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Home My WebLink About03/04/2008 04A Draft Minutes 02-19-2008 Study Session1. Roll Call 2. STUDY SESSION FEBRUARY 19, 2008 _COUNCIL CHAMBERS - CITY HALL 8:00 A.M. — PUBLIC SESSION Present: Council: Mayor Dave Edler, presiding, Assistant Mayor Cawley, Council Members Kathy Coffey, Rick Ensey, Norm Johnson, Bill Lover, and Neil McClure Staff: City Manager Zais, Randy Beehler, Community Relations Manager, and City Clerk Moore CONTINUATION OF JANUARY 26 COUNCIL RETREAT DISCUSSIONS Council Committees - Television coverage of committee meetings Randy Beehler, Community Relations Manager, explained that, due to cost and size requirements, they focused on the Community and Economic Development (CED) Conference Room on the second floor as a secondary place to televise meetings. Randy reviewed three specific options contained in the Council packet. Option 1 — CED Conference Room — Fixed camera /mobile switch er /recorder system Option 2 — CED Conference Room — "Toastmaster" system extension Option 3 — Existing Council Chamber / "Horseshoe" Extension System Council Member Lover suggested a fourth option be setting up a table at the end of the horseshoe at no cost. Randy explained that is included in Option 3. Council Member Coffey asked if any of the equipment suggested was already budgeted for purchase. Randy noted that approximately $9,000 to $10,000 of the $15,000 estimated cost was already planned. Mayor Edler questioned whether televising the committee meetings had been decided. Council members discussed the pros and cons of televising the meetings. One concern expressed was how moving from an informal setting to a televised one inhibits free flowing discussion. Building citizen trust was expressed as the main goal of televising the meetings. Council Member Lover pointed out that committee meetings can have an executive session, if it is appropriate. City Manager Zais clarified the rules with regard to holding executive sessions. The committee meetings being considered for televising are: Public Safety Committee, Economic Development Committee, Budget Committee, Neighborhood Development Committee, and the Transit/Transportation Planning Committee. McCLURE MOVED AND JOHNSON SECONDED TO TELEVISE COMMITTEE MEETINGS. The motion carried by a 6 -1 voice vote; McClure voting nay. • STUDY SESSION FEBRUARY 19, 2008 McCLURE MOVED AND COFFEY SECONDED TO IMPLEMENT OPTION 1 AND USE THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, (OPTION 3), UNTIL IT IS UP AND RUNNING. The motion carried by a 6 -1 voice vote; Lover voting nay. It was noted that the committees will not use the Council Chambers once the CED conference room is available. - Authority and responsibilities of committees - Utilization of committee recommendations - Staff attendance at committee meetings Mayor Edler said that the authority and responsibilities of committees are known and understood and that the utilization of committee recommendations is put on all agenda statements, therefore Council is aware of them. His opinion with regard to staff attendance at committee meetings`was that once they are done presenting and are not going to be utilized any longer, they should be released to go back to work. Council Member Lover affirmed that all policies have to go through a committee and a Council meeting, therefore, he would like to see a comment put in the proposals verifying that the committee has seen it and made a recommendation on it. Council Member Ensey questioned whether staff needs to attend meetings if they aren't presenting. Council Member Coffey noted that she has seen staff dealing with their e -mails on their Blackberries while sitting in meetings and pointed out that is discourteous. If they are not attentive to the meeting, or not participating, they should leave. Assistant Mayor Cawley said he would like to see a method developed for staff or Council to bring forth policy issues to the committee chairs to • be put on their agenda. City Manager Zais commented on staff attendance stating that at the start of a meeting, staff is there to make sure everything is covered. He agreed that once the work is done and the questions are answered, staff members can leave. He did point out that sometimes it is helpful for staff to attend in order to be educated on how the committee works and be informed on the status of an item. • Challenges & Opportunities - Prioritize tasks, initiatives, etc. Randy Beehler explained that this exercise relates to how resources are allocated. He reviewed the written explanation of the prioritizing process. He said that the items receiving five or more red dots would become highest priorities for the allocation of staff time and financial resources. He emphasized that all of the items remain on the list, but this process will prioritize the use of resources. City Manager Zais pointed out that the assumption is that the five strategic priorities stay intact and today's effort is to prioritize what is underneath each of them. - Assign key issues to Council committees Randy was tasked with consolidating the information, making recommendations for committee assignments, and supplying it back to Council. 3. Audience Participation No one came forward to speak. STUDY SESSION FEBRUARY 19, 2008 • Public Hearings on outside issues Mayor Edler raised the issue of allowing outside organizations to request and hold public hearings for their cause, e.g. the recent experience with the Yakima School District levy. Each Council member commented: Mayor Edler asked for consensus on how the Council wants to handle this issue and if we do not want to give support, to let school boards and other outside boards know ahead of time in order to not risk offending them. He said it has been one of his personal goals to try to foster relationships among the outside boards, but if that is not the direction Council wants to go, he needs to know that. Council Member McClure wants the community to have the opportunity to come to Council, and let Council say no if it is something they don't support. It is important for the Council to go on the record showing where they stand. He said it is his opportunity to show that he supports these organizations or, if it was a policy he didn't like, he would have the opportunity to say why. Council Member Ensey said he feels blackmailed by this "stuff." He said he has a problem with the Council voting on tax issues. He feels if he were to speak out against the school issue, he would be smeared. He thought this subject was going to be reviewed by a committee. Council. Member Coffey said she is struggling with this. She feels discussion and disagreement are not bad things. She sees no harm for organizations to come to Council and to allow the Council members to individually voice their opinion. She is not comfortable having them come if it is just a unanimous vote. Council needs the opportunity to express their opinions. Council Member Lover said he doesn't like taking a Council vote after people have had the opportunity to express their opinions. Assistant Mayor Cawley said he doesn't feel comfortable doing some things, but that it's for a committee to decide.' He suggested the Council could vote on holding a public hearing City Manager Zais explained that the public hearing process is required in ballot measures but it is not required in other situations such as items pending in the legislature. With or without a tax issue, it is a permitted action to have a public hearing as long as there is opportunity for both pro and con speakers. The question here is do you want to entertain those subjects at all? Council Member Johnson agreed with the potential of holding hearings but not taking a vote at the end of it, emphasizing we must be consistent with all meetings of this type. is STUDY SESSION FEBRUARY 19, 2008 o C until Member McClure said they were going to have a discussion in the Rules and Procedures Committee on this and bring it forward later. Council Member Coffey recommended letting these organizations come forward, and then let individual Council members speak or not speak, rather than keep moving these things to committee. • HB 3292 Assistant Mayor Cawley requested Council direct staff to prepare legislation to vote on supporting HB 3292 at tonight's business meeting.. Council Member McClure said that before he could vote on the bill, he would want to make sure both sides are represented. Council Member Johnson claimed he has no problem with recording executive sessions but thinks there would be a greater fiscal impact than it states. CAWLEY MOVED AND ENSEY SECONDED TO HAVE THE COUNCIL ENDORSE, BY RESOLUTION, THE LEGISLATION IN HB 3292. Assistant Mayor Cawley said he sees this as an added accountability measure. The burden of proof is on the requestor who has to go to court and bring credible evidence. Only if there is a violation found, will the judge release the information. Council Member McClure expressed concerns about credible evidence saying the only way there would be any, would be if a Council member made claims outside the executive session. Council Member Coffey agreed with the credible evidence concern. Council Member Lover spoke in support of the bill and pointed out it has the support of the Attorney General, the State Auditor, and the Governor. Council Member Johnson would like to hear more about it and Mayor Edler also spoke against voting for it at this time. COUNCIL MEMBERS CAWLEY AND ENSEY WITHDREW THE MOTION. City Manager Zais emphasized that the bill is facing a cutoff fairly soon so we need to get the committee together quickly. He also said last Friday he was asked about the bill by Representative Hinkle who said he had concerns about the fiscal side and felt something should be done to ensure there was fiscal protection. LOVER MOVED AND ENSEY SECONDED TO HAVE COUNCIL ENDORSE, BY RESOLUTION, THE LEGISLATION IN HB 3292. The motion failed by 4 -3 roll call vote; Coffey, Edler, Johnson and McClure voting nay. 4. Adjourn CAWLEY MOVED AND McCLURE SECONDED TO ADJOURN TO 5:00 P.M. FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THEN TO 6:00 P.M. COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. Ell STUDY SESSION FEBRUARY 19, 2008 is READ AND CERTIFIED ACCURATE BY ATTEST: CITY CLERK COUNCIL MEMBER DATE COUNCIL MEMBER DATE DAVID EDLER, MAYOR Minutes prepared by Linda Watkins. A CD and DVD of this meeting are available in the City Clerk's Office • •