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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 02/15/2022 - RESOLUTION 2022-031, SUPERSEDING RESOLUTION 2021-0 Agenda Item 17 Item # 17 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY February 15, 2022 City Council STAFF Ginny Sawyer, Policy and Project Manager Carrie Daggett, City Attorney SUBJECT Resolution 2022-031, Superseding Resolution 2021-074 To Express and Update Council’s Intent and Direction Regarding Remote Work Sessions. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this item is to update remote work session practices to have all Councilmembers participating remotely as the default option. Councilmembers may participate from City Hall with 24-hour notice. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of Resolution. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION Since March 2020, the City has been adapting to accommodate varying degrees of COVID-19 health emergencies, mandates, and recommendations. One of the most consistent shifts has been the utilization of remote meeting tools. In July 2021, Council adopted Resolution 2021-074 addressing the on-going format of Council work sessions to set a consistent expectation for the public and staff process. The ad opted Resolution states an intent for work sessions to be in person and allowing Councilmembers to participate remotely. Since adoption , most Councilmembers have participated remotely in work sessions. (Attachment 1) Following discussion on January 11, 2022, (Attachment 2) Council supported updating the default intent of the Resolution to having Councilmembers participate remotely. Numerous staff resources can be saved by implementing this option including police staff, facility operations, FCTV, and admin istrative notifications. If Councilmembers would like to participate from City Hall they may do so with 24 -hour notice. The doors would remain locked to the public unless more than two Councilmembers will be attending in person. In addition, the City Manager may plan for the public to attend a work session in person on occasion. Work session remote practices will be reviewed again in August 2022. ATTACHMENTS 1. Resolution 2021-074 (PDF) 2. Work Session Summary (PDF) ATTACHMENT 1COPY COPY City Hall 300 LaPorte Ave. PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6505 970.224.6107 - fax fcgov.com MEMORANDUM Date: January 12, 2022 To: Mayor and City Council From: Ginny Sawyer, Policy and Project Manager Thru: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager Tyler Marr, Assistant City Manager RE: Work Session Summary January 11, 2022 Remote Work Session Follow-up Mayor Pro Tem Francis and Councilmembers Pignataro, Gutowsky, Peel, Ohlson, and Canonico were present. Staff presented a summary of details and resources required for all in- person, all remote, and hybrid meetings and shared that the current standard of the in-person default with remote option is the most intensive especially in terms of security and building management. General Thoughts: Councilmembers shared that overall the remote meetings are functional along with a recognition that it is also nice to work in-person for the relational aspects of working together. Councilmembers inquired how remote meetings were working for staff. While staff had not been formally polled for a response, anecdotally the response has been positive. There was overall support for changing work sessions to a default of remote meetings with an option to be in-person. Should Councilmembers wish to be in-person, 24-hours notice will be needed. There was also a desire to continue to revisit the remote work session standards moving forward, likely on a 6-month cadence. Next Steps: The City Attorney will draft a new Resolution capturing the desired changes. Staff will bring the Resolution forward at the first available meeting in February 2022. Staff will ask Council about revisiting Work Session norms in July 2022. ATTACHMENT 2 -1- RESOLUTION 2022-031 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS SUPERSEDING RESOLUTION 2021-074 TO EXPRESS AND UPDATE COUNCIL’S INTENT AND DIRECTION REGARDING REMOTE WORK SESSIONS WHEREAS, since March 2020, the City Council has conducted many work sessions and regular meetings using remote technologies due to the COVID-19 local emergency and related public health recommendations; and WHEREAS, during that time, members of the public, Councilmembers and City staff have developed familiarity with the tools for remote participation; and WHEREAS, the Council recognizes the increased accessibility remote participation affords to many members of the public, particularly where public comment and input is invited; and WHEREAS, as public health recommendations related to COVID-19 and local circumstances have evolved, the Council has at times returned to meeting in person at City Hall, while continuing to allow remote participation by Councilmembers, the public and City staff; and WHEREAS, the City Manager, working with the Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tem, and others on staff, plans and prepares for Council meetings and work sessions based on the circumstances and agenda for each meeting; and WHEREAS, Councilmembers have expressed a preference for continuing to conduct work sessions using remote technologies, except as circumstances otherwise dictate; and WHEREAS, On July 6, 2021, the Council adopted Resolution 2021-074, expressing Council’s intent and giving direction to the City Manager regarding the remote work sessions; and WHEREAS, at a work session on January 11, 2022, Council discussed updating the approach to remote work session planning. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF FORT COLLINS as follows. Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and findings contained in the recitals set forth above. Section 2. The Council hereby expresses its intent that as a general rule Council work sessions will be conducted using remote technology for all participants. The City Manager, after consultation with the Mayor and with the Mayor Pro Tem, may determine that it will be advantageous to conduct a work session in person in a specified location in light of the agenda or -2- other events or circumstances related to that particular work session. Any such determination must be made and communicated to all of Council and to the public no less than four days in advance of the in-person work session. Individual Councilmembers may choose to participate in any work session using remote technology, provided a request for remote participation is made to the City Manager no less than twenty-four hours in advance of the work session. Section 3. This Resolution supersedes Resolution 2021-074, which shall have no further force or effect. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 15th day of February, A.D. 2022. _________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________ City Clerk