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HomeMy WebLinkAbout61-15 RESOLUTION 61-15 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 Communications 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) Education Committee (j) History Committee (k) Traffic Safety Committee (1) Art in Public Places 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. Resolution 61-15 Page 1 (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. (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 by the Mayor 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; (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; (iv) 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. Resolution 61-15 Page 2 (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 Clerk 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 Clerk 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 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 Resolution 61-15 Page 3 (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 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 (1) 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) 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. (f) 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 • (g) 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 Resolution 61-15 Page 4 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. 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 minimum of five (5) and a maximum of ten (10) members appointed whenever feasible from different geographical areas of the Town. (ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: a. to encourage communication and participation between residents and Town government, and study and identify means of assuring continued cooperation among different groups; b. 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); c. Coordinate and sponsor regular Town events including an annual Town Picnic and other special events as the Committee may recommend. d. 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. e. to assist other Committees, in implementation of special projects; f. to actively seek interested volunteers to serve on Town committees and commissions. (b) Emergency Communications Committee. (i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five members and a maximum of twenty-five (25) members, all of whom are either licensed radio amateurs or individuals in training for said licensed status. (ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: a. Provide emergency radio communication services between the Los Resolution 61-15 Page 5 Altos Hills Emergency Operation Center (EOC) facility using federally sanctioned amateur (ham) radio operating frequencies in accordance with federally mandated amateur(ham)radio operating requirements and procedures and: 1) The Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Services (OES). 2) Amateur(ham) radio operators throughout the Town of Los Altos Hills and surrounding areas. 3) Surrounding area municipal emergency communication facilities, hospitals and emergency service groups such as the Red Cross. b. Participate in periodic"simulated disaster"emergency communication drills and various set meetings as organized by the Amateur Radio Emergency System (ARES) District Emergency Coordinator (DEC) or other such officials and weekly ARES communication readiness/training nets that exist in our area. c. Provide occasional non-emergency communication services for other Los Altos Hill sanctioned groups as requested when possible and practical. d. Develop and train an"Associates"group of radio amateur operators within the Town of Los Altos Hills and surrounding areas who in time of need will be available to assist the Committee members in the performance of "charge" tasks. Training shall consist of offered instruction in emergency communication as well as in the basic skills necessary for passing the entry level amateur radio operator test administered by the Federal Communication Commission. e. Maintain the group's radio equipment and update it as required via volunteer labor and budgeted acquisition of goods and services as required. (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: a. to work for the beautification of the Town and the protection of its resources; Resolution 61-15 Page 6 b. 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; c. 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; d. to identify nuisance problems and sources of pollution and recommend actions for abatement; and e. to prepare educational materials for residents outlining Town ordinances and enforcement with regard to landscape design and protection of the environment. (d) Finance and Investment Committee. (i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five 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: a. to serve as an advisory body to the City Council on financial and investment matters; b. to assist in the development of five-year capital budgets and revenue projections; c. to review the annual budget and make recommendations to the City Council; d. to review the annual audit and make recommendations to the City Council; e. to study all fiscal issues and recommend possible improvements and economies; and f. to recommend investments to protect capital,provide adequate Resolution 61-15 Page 7 liquidity and generate market returns. All such recommendations shall be approved by the City Council. The City Manager shall execute any approved investment decisions. (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: a. 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 b. to develop new recreational programs and activities and study all recreational facilities available within the Town and make 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 eleven(11)members. (ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: a. to work for the preservation and enhancement of the pathways within the Town for the use and enjoyment of all residents; b. to review and recommend changes to the Master Path Plan and the Bicycle Plan of the Town; c. to make recommendations at subdivision, site development, Planning Commission and City Council meetings regarding pathway easements; d. to meet regularly with the City Manager or the Manager's designee to render advice on pathway activities, priorities, and necessary maintenance; e. to communicate to residents the concepts and locations of paths and trails within the Town as approved by the City Council; f. to study and recommend ordinances and resolutions relating to Resolution 61-15 Page 8 acquisition, construction, maintenance and use of public trails and pathways; g. to communicate Town policies and procedures regarding pathways if advised to do so by the City Council; and h. to make recommendations to the City Council regarding both the maintenance and capital improvements budgets with regard to pathways. (iii) Special charge to and duty of this Committee's chair shall be: a. to serve as the Town's representative to the Valley Transportation Authority's Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee or to designate a committee member to fulfill this Council assigned obligation. Upon selection of the representative, the Chair is to provide the City Clerk with the appointee information and as dictated by protocol for official notification, a letter will be forwarded to the Valley Transportation Authority Board of Directors for appointment confirmation. (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: a. to advise and assist the City Council and Staff in implementing the policies and goals of the Open Space and Conservation Elements of the General Plan, specifically with respect to acquisition and maintenance of voluntary conservation easements and open space; b. to make recommendations at subdivision, site development, Planning Commission and City Council meetings regarding the acquisition and maintenance of voluntary conservation easements and open space; c. to advise and assist the work for the preservation, restoration and enhancement of the open space within the Town for the use and enjoyment of all residents; d. to study and recommend ordinances and resolutions relating to acquisition, construction, maintenance and use of open space within the Town, including the identification of properties for which preservation is recommended; e. to communicate Town policies and procedures regarding open Resolution 61-15 Page 9 space and open space preservation if advised to do so by the City Council; f. to provide support to conservation education programs and to provide informational forums and programs to the public regarding open space if advised to do so by the City Council; and g. to develop relationships with neighboring towns and regional entities to identify mutually beneficial open space opportunities. (h) Environmental Initiatives Committee (i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five (5) members and a maximum of eleven(11)members. (ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: a. to assist the Town in the development of and refinement of the Council's Environmental Strategic Goals for Town-owned property; b. to recommend a set of initiatives that would lead to the progress and achievement of these goals; and c. 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. (i) Education Committee (i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five (5) members and a maximum of eleven (11) members. Members shall be selected so as to ensure, to the extent possible, a representation of school districts serving the Town. The mission of the Education Committee shall be to preserve, support and promote public education opportunities for the residents of Los Altos Hills. (ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: a. to promote and preserve neighborhood public education in Los Altos Hills; b. to promote attendance at public schools serving Los Altos Hills, and to act as a resource of information for residents regarding choices in education; c. to monitor Los Altos Hills attendance at public and private schools serving our residents; - Resolution 61-15 Page 10 d. to support the Parks and Recreation Committee (as needed) in working with school officials to promote using school facilities for recreational/community activities for our residents; e. to maintain a good relationship with public school districts serving the Town; to monitor their actions; and, to advocate on behalf of Los Altos Hills as appropriate; and, f. to keep the City Council informed of public education matters of interest and to call for action as needed. (j) History Committee (i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five 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: a. to implement policies that preserve the historic and cultural fabric of the Town; b. to protect the historic and cultural resources from inappropriate destruction; c. to preserve community input into the policy-making process; d. to research and document best practices and model preservation policies; e. 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. (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. (1) Traffic Safety 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: a. to focus on traffic and safety issues, specifically automobile and Resolution 61-15 Page 11 bicycle traffic and equestrian and pedestrian safety; b. to accept community input in order to determine a solution or propose alternatives. c. to meet regularly with the City Manager or the Manager's designee to render advice on traffic and pedestrian safety, activities, priorities and necessary maintenance; d. to make recommendations to the City Council with regard to traffic and pedestrian safety issues. e. to develop.a Traffic Calming,Guide for consideration by the City Council that establishes policies,procedures and methods for addressing local traffic safety issues. (m) Art in Public Places Committee (i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five (5) and 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: a. Accept funds for art from residents or other donors. b. Work with art consultants or others to find appropriate art for display. c. Propose appropriate sites for the art. d. Present applications for new art works to the Council for approval. e. Work with the artist or consultant, Town and donor regarding installation, security and lighting, and/or donor plaques. f. Be available for problem solving of maintenance and other issues. (iii) The committee shall meet as necessary when called by the Chairperson. Section 6. 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. Resolution 61-15 Page 12 (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 Clerk. (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 7. 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: (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 8. Repeals. This Resolution hereby repeals and supersedes all previous resolutions regarding standing committees, including, without limitation, Resolution No. 18-15. Resolution 61-15 Page 13 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 19th day of November, 2015 by the following vote: AYES: Corrigan, Harpootlian, Radford, Spree, Waldeck NOES: None ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: None //./ Courten. ` . Corrig..• ,.yor ATTEST: Deborah=Padovan, City Clerk 2552665.1 Resolution 61-15 Page 14