HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/28/2022 06. Discussion on the Council Nominating Committee processI
BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. 6.
For Meeting of: June 28, 2022
ITEM TITLE: Discussion on the Council Nominating Committee process
SUBMITTED BY: Robert Harrison, City Manager
Sonya Claar Tee, City Clerk
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
See attached memorandum.
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Staff recommends retention of the current process utilized by the Council Nominating Committee
to determine appointment recommendations to City boards, committees, and commissions.
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Upload Date Type
D process 6/13/2022 Cowr Memo
D ROP excerpt 6/ 13/2022 CowrMerno
MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Sonya Claar Tee, City Clerk
DATE: June 23. 2022
At its June 7t" regular meeting, the City Council directed a discussion regarding the process the
Council Nominating Committee utilizes to determine recommendations to the full City Council for
appointments to City boards and committees be placed on a future agenda.
Currently, the Council Nominating Committee follows a process to determine recommendations to
the full Council for City board and committee appointments adopted by the Council on January
11t", 2022 and detailed in Section R (attached) of the Council Rules of Procedure. Three Council
members (and an alternate) serve two-year terms on the Council Nominating Committee.
In summary, the process includes advertising vacancies on City boards and committees on the
City's various communications platforms (Facebook, Twitter, City website, YCTV and Y-PAC
infographics, etc.) and in news releases provided to all local and regional media. Applications
received are forwarded to the Council Nominating Committee, which reviews the applications and
interviews applicants as necessary. Appointment recommendations are then presented to the full
Council for its consideration. Only the full Council can make appointments to City boards,
committees, and commissions.
Prior to January 21st, 2020, the Council Nominating Committee followed a similar process to that
detailed in Section R of the Council Rules of Procedure to determine recommendations to the full
Council for appointments to City boards and committees. By majority vote, on January 21st
2020, the Council decided that rather than three Council members (and an alternate) serving two-
year terms on the Council Nominating Committee, committee membership would rotate on a
quarterly basis. Committee membership was determined through a random -order selection
process.
On January 11t", 2022, by majority vote the Council decided to revert to two-year terms for
Council Nominating Committee members (and an alternate).
When the rotating membership policy was in place for the committee, members would need to be
refamiliarized with the process utilized to determine appointment recommendations to the full
Council and retrained on a regular basis, which was inefficient. The rotating membership policy
also regularly led to some level of confusion regarding which Council members were on the
committee at what time, which resulted in uneven attendance at committee meetings. Achieving
a quorum for committee meetings, therefore, proved difficult at times.
Council Nominating Committee members serving two-year terms has provided continuity and
consistency over a sustained period. Two-year terms have also resulted in few committee
meetings being cancelled due to lack of a quorum and eliminates confusion regarding which
Council members are serving on the committee at what time.
Staff recommends retention of the current process utilized by the Council Nominating Committee
to determine appointment recommendations to City boards, committees, and commissions.
3. Council member Darticioation on external boards. committees or commissions
(a) Council members shall not be appointed to or serve as voting members on any
board that receives funding from the City, with the exception of those otherwise
authorized by law.'
(b) At the beginning of each year after a Council election, the City Manager shall
prepare a document indicating all the current boards, committees and commissions
on which City Council members are asked to serve and/or participate. An agenda
item will be placed on a regular city council meeting agenda to discuss the
committees and make appointments to committees. All appointments to committees,
unless otherwise dictated by law or contract, shall be done by the Council.
(c) Council members may be asked to serve and/or participate on Inter -Governmental
committees and boards. Appointment to Inter -Governmental committees and/or
boards shall be made consistent with the governmental documents creating said
committee or board. If the governmental documents do not specify how Council
members are to be appointed, then the City Council should appoint members as
outlined in Section 3(b) above.
(d) If a Council member is appointed as an ex-officio board member for a non-profit
entity, that member shall not become an officer of the board during the ex-officio
assignment.
R. Policy for Appointments of Residents to City Board, Committee and Commission
Vacancies.
1. In regard to an incumbent member of a board, committee, or commission whose term of
office is scheduled to expire within three months or less, the City Clerk's office will notify
the Council of the upcoming term expirations and advertise the opening.
2. When vacancies occur and there are no applications on file, the City Clerk, in
conjunction with the Communications and Public Affairs Director, will notify the Council
of the vacancy and will advertise any vacancies on boards, committees, and
commissions across the City's multiple communications platforms (City website,
Facebook page, Twitter feed, news releases, YCTV and Y-PAC infographics, video
bulletin boards, etc.).
3. As applications are received, the City Clerk forwards them to the chair of (or the staff
liaison to) the board, committee or commission with an opening(s). A recommendation(s)
regarding the applicant(s) may be offered to the Council Nominating (Partnership)
Committee by the chair of the board, committee, or commission for which applications
are received. The applications, any chair recommendations, and the function and
responsibilities of the board, committee, or commission for which applications are
received are then provided to the Council Nominating (Partnership) Committee. If an
applicant is currently serving on another City board, commission, or committee, the
Council Nominating (Partnership) Committee will not consider her/his application for a
different body.
' Policy approved on February 17, 2016.
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4. The Council Nominating (Partnership) Committee then evaluates each application,
reviews backgrounds and references, and, if two or more applications are received, will
interview all of the applicants. A staff liaison will be present at the interviews and be
available to answer any questions the Nominating Committee may have. The Council
Nominating (Partnership) Committee then makes recommendations regarding filling
board, committee, or commission vacancies, which are presented at the next Council
business meeting for consideration and action.