AgdaPkt 2025.05.12 Joint SA PFA - Laserfiche WebLink

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Page 3 of 5 City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org resulting in close quorum calls whenever remaining members experience attendance challenges. As described below, all eleven seats will be vacant as of May 31, 2025. Eleven seats do not appear to be necessary to complete the PAC’s business as described by Council; a smaller number of members may reduce recruitment burdens and support a more engaged committee. The Governance Sub-Committee considered and is recommending reducing the number of seats from eleven to seven. Committee Member Appointment The original resolution and the superseding municipal code provided for Councilmembers to individually appoint seven Committee members to two-year terms on the body. Four members are appointed by the full Council to four-year terms. The Committee has had 19 members since its inception. Three of the four appointed to four-year terms will complete their term. Five of the 15 individuals appointed to two-year terms did not complete the full term. For 12 out of 19 members, this was their first service on a City board or committee. Shorter terms, offering a tangible horizon for busy volunteers, may contribute to this influx of new volunteers. Shorter terms also invite new voices into the Committee’s work on a regular basis. At the same time, effective service on the Committee requires significant onboarding; by the time new two-year members are up to speed on Committee topics and how to navigate service on a committee, there is often a relatively small window of time remaining. When the PAC was initially formed, the City Council’s desire was “that the Police Advisory Committee reflect the diversity of the community,” presumably in terms of perspectives and demographics. Both the large size of the PAC and its direct appointments appear to have been effective strategies to cultivate a varied set of voices for discussion about the successes, opportunities, and challenges of community policing. In the PAC’s first four years, the City Council has appointed members with a wide variety of thoughts about and experiences with policing. Most members have lived in Redwood City, two have been under the age of 25, several have previously worked in law enforcement, and several have been advocates for significant policing reform. This diversity of perspective and experience has encouraged robust conversation that offers the Police Chief a microcosm of the perspectives in the Redwood City community. While individual appointments are one strategy for encouraging that diversity of thought and experience, it is possible for the full City Council to appoint a diverse group of members by majority vote. Achieving similar results would require intentionality and discussion at the dais to consider the range of opinions and experiences in a group of potential Committee members, not only the qualifications of an individual applicant. The Governance Sub-Committee considered and is recommending to the full City Council that all PAC members be appointed by majority vote of the City Council, which would also align the Police Advisory Committee’s appointment process with that of other boards, commissions, and committees in Redwood City. 6.D. - Page 6 of 11 459