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HomeMy WebLinkAboutConstituent Letter - Read Before Packet - 12/10/2019 - Memorandum From Myles Crane, Community Member, Re: Boards And Commissions Reimagine (Agenda Item 2)From: Myles Crane To: Sarah Kane Subject: Council Work Session Dec 10 Memorandum re. B&C"s Reimagine Date: Monday, December 9, 2019 2:51:44 PM Attachments: Dec 10, 2019 Work Session.docx Hi Sarah, So delightful to see you and Deb at Costco. I hope that you had a great weekend. -------------------- Would you please forward the attached Memorandum to Mayor Troxell, City Council, the City Manager, DeLynn and other known participants at tomorrow’s Work Sesssion at 6 PM? This memo addresses three questions re B&C’s Reimagine: 1. How well is juxtaposing B&C Improvement process working with current appointees? 2. When will B&C's Reimagine timeline be completed and hiring replacements re-start? 3. What is the potential quorum dilemma for advisory boards? Suggested Solutions for Council’s consideration are provided with related pros and cons. With many thanks for your assistance. Myles 1 MEMORANDUM TO MAYOR TROXELL, CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER for WK SES.12/10 From: Myles Crane, Community Member (Current Chair SAB, Past Chair HRC) Date: 12/9/19 • How well is juxtaposing B&C Improvement process working with current appointees? (issue mentioned by Mayor Troxell on 12/3 (Other Business) for 12/10 discussion) PROS • City’s staff’s 60 page Mail Packet provides helpful data re. progress to date • City staff have responded well to Council Work Session requests dated 9/24/19 • 2017 Public Participation Report is clearly integral to citizen advisory engagement • “Pause” of B&C reappointments (with specified exceptions) was done in good faith. • Sawyer memo (Attachment 4, Pp 92) requests desired outcomes from Council • Above memo recognizes B&C creation/continuance s/b based on need and utilization • Same memo contains numerous other excellent thoughts and ideas CONS • On balance the Priority’s communications to B&Cs have been unsatisfactory. • Poor transparency has led to confusion, frustration, anger among some B&C members • Rumors circulate about hollowing out boards by attrition, consolidation/elimination • These Cons are inconsistent with City’s values of “appreciation” for its engaged residents Suggested Solution: Improve communications process to B&Cs pertaining to the Reimagine Priority. PROS • Ensures Council, City Staff and B&C members are all on same page • Helps reduce/minimize the referenced Cons • Right thing to do – and consistent with City values of transparency CONS • Takes time • Without a current B&C Coordinator – determine who will do this task • Dollar cost (but communications s/b relatively inexpensive compared to alternative). ------------------------------------------ 2. When will B&C Reimagine timeline be completed and hiring replacements re-start? CONCERNS • 29 B&C roll-offs for expiring terms on 12/31/19 will negatively impact functioning at several B&C’s resulting in: 2 i. not enough members to provide input ii. quorum issues iii. loss of expertise iv. ability to more widely heard/respond to public comments as a citizen link to Council v. less people to support Citywide initiatives such as Consolidated 2020- 2024 Plan, FC Utilities, Transfort, FC Bike, FCPS and so forth vi. morally discouraging for engaged residents who understood at time of volunteering that they could apply for second term and now told they cannot reapply. • Outreach and implementation timeline indicated for B&C Reimagine completion Q2 2020 ( Pp 93) may be somewhat optimistic. Following could be protracted: I. In Q2 2020, consolidation, analysis, assessment and reporting results from CSU’s Center for Public Deliberation as well as review by City staff/discussion with Council ii. Q2 2020 recruiting, interviewing and placing qualified B&C volunteers to ‘strive for more diverse participation without tokenizing people” (Pp 92). • Public Participation report (Pp 62) lists excellent suggestions for outreach and engagement. Structural enhancements are needed for implementation. Suggested Solutions: (from 12/3 Council Meeting (Other Business) 1. Councilmember Cunniff recommended restarting the hiring process. 2. Councilmember Cunniff with the support of Mayor Pro Tem Stephens proposed an interim resolution to extend the terms for those boardmembers running off in January (12/31/19) until replacements are selected. PROS • At least four different boardmembers have expressed concerns of urgency to Councilmember Cunniff. • It makes sense to keep B&C’s intact until there are set replacements • Recognizes respect and dignity of engaged residents who are all City volunteers. CONS • Requires procedural modifications on an interim basis (possibly past Q2 2020) • Boardmembers rolling off who intended to reapply may believe that the City has not value their service. • Disgruntled boardmembers may vent further negative comments on social media 3 3. What is the potential quorum dilemma for advisory boards? Example: SAB (Senior Advisory Board) currently totals 8 with one vacancy since Q1 2019. Vacancy occurred after an octogenarian had four consecutive unexcused absences. Why board absences ? • two older SAB members have missed several 2019 meetings due to hospitalization, accidents and/or other health issues. • At least one older SAB member cannot drive and is dependent on third party transport • inclement weather issues • periodic work-related excused absences for jobs in Fort Collins • travel related excused absences occasionally are for business purposes as well as for personal business, family vacations and/ or other leisure travel. • anticipating a consistent 5 person quorum out of a total of 6 available board members Is an unrealistic assumption given the above stated instances. Suggested Solution: Interim Resolution until Reimagine project is completed to establish quorums based on actual boardmembers available to attend meetings as of 1/1/2020. PROS • During interim B&C Reimagine period, it would be a reasonable expectation for boards to base their quorums on the “actual” number of existing boardmembers who can attend rather than a potential number of members who eventually might be able to attend meetings after B&C’s Reimagine is complete. • Quorums are unrealistic if based on hypothetical number of attendees in which as many as 1/3 of the stated members are actually no longer on the Board. CONS • Requires procedural modifications on an interim basis (possibly past Q2 2020) • Need to verify with Counsel that such interim proposal is consistent with Code.