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Home My WebLink About06-18-07 Item 2E, Commission, Committee, & Task Force Policy Discussion MEMORANDUM DATE: June 18, 2007 Agenda Item 2.E. TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members Michelle Wolfe, City Administrator FROM: Schawn Johnson, Assistant City Administrator SUBJECT: Discussion Regarding the Proposed City Commission, Committees, and Task Forces: Recruitment, Appointment and Term Limit Policy Backl!round: Recently City staff was asked to create a policy that addresses the areas of recruitment, appointment, and term limits for City commission, committees, and task forces. For your review, City staff has created a draft policy that identifies procedures that City staff would utilize when recruiting, recommending appointments, and implementing term limits for committee, commission, and task force members, City staff has incorporated recommended changes that were identified by members of the City Council prior to the May 29th City Council meeting. City staff believes that the draft policy incorporates a recruitment and appointment policy that is equitable and allows the City Council flexibility in determining which individual is the appropriate fit for a respective committee, commission, or task force appointment. For your review, City staff has attached a copy ofthe proposed "City Commission, Committees, and Task Forces: Recruitment, Appointment and Term Limit Policy". Discussion: · Address Council concerns regarding the proposed committees, commission, and task force policy. CITY OF ARDEN HILLS CITY COMMISSION, COMMITTEES, AND TASK FORCES: RECRUITMENT, APPOINTMENT, AND TERM LIMIT POLICY EXISTING COMMISSIONS, COMMITTEES, AND TASK FORCES Planning Commission (City Ordinance #385, State Statute) Parks, Trails, and Recreation Committee (City Ordinance #385) Communications Committee (City Ordinance #385) Economic Development Commission (City Ordinance # 349) Karth Lake Improvement District Board (City Resolution #03-60) EDA (City Resolution #96-08, State Statute) Mayor and City Council make up the membership ofthe EDA Financial Planning and Advisory Committee (City Ordinance #385) APPOINTMENT PROCESS FOR COMMISSION, COMMITTEES, AND TASK FORCES: . Once a resignation is received by City staff, members ofthe City Council shall make a motion at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting to accept the committee or commission member's resignation. A letter will be sent from the Mayor thanking the resigning committee or commission members for volunteering their services to the City. . The Assistant City Administrator shall coordinate the recruitment process for vacant committee and commission openings. . City staff may utilize the following resources to advertise vacant committee or commission openings: local newspaper, City newsletter, City of Arden Hills web site, local access cable channel, and at City Hall. . Those interested in serving on a committee or commission shall fill out a City application form. Application materials are available at City Hall or on the City's website at www.ci.arden-hills.mn.us. . For vacancies on the Planning Commission and Economic Development Commission, the staff liaison to the committee or commission will review the application materials received by the City. Application materials from the candidates will be forwarded to the Mayor and Council liaison for their comments and review. Interviews shall be conducted by the Mayor, Council liaison, Commission chair, and staffliaison for vacancies on the Planning Commission and Economic Development Commission. Ifnecessary, individual phone interviews may be conducted by the interview panel to review the candidate pool I for a vacancy on the Planning Commission and Economic Development Commission, . For the other standing committees, the Council liaison, committee chair, and staff liaison will review the candidate's application materials. Formal interviews are not required, but encouraged when appointing individuals to a particular committee or commission. For a broad-based committee, there should be emphasis on having representation of a variety of skills, aptitudes, geographic locations, etc. The Council liaison and staff liaison will then make an appointment recommendation back to the Mayor and City Council for consideration at a future City Council meeting. GUIDELINES FOR COMMITTEE AND COMMISSION MEMBER TERM LIMITS- I. Newly appointed members of a board, committee, commission, or other appointed body shall serve for a term of three (3) years. 2, Each Member may serve for no more than nine (9) consecutive years on a particular committee or commission. 3. Existing committee or commission members that were appointed to their current position prior to March 12, 2007, by the Arden Hills City Council will be assigned a one year, two year, or three year term. Individuals with the least amount of seniority on the committee or commission will be given the opportunity to select first whether they wish to accept a one, two, or three year term. The selection process will continue until the most senior member (based upon years of service) of the committee or commission has been given an opportunity to select their term limit. 4. The Mayor (pending City Council approval) shall annually appoint one (I) member to serve as chair of each committee or commission. 5. If a committee or commission member resigns before completing his/her term, the individual that is assigned by the City Council to that particular committee or commission will be asked to complete the remainder of the original committee or commission member's term. GUIDELINES FOR APPOINTING COMMITTEE AND COMMISSION MEMBERS- I. Offer Arden Hills residents the opportunity to participate on a City committee and/or commission. 2, Offer current committee or commission members an opportunity to request reappointment to the group that they are currently serving on for an additional term. If a committee or commission member's term is scheduled to expire on December 31st, the committee or commission must inform the Council and staff liaison by October 1st of their intention to seek an additional term. 3. Advertise all vacancies to committees, commissions, and task forces. (This ad should include a brief description of the committee, time and days of meetings, 2 how often meetings are held, the number of vacancies, and any special requirements). 4. If there are existing applications on file, the Council liaison, committee/commission chair, and staffliaison will meet to determine whether additional recruitment is necessary for filling a new vacancy. 5. To encourage wider public participation on committees and commissions, members will not be allowed to serve more than nine (9) consecutive years on a particular committee or commission. Members who have completed their terms are eligible to apply for appointment to a vacancy on another Committee or a task force. 6. City residency is required unless exempted by State Statutes or City Ordinance. 7. The Assistant City Administrator shall keep all application materials received during the calendar year. If a vacancy occurs during the calendar year, previous applicants will be considered for the vacant position. The Council reserves the right to appoint any qualified candidates even though they did not apply as a result of an advertisement. 8. All applications received will be acknowledged with a letter to the applicant outlining the expected time frame for appointing a new member(s) to a committee or commission. The acknowledgement letter will be signed by the Assistant City Administrator and the staffliaison. 9, There is no implied guarantee of appointment or reappointment to any committee, commission, or task force. The sole responsibility for appointment to any City committee lies with the Mayor as the recommending authority and the City Council as the confirming authority, GUIDELINES FOR APPOINTING TASK FORCE MEMBERS- I. Offer Arden Hills residents the opportunity to participate on a City task force. 2. A time-line for the task force to complete their City Council directive will be provided. 3, City staff shall advertise all task force opportunities. The ad shall include a brief description of the task force, time and days of meetings, how often meetings are held, the number of vacancies, and any special requirements, City staff may utilize the following resources to advertise the task force openings: local newspaper, City newsletter, City of Arden Hills web site, local access cable channel, and at City Hall. 4. City residency is required unless exempted by the City. 5. The Assistant City Administrator shall keep all application materials received during the calendar year. If a vacancy occurs during the calendar year, previous applicants will be considered for the vacant task force position. 6, Formal interviews are not required, but encouraged when there are multiple candidates for the same position. For a broad-based task force, there should be emphasis on having representation of a variety of skills, aptitudes, geographic locations, etc. 7, The Council reserves the right to appoint any qualified candidates even though they did not apply as a result of an advertisement. 3 8. There is no implied guarantee of appointment to a task force. The sole responsibility for appointment to any City task force lies with the Mayor as the recommending authority and the City Council as the confirming authority. Approved by the City Council the 25th Day of June, 2007. Stanley D. Harpstead, Mayor Date Michelle A. Wolfe, City Administrator Date 4