or
any other item(s). The Public Art Committee cannot accept donations
intended for Town usage (See Section 6(b)).
iii) The committee shall meet as necessary when called by the Chairperson.
Technology Committee
i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five {5}
members and a maximum of seven {7} members.
ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be:
Advise the Council and staff on policies, initiatives, and practices related
to innovation and technology that could enhance services to the public and
increase efficiencies
Assist staff in evaluating emerging trends and technologies, and make
recommendations for implementing new systems and improving existing
services
Provide policy guidance on the implementation of "Smart City" policies
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focusing on areas such as cyber security, promoting digital inclusion,
improving mobility, enhancing public safety, and developing
communication tools
Assist with following legislative developments, funding opportunities, and
evaluating agreements and proposals
Section 7. Procedures.
a) Committees are cautioned to limit expenditures from the personal funds of
the members without prior approval by the Town.
b) Committees may not enter into contracts or agreements on behalf of the
Town.
c) Any correspondence involving the use of Town letterhead must first be
approved by the City Council before distribution. Any outside
correspondence (excluding intra -town memos) should be submitted in draft
to the City Cleric.
d) All press releases and announcements relating to the Town or Town -
sponsored events are to be pre -approved by the City Council. Sufficient
time should be allowed to obtain necessary approvals or make necessary
changes.
e) Itemized budgets must be submitted in advance for projects involving a
group or series of purchases.
f) Vendors for purchases shall be those which are identified and approved by
the Town.
g) Funds which are budgeted for a specific use must still be approved prior to
expenditure.
h) Written bids may be submitted for consideration by the Town. In this case,
three or more bids are required.
i) Any new programs, projects, or expenditures beyond what has previously
been approved by the City Council shall first be submitted to vote by the
Standing Committee. The recommendation and supporting minutes shall
then be forwarded to the City Council for consideration prior to any
obligations being made.
j) Priorities and deadlines are set by the City Council and can be changed only
by the City Council.
Section 8. Communications. All standing committees of the City Council are subject to the
following principles and guidelines, unless specifically given other guidance by
vote of the Council:
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a) Committees do not have the authority to speak for the Town. Neither
Committees as a whole, nor an individual committee member shall act or
speak for the Town unless authorized to do so by the City Council.
Committees should not seek to negotiate or conclude agreements with other
organizations. Only the Council or Town Staff may do so.
b) When speaking with the press or other organizations, committee members
should refrain from communication that would lead the recipient of such
communications to understand or reasonably believe that they are speaking
on behalf of the Town.
Section 9. Repeals. This Resolution hereby repeals and supersedes all previous resolutions
regarding standing committees, including, without limitation, Resolution No. 22.
The above and foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted by the City Council of the Town of
Los Altos Hills at a regular meeting held on the 21 th day of November 2024 by the following
vote:
AYES: Mok, Schmidt, Swan, Tankha, Tyson
NOES: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
BY:
Stan �a , M or
ATTEST:
rlka Miller, City Clerk
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