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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 07/05/2011 - RESOLUTION 2011-057 ESTABLISHING A PROCESS FOR ENHDATE: July 5, 2011 STAFF: Darin Atteberry Brian Janonis AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL 28 SUBJECT Resolution 2011-057 Establishing a Process for Enhancing Communication Between the City Council and the Council- Appointed Platte River Power Authority Board Member. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Each of the four member cities that established Platte River Power Authority (“PRPA”) has two representatives serving on the PRPA Board of Directors. One is the mayor, and the other is appointed by City Council. In May 2011, Council requested that a process be established to provide direction to the Council-appointed member of PRPA. This resolution establishes the process for the Council-appointed Board member to communicate with, and receive comments from, City Councilmembers. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION PRPA was established by the cities of Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont and Estes Park to be their wholesale power provider. The contract establishing PRPA requires each municipality to have two members on the board of directors of PRPA. One is the mayor, and the other is appointed by City Council. Historically, the Council-appointed Board member has been the Director of Utilities. The Director of Utilities reports to and receives direction from the City Manager. As the policy making body for the City, Councilmembers desire to provide comments regarding positions the non-mayoral PRPA Board member should take on particular PRPA agenda items. This resolution establishes a process, consistent with the City Charter, to have the Council-appointed Board member communicate with City Councilmembers and for Councilmembers to provide comments regarding particular PRPA agenda items. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution. RESOLUTION 2011-057 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS ESTABLISHING A PROCESS FOR ENHANCING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND THE COUNCIL-APPOINTED PLATTE RIVER POWER AUTHORITY BOARD MEMBER WHEREAS, the City is one of four municipalities that established the Platte River Power Authority (“PRPA”) in 1975 to generate and transmit electric energy to the four member municipalities; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of an Organic Contract establishing PRPA, each member municipality is represented by two members on the board of directors of PRPA; and WHEREAS, one of the two members on the PRPA board of directors is the Mayor of each member municipality or the Mayor’s designee, and the other is a Council appointee who has judgment, experience, and expertise which make that person particularly qualified to serve as a director of an electric utility; and WHEREAS, historically, the City Council has generally appointed the Director of the City’s Utilities to fill the Council-appointed position because of the unique qualifications of that individual with regard to the operation of an electric utility; and WHEREAS, in keeping with the practice, the Council has recently re-affirmed the service of Brian Janonis, the current Director of Utilities, on the Board; and WHEREAS, the Council as the policy-making body of the City, is interested in providing substantive policy direction to the Council-appointed member of the PRPA board of directors, and to do so in a manner that is in keeping with Article II, Section 13 of the Charter, which requires that, except for purposes of inquiry, Council and its members deal with the administrative service of the city solely through the City Manager; and WHEREAS, staff has developed a recommended process for improving communications between the Council and its appointees to the PRPA Board consisting of the following: (1) the Council-appointed PRPA board member will notify Council of all PRPA board meeting agenda items as soon as those agenda items are placed on the agenda for a PRPA board meeting; and (2) Councilmembers will, at the Council work session immediately preceding the PRPA board meeting, offer any comments they may have regarding positions the non- mayoral PRPA board member should take on particular agenda items, and (3) following the PRPA board meeting, the Council-appointed board member will, through the City Manager, notify Council of the outcome of any vote taken at the PRPA board meeting on matters that were the subject of Councilmember comments, as well as any relevant substantive PRPA board discussion about such items. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS that the City Council hereby approves and adopts the above-described process for enhancing communications between the Council and the Council-appointed member to the PRPA Board. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 5th day of July A.D. 2011. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk