AgdaPkt 2011-06-13 - Laserfiche WebLink

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6.1.A. - Page 36 3. PUBLIC COMMENT Warren Dale addressed the Council stating that he did not agree with the recommendations of the consultant regarding the Civic Cultural Commission. He outlined many of the activities they support and lead. He opined that group thinking was not the correct approach when dealing with these recommendations. He submitted a letter to the City Council regarding the value of this Commission and the many events it brought to the community last year. Dick Claire commented on the Senior Affairs Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission stating that these should be kept separate because of the work they accomplish and the different focus areas. He was pleased that there were no recommendations regarding the Port Commission. Later in the evening Barbara Britschgi shared her perspective on keeping the Senior Affairs Commission separate and apart from the Parks and Recreation Commission. She requested that the two not be merged because of the value these two bodies offer to different segments of the community. She requested that Council consider keeping these separate. 4. CITY COUNCIL RETREAT (STAFF REPORT) City Manager Robert B. Bell shared the agenda for the evening. He then introduced Ms. Hetrick with Management Partners who presented to the City Council the recommendations regarding Boards, Commissions and Committees (BCCs). She shared a presentation with Council (on file) that covered the various changes to BCCs. Ms. Hetrick covered in detail those with no suggested changes, those that modifications were suggested to, and those that were proposed for elimination or merging. The following BCCs had no changes suggested to them: Board of Building Review, Library Board, Planning Commission and Port Commission. The following BCCs were recommended for changes: Architectural Review Committee, Historic Resources Advisory Committee, Housing and Human Concerns Committee, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission, and Pride and Beautification Committee. The BCCs that were recommended for elimination or merging were: the Civic Cultural Commission, the Senior Affairs Commission and the Home Improvement Loan Committee. Ms. Hetrick covered the proposed changes in structure for some of these BCCs including the use of subcommittees and a more advisory role for others. The City Council inquired about specific aspects of these recommendations such as meeting frequency, goals and connecting the work these bodies do with the Council's strategic initiatives. Ms. Hetrick provided some general observations about a Commissioner's handbook, orientations and workload of staff liaisons supporting these appointed committees. There was a request from Council to understand the actual cost savings that these changes would bring to the table. Council also seemed to concur with having Commissioners support their work and rely less on staff for tasks like minutes. The issue of less frequent meetings was discussed and Council seemed to agree that when possible, this was a plausible efficiency. Council touched on the need to have better communication between Council and BCCs, possibly look at term limits and a policy on