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Page 1 of 5 <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org <br />MEMORANDUM <br />DATE: May 13, 2024 <br />TO: Governance Sub-Committee <br />FROM: Yessika Castro, City Clerk <br />THROUGH: Melissa Stevenson Diaz, City Manager <br />RE: Revision to Boards, Commissions and Committees (BCC) Handbook to include a Code <br />of Conduct for all BCC Members <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Board, commission and committee (BCC) members are essential to the City’s decision-making process, act <br />on behalf of the City Council in their volunteer roles and help shape and further community discussions <br />on complex issues and topics. A high level of professionalism and civility is expected of all BCC members <br />throughout their tenure. Appointed by the City Council, BCC members are composed of individuals with <br />a wide variety of backgrounds, values, opinions, and goals. All have chosen to serve in public office in <br />order to preserve and protect the present and future of the community. <br />In 2012, the City Council adopted a Boards, Commissions and Committees Handbook (most recently <br />revised in May 2021), which serves as a reference guide that applies to advisory and regulatory bodies. It <br />is intended to provide an overview of basic laws and procedures during a member's term and to clarify <br />the role and responsibilities of the BCC members in relation to the City Council, City staff and the public. <br />On February 20, 2024 the Governance Sub-Committee considered the implementation of a Code of <br />Conduct for all BCC members and directed staff to further revise the BCC Handbook to include the Code <br />of Conduct based on research conducted on comparable cities’ policies. <br />ANALYSIS: <br />The City Clerk’s Office surveyed six comparable cities (Belmont, Foster City, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San <br />Carlos, and San Mateo) to learn how policies related to BCC conduct were implemented. Of the cities <br />surveyed, San Mateo and Palo Alto both administered Codes of Conduct similar to Redwood City’s goals <br />and priorities. Many elements of San Mateo’s Code of Conduct are already included within the Redwood <br />City BCC Handbook, so the proposed revisions were adapted from the Palo Alto example. A new paragraph <br />titled Code of Conduct under Section IV. Your Role as a Board, Commission, or Committee Member (BCC) <br />is being proposed to the Sub-Committee before bringing it for consideration by the full Council. The <br />proposed Code of Conduct is as follows: <br />9.B. - Page 4 of 53 <br />160