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Legislative Review Committee
July 8,1999
Minutes
7:30 AM -8:30 AM
ATTENDEES:
Council members -Kurt Kastein (temporary co-chair),Karen Weitkunat (temporary co-chair)
Staff members -John Fischbach,Diane Jones,Tom Vosburg,Alan Krcmarik,Dennis Sumner,
Marty Heffernan,Rita Davis,Ron Phillips,Kevin Wilson,Gary Gordier for Liz Stroh,Ginny Brown
(recorder)
I.APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
June 10,minutes were approved as written except for the addition of Dennis Sumner and Alan
Krcmahk to the list of staff attendees.
II.NEXT MEETING:
Thursday,August 12,1999 in the CIC mom @7:30 AM -8:30 AM
Ill.LEGISLATIVE AGENDA:
Discussion:
The majority of the meeting was spent discussing the broad policy issues associated with our
Legislative Agenda.Council member,Karen Weitkunat,had a number of questions regarding how
we articulate the City’s positions in this document.Karen expressed that we should state broad
views first and then become more specific.Kurt Kastein related his views back to the John Carver
training in April.Kurt expressed his view that the Legislative Agenda should contain guidelines of
what should not be touched but that the goal was to provide latitude for staff by which they can
operate.
Comments from staff members included:
•Purpose of the Legislative Agenda is to provide guidance to staff and the LRC
•Whatever works to give us guidance during the session is important.The Legislative Agenda
needs to be broad enough that all of our bases are covered
•Concemed about time and energy required to rework the agenda
•Document could be rewritten to reflect general policy statements in the first half of the
document and the second half could reflect the more specific statements.
•CML has a policy committee that establishes broad policy statements regarding municipal
positions on legislation.
+Council policy agenda is integrated into the Legislative Agenda
Action Items:
Sections of the Legislative Agenda can be rewritten so that they reflect broad policy statements
where appropriate.The Colorado Municipal League’s Policy Agenda would be a good template for
ours.
Sam Mamet from the Colorado Municipal League will be invited to address Council concerns and
questions.
IV.BILL SPONSORSHIP:
Discussion:
At the Executive Lead Team meeting on Wednesday July 7,1999 the issue of how to initiate
legislation on the City’s behalf was discussed.The current process includes the following:
A.Write a statement and submit to the Legislative Affairs Coordinator,Ginny Brown
B.The statement should contain:
1.A description of the issue you want to address
2.What,specifically,do you want to change if it is a current law
3.If you don’t want to change a current law,then after the issue has been identified
describe what is currently happening in Fort Collins that would require legislation
to fix it.
C.The Legislative Affairs Coordinator will submit the information to the City Manager and
Deputy City Manager.
D.After review by the City Manager and Deputy City Manager it is then given to the Colorado
Municipal League.
1.CML provides suggestions regarding how best to proceed.This includes:
a.Will the identified issue have a good chance of being addressed
b.What other associations need to be involved
c.Drafting of the legislation
d.Which of our legislators is best to sponsor the bill
Action Items:
Submit any legislative ideas to Ginny via email (vbrown@ci.fort-collins.co.us)or hardcopy in the
format discussed above by July 13,1999.
V.LEGISLATIVE PROCESS:
Please review the handout describing the revised legislative process and provide feedback at the
next meeting on August 12,1999.If you don’t have a copy please contact Ginny @221-6796.