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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 392-09TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL 8 FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE DATE: OCTOBER 5, 2009 CMR: 392:09 REPORT TYPE: CONSENT SUBJECT: Recommendation from Policy & Services Committee to Approve the Policy & Services Committee Work Plan for the Remainder of 2009 and the Proposed Structure for Setting Future Year Work Plans RECOMMENDATION Staff and the Policy & Services Committee recommend that the Council approve a work plan for the Policy & Services Committee for the remainder of 2009 and approve a proposed structure for setting future year work plans. COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION At the July 15,2009 Policy & Services Committee meeting, staff brought forward a report on the role and scope of the Committee (Attachment A). Staff has included the minutes from that meeting as Attachment B. Given changes at the senior staff level and on the Council over the past two years, there is an opportunity to revisit the scope and function of the Council Standing Committees. The Policy & Services Committee can be a valuable resource for more fully vetting issues before the full Council considers them. In addition to the standard issues that are referred to the Committee, staff recommended that the Committee consider discussing more strategic issues. The Committee structure allows for an opportunity to step back and look at the broader context and trends impacting our community and organization. The Committee had a preliminary conversation at the July 15 meeting, which was followed by an additional discussion at the September 10 meeting (Attachment C -report). At that meeting, the Committee voted 4-0 to recommend that the Council approve a proposed structure for generating future annual work plans for the Committee and that the Council approve a proposed work plan for the remainder of 2009. The annual work plan structure would generally follow from the annual January retreat where the Council sets its priorities. At the first Committee meeting following that retreat, the Policy & Services Committee would discuss and recommend possible initiative or issues for further exploration based on the Council priorities. Staff would help to identify whether the Committee's proposed initiatives or issues are already part of the staff work plan or whether they would be new areas, along with any possible resource implications. Following that discussion, the Committee would then recommend a proposed topic list and work plan to the Council for approval. In addition to this work plan, the Committee would still CMR:392:09 Page 1 of3 consider those other issues during the year referred by Council separately or those brought forward by staff. For the remainder of 2009, the Committee recommended that the following issues be considered and discussed (see Attachment D for minutes of the discussion): October Meeting: a) Economic Development Strategy -what constellation of related industries does the City of Palo Alto want to attract? How can we position the City to be attractive to businesses? b) Priority Setting -what is the capacity of staff given current priorities and staffing challenges? What were some of the themes from the City Manager's Town Hall meetings with employees held over the summer? How can staff reprioritize workload throughout the year and not just through the budget process? November Meeting: a) Prevailing Wage pilot program (previously referred to Committee) b) Legislative Program structure (previously referred to Committee) December Meeting: a) Restructuring City Services -what opportunities does the City have for restructuring and reorganizing City services and functions given the City's budget challenges and numerous retirements? b) Social Technology Plan -. how could and should the City effectively use social technologies to engage with members of the community? Although the Committee recommended two items for the October meeting, key staff members will not be available for that meeting. As such, staff recommends that the October meeting be cancelled and that the Economic Development item be scheduled for November and the priority setting item for December. RESOURCE IMPACT The recommendations in this report do not have any resource impact. If items considered for the Policy & Services Committee annual work plan did have a resource impact, staff would identify those items for the Council to consider prior to adoption of the work plan. POLICY IMPLICATIONS The recommendations in this report are consistent with City policies and previous Council direction. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This report is not a project requiring review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CMR:392:09 Page 2 of3 ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: July 15,2009 City Manager's Report to Policy & Services Committee Attachment B: Minutes from July 15,2009 Policy & Services Committee Meeting Attachment C: September 10,2009 City Manager's Report to Policy & Services Committee Attachment D: Minutes from September 10,2009 Policy & Services Committee Meeting PREPARED BY: CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: CMR:392:09 KELL Y MORARIU Assistant to the City Manager Page 3 of3 Attachment A 4P City of Palo Alto· City Manager's Report " .• ~ •. ' "h'~'"'''' _.LL ...... ~~M •..••• ' .. -0. , ............. ~ .... " ...... '" ........ "' ..... ...,.-:. ......... ~ .... '" •. ~ •• .-..,... ......... ~~._~~ ....... ft ... _.~.,.,. .' •••••••••• ".' • ~_ ", ........... -....... -....... , ................. ".-L .. ~. ,-, TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL ATTN: POLICY AND SERVICES COMMITTEE FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE DATE: JULY 15, 2009 CMR: 312:09 SUBJECT: Discussion and Direction on Role and Scope of Policy and Services Committee RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Policy and Services Committee review the purpose and scope of the Policy and Service.s Committee and provide direction to staff. . DISCUSSION With the arrival of the new City Manager and several new Councilmembers over the past two years, there is an opportunity to evaluate many elements of Palo Alto city government. One topic is the purpose and scope of the Council Standing Committees. The purposes of the Finance and Council Appointed Officer Committees are relatively clear. However, the scope of the Policy & Services Committee is much broader and the issues that can be brought to the Committee are usually less defined. The way in which the Committee structures discussions and recommendations around issues can potentially be of tremendous value to the Council. Additionally, there may be items that aren't going to Policy & Services when this would be a good place to vet these issues and have a more robust conversation. The Palo Alto Municipal Code and the City Council Procedures both provide general parameters for the Policy & Services Committee. Sec. 2.04.220 of the Municipal Code provides a definition of the Committee on policy and services: . It shall be the duty of the committee on policy and services to I consider and make recommendations on matters referred to it by the council relating to parliamentary and administrative procedures and policy matters pertaining to intergovernmental relations, personnel policies, planning and zoning, traffic and parking, public works, and community and human services. CMR:312:09 Page 10f3 The City Council Procedures don't expand any further on the specific roles of the standing committees but do speak to the purpose of the committees: It is the policy of the Council to use standing committees in open and public meetings to study City business in greater depth than what is possible in the time allotted for Council meetings. (p. V-I, City Council Procedures Handbook) Over the past three years, the Committee has evaluated a wide range of issues. Attachment A lists these topics. They range from the City's legislative-program to the resale price formula for the Below Market Rate Housing program to the Zero Waste Operational Plan. Many of these issues resulted from Council referrals. Although the list on Attachment A is relatively comprehensive, this meeting presents an opportunity to have a conversation about the definitions of policy and services in the Council Committee context. Ultimately, the Committee's focus is on services but the conversation can be and should be more strategic in nature. The informal nature of committee meetings allows for an enhanced dialogue between staff and the Council around strategic issues for both the organization and the community. During the meeting this evening, staff proposes to hold a brainstorming session that will focus on the types of issues that the Committee might discuss. Examples of some more strategic issues for Committee focus might include: 1) --City recruitment strategy '--given the impending wave-of baby boomer retirements, how does the City want to position itself as a community and organization? What types of employees do we want to attract and retain? 2) Economic development strategy -what is the City's economic development strategy in the new economy? What _ economic trends and issues will we face as a community? How do we position ourselves to attract certain industries and sectors? 3) Organizational culture -what type of culture do we wish to have as a community and as an organization? What strategies can we use to achieve this? These are just a few examples of the types of strategic issues the Committee might want to discuss with key staff members. These types of conversations allow for an opportunity to step back and look at the broader context and trends that are impacting our community and organization. The Council can ultimately partner with staff in creating a shared vision on some of these key strategic issues facing the City. The outcomes of these discussions might include the development of ShOli or longer term workplans for addressing the issues. The conversation that will begin at this meeting is just that -only the beginning. There are many _complex and challenging issues facing the City. The Council and the staff need to be engaged in a partnership that will facilitate and enable the organizational and community work that needs to occur to adsltess them. I RESOURCE IMPACT There are no resource impacts associated with the recommendations in this report. CMR:312:09 Page 2 of3 ~ ... POLICY IMPLICATIONS This discussion will help the Council further refine policy goals around the use of Council standing committees. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This report is not a project requiring review under the California Environmental Quality Act . (CEQA). ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: List of Policy & Services Committee topics, 2006·2009 PREPARED BY: CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: . r I CMR:312:09 KELLY MORARIU Assistant to the City Manager Page 3 of3 Attachment A: Policy and Services Topics Compilation .. 2006 through 2009 .. -City's Legislative Action Program Manual -Proposed Procedure for Appointment of SC VfA Board Member from the Six North County Cities ~ Recommendation to Council on Changes to City C~uncil Procedures -Prevailing Wage Issues Related to City Capital Construction Projects -Final Response to Auditor's 2008 Audit of Employee Ethics Policies -City Oversight of the Palo Alto Airport -Pilot Program Involving "Open City Hall" Online Service -Alternatives for an Area Median Income-Based Resale Price Formula for the Below Market Rate Ownership Program -HRC Recommendation to Amend PA Municipal Code Chapter 9.72 (Mandatory Response to Request for Discussion of Disputes between Landlords and Tenants) to . Void Rent Increases Given Without Required Notice of the Tenant's Rights to Mediation -Regional Transportation Issues and Recommendations to City Council -Recommendation to the City Council to Adopt an Ordinance Amending the PA Municipal Code to Set the Park Land Dedication Requirement to Five Acres Per Thousand Residents -Proposed Revisions to City Facility Naming POlicy -Options for "Environmental Commission" Structure -HRC Recommendation to DeSignate PA Mediation Program as a City Contractor for Mandatory Response Mediation Services -HRC Recpmmendation to Adopt a Resolution Condemning the U.S. Immigration and ·Custom Enforcement Agency Under "Operation Return to Sender" -Approval of BMR Ownership Program Update Recommendations ~ Review and Recommendation on Adoption of a Campaign Contribution Limit System for the City of Palo Alto ~ Review and Recommendation that the City Council Approve the Zero Waste Operational Plan -Consideration of Draft Emergency Operations Plan and Recommendation to Council on Adoption of the Plan -Direction on Recommendations for Renaming of City Facility to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King -Consideration of a Polley Concerning Communications with the City Council and City Council Candidates C,oncerning the Upcoming Bid for Refuse Hauling -Recommendations for Council Term Commencement Following Elections -Review of Public/Private Partnership Policy -Addition to Council Protocols of Guidelines for Telephonic Appearances at City Council Meetings -Conceptual Review of Zero Waste Operational Plan -Approval of Policy Addressing Agreement for Shared Use of Parkland -Council Retreat Follow up -Procedure for Appointment and Duties of Emergency Standby Council Members I" i I I Attachment B P&S COMMITTEE Regular Meeting July 15, 2009 Chairperson Espinosa called the meeting to order at 7: 18 p.m. in the Council Conference Room, 250 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto, California. Present: Absent: Espinosa (Chair), Kishimoto, Yeh Barton 1. Oral Communications None. 2. Report from City Attorney: Recommendation Regarding Addition of Ad Hoc Committee Policy to City Council Procedures. Law Clerk Bahareh Samsami said that the Council directed the City Attorney to consider a policy on Ad Hoc Committees. Any Ad Hoc Committee should consist of Council Members only; members of the public may not serve on an Ad Hoc Committee. No more than four Council Members may be on an Ad Hoc Committee. There can not be a Motion setting the meeting schedule by the Council. An Ad Hoc Committee can not have continuing subject matter; its purpose must be specific and finite, and it should dissolve after its purpose is met. No Ad Hoc Committee should be in existence for more than six months, after that it should dissolve or it should, at the direction of the Council, become a Standing Committee subject to the Brown Act. Either the Mayor or the Council can create an Ad Hoc Committee. The Mayor should make a public announcement stating the purpose of any newly formed Ad Hoc Committee. Standing Committees are subject to the Brown Act and can have a fixed meeting schedule, they can be in existence for longer than six. months, and they can have on-going subject matters. The policy that Staff has drafted reflects all of these requirements. The P&S Committee can decide whether to recommend the policy to the Council, amend it or, decline to recommend it. Herb Borock, PO Box 632 spoke regarding the status of the Stanford Liaison Committee as it was subject to the Brown Act, and should have P&S: 090715PS 1 Chair Espinosa clarified that Mr. Keene was talking about if the engagement role would go to Councilor to P&S and then asking if that timing was off. Mr. Keene said this could get to Council by August 3, 2009 Staff would have not only awarded the contact, but had a meeting with a lobbying firm with the Council. That would inform us before coming back to the Committee. Council Member Yeh suggested that due to' the legislative season September is good timing, and he would be agreeable to it. Ms. Morariu said the contract could be awarded on August 3, and then in September the lobbyist could come in. 3. Staff recommends that the P&S Committee review the purpose and scope of the P&S Committee and provide direction to Staff. Chair Espinosa said that this is a good time to discuss the role of P&S with new Council Members coming on soon. Assistant to the City Manager Kelly Morariu stated that she and the City Manager reviewed the Municipal Code and the defining parameters of the P&S (P&S) Committee. The parameters include parliamentary, administrative procedures, and inter-governmental relations. There has also been issues that haven't always been referred to P&S, including personnel, planning and zoning, traffic and parking, public works, and community and human services. The Human Resources Commission can refer items to P&S or to the Council. Some specific issues that have come to the Committee have been regulating transportation issues, and the Zero Waste Plan. There is opportunity to broaden what issues come before P&S. Strategic issues need to be addressed, and how the community and Council wish to set the context for addressing key issues. As an example she cited the pending retirement of so many baby boomers. Council will want to position the City as an employer of choice. The Council will want to explore the goals as the City moves forward with an economic development strategy. Those were just examples of issues Staff might want to have a more in depth discussion with P&S about. Staff also wants to know if that's the way the Committee wants to have a conversation about these issues, or should it continue to be the Council referral method currently in place. P&S: 090715PS 13 City Manager James Keene said that there are two standing committees that help shape direction in Palo Alto. There is more clarity about what gets referred to the Finance Committee. One could say that anything that isn't directly related to Finance should be referred to P&S. Rather than only getting policies about administrative issues, this is policy about services. One thing that might be effective is to have a session where we identify work or a general work plan over the course of a year. Herb Borock, PO Box 632 spoke regarding the history of the P&S Committee; it used to be called Policy and Procedures. The change was made because the Council realized there was an imbalance of the work loads. The names of the Committees are just names not definitions. It's a Council question of changing jurisdiction of the Committee. Economic Development strategy belongs to Land Use and Zoning which is State Law, and Municipal Code concerns, not the concerns of the P&S Committee. Council Member Kishimoto asked the speaker if this Committee has played a larger role in planning and transportation issues in the past. Mr. Borock said that he did not recall that they did. There was a change in the flow of recommendation of brining items to the Committee. Until the previous City Manager changed procedures every item was always a referral from Council. Typically the higher body refers items to the lower body and expects it to come back but lately it's been the Staff recommending things to the Committee. Council Member Kishimoto asked if P&S has the authority to set agenda items. Mr. Keene said the Committee exists for the Council, in order to do the work. Parameters for sub-committees are defined, but it can even be by practice. The Municipal Code does include planning and zoning for this Committee. These committees and sessions are made to make Council more effective, it's easier to have a conversation in this type of group. Mr. Borock's comment about economic development could be true, or it could be we just focus on retention. Things that are important to the Councilor issues I would like to bring to Council, but may not need that level of discussion, are good issues for a Committee. Council Member Kishimoto said she would be excited to develop a work plan that addresses some issues Council doesn't have time to P&S: 090715PS 14 wQrk in depth .on and then the CQmmittee can bring recQmmendatiQns back tQ the CQuncil. CQuncil Member Yeh said that San FranciscQ and Oakland are cities where the cQmmittees are the wQrk hQrses .of the larger elected bQdy. There is trade .off thQugh; the cQmmittees and elected .officials have a IQt mQre authQrity. If this cQmmittee were tQ mQve fQrward QPPQrtunities .open up fQr CQuncil tQ get intQ a level .of detail that is mQre directive. Mr. Keene said PalQ AltQ has a CQuncil-Manager plan and a Charter whereas Oakland and San FranciscQ dQn't. CQuncil Member Yeh said that frQm a CQuncil members perspective that's really exciting and a IQt .of the reaSQn CQuncil members chQse tQ run fQr .office. The wQrk plan and eCQnQmic develQpment are things that gQ .on fQr a IQng time. CQming up with clear framewQrk fQr hQW the CQuncil discusses it SQ it dQesn't becQme a bureaucratic prQcess WQuid be beneficial. Chair EspinQsa asked if the CQmmittee sees that CQnversatiQn fQr year .one with the CQmmittee .or CQuncil. CQuncil Member KishimQtQ suggested the CQuncil. Chair EspinQsa asked hQW they WQuid build in that directive, when that shQuld .occur frQm the CQuncil. CQuncil Member KishimQtQ said it CQuid be that the CQmmittee CQuid prQPQse it and bring it tQ CQuncil and then CQuncil CQuid change it. Chair EspinQsa hesitated because .of relying .on individual issues .of CQuncil Members, rather than IQQking acrQSS the bQard at what the bQdy deems mQst critical. CQuncil Member KishimQtQ suggested the City Manager might be a better apprQach. CQuncil Member Yeh said the CQuncil dQes that at its annual retreat and he has seen the wQrk plan as list .of discrete activities, which dQes nQt make a strategy. He asked hQW tQ prQvide that frame fQr a cQmprehensive strategy regarding eCQnQmic health and if that is pulled intQ a strategic discussiQn. P&S: 090715PS 15 Chair Espinosa asked if the Committee thought Staff should pull together a policy to launch for the coming year or in an abbreviated format now. Council Member Kishimoto said Staff could build on the three priorities that Council has adopted already. Mr. Keene said it would be easy to use See-It and he suggested the process might work faster if Staff and the Committee worked together and then got Council's blessing rather than other way around. He said he was in the process of working with the department directors and will meet with them again in August, and then the Committee will meet with him in September. He asked if there were key things the Committee wanted to see happen. He suggested the P&S Committee could refer some issues they want to work on to Staff. With any work plan it's a work plan. If something comes up it can be reprioritized. Chair Espinosa said, in looking to the next meeting, they could layout what had been planned to discuss and then discuss how it will work in years to come at the Council level and the Committee level. Council Member Yeh fully supported the plan and, with the See-it program as a way for the community to see progress it should be an integral part of the discussion. Council Member Yeh said that the Council had a full agenda last time and couldn't discuss this so a chance to get deeper into it would be good. Chair Espinosa said that everyone seemed clear and stated they do not need a Motion. 5. Discussion for Future Meeting Schedules and Agendas Assistant to the City Manager Kelly Morariu said that the regularly scheduled September meeting is during recess. Then the week of September 14th Mr. Keene and Ms. Morariu are scheduled to be at a conference. She suggested the week of September 21, 2009 for the next meeting. Chair Espinosa asked if Council was still on recess for the first week of September. Ms. Morariu said Council does not return until September 14th and the regularly scheduled meeting would be before that. P&S: 090715PS 16 Attachment C TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL ATTN:-POLICY AND SERVICES COMMITTEE FROM: CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE DATE: SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 CMR: 369:09 SUBJECT: Recommendation to Council on Policy & Services Committee Work Plan for Remainder of 2009 and Proposed Structure for Setting Future Year Work Plans RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Policy and Services Committee discuss and recommend to Council a proposed work plan for the Policy & Services Committee for the remainder of 2009 and options for a structure for setting future year work plans. DISCUSSION On July 15, the Policy & Services Commjttee considered a report from staff on the purpose and scope of the Council Policy & Services Committee. Attachment A is the original City Manager's Report presented on July 15 and Attachment B contains an excerpt from the minutes of that meeting. At that meeting, the Committee asked staff to return for further discussion and recommendation to Council about a possible work plan for Policy & Services for the remainder of the year and a proposed structure for setting the Committee work plan in future ¥ears. -. This report provides some groundwork to allow the Committee to begin that discussion. Proposed Topics for Current Year Work Plan At the last meeting, the Committee discussed potential topics for further exploration as part of this current year's work plan. A recommended place to start was the Council priorities and associated actions as displayed in the City's new See-It website. When this was brought forward to Council earlier this summer, the Council was not able to discuss the strategies and actions outlined on that site in any detail. At this meeting, the Committee can have a working session to go through the site in more detail and evaluate possible areas for further Committee review and discussion. The Committee could _also suggest other areas of interest outside of the See-It strategies and actions _ if desired. After selecting some issues, the Committee would make a CMR:369:09 Page 1 of 3 recommendation to Council indicating a desire to explore these issues in further depth. Following the Council action, the appropriate departmental staff members could bring back additional information on these issues to the Committee. Future Process for Development of the Policy & Services Work Plan There are a multitude of options for ways in which the Committee can structure the development of a work plan in future years. Staff is recommending one structure in this report as a starting place for the discussion. The Committee can evaluate this structure and recommend it to Council or identify and recommend alternative structures. Typically, the Council holds a retreat in early January to identify the Council priorities for the year. Following this retreat, the Policy & Services Committee, at the first meeting of the year, can discuss and recommend possible initiatives or issues for further exploration related to the recently adopted Council priorities. As part of that discussion, staff can help to identify whether the Committee's initiatives or issues are already part of the staff work plan or whether they would be new areas. Following that conversation, the Committee would recommend a proposed topic list and work plan to the Council for approval. In addition to this work plan, the Committee would still consider during the year those other issues referred by Council separately or brought forward by staff. Following approval of the work plan, staff would bring the initiatives or issues forward throughout the year for more in-depth conversation and exploration. RESOURCE IMPACT There are no resource impacts associated with the recommendations in this report. POLICY IMPLICATIONS This discussion will help the Council further refine policy goals around the use of Council standing committees. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This report is not a proj ect requiring review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: July 15,2009 City Manager's Report to Policy & Services Committee (CMR 312:09) Attachment B: Excerpt from July 15,2009 Policy & Services Committee Meeting Minutes PREPARED BY: .. KELLY MORARIU Assistant to the City Manager CMR:369:09 Page 2 of3 ,0'/ " \ CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: CMR:369:09 Page 3 of3 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Attachment D POLICY AND SERVICES COMMITTEE Regular Meeting September 10, 2009 Chairperson Espinosa called the meeting to order at 8:53 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, California. Present: Espinosa (Chair), Barton, Kishimoto, Yeh 1. Oral Communications None 2. Recommendation for Approval of Changes to Council Procedures Related to the Council Meeting Agenda Order and Category Titles. Assistant to the City Manager, Kelly Morariu said this item is part of Staff efforts to streamline the agendas and make them more user friendly for the public. Currently there are required categories such as Public Hearings, Reports from Officials, and Council Matters. All are actions of the Council. When they are listed individually on the agenda it presents some challenges to Staff regarding structuring the agenda in a way that is more accessible to the public and allows Staff to rearrange the order of the meeting to accommodate anticipated public comment. The recommendation is to make changes to Council Procedures that collapses all of those categories into one category called Action Items, which would include; Public Hearings, Reports of Committees/Commissions, Ordinances and Resolutions, Reports of Officials and Council Matters. City Manager, James Keene said that under Action Items, Staff would still be able to identify if an item is a Public Hearing, or a Report from Committees/Commissions. He explained that often large numbers of the public will come to speak on an item, but Staff is locked into the sequence of the agenda delaying the public's opportunity to speak. Having this flexibility would allow the agenda to be rearranged based on antiCipated public turn out. While the Council can change the order during the meeting now, this change would allow Staff to do it so the public gets some advance notice. Herb Borock, City of Palo Alto, urged the Committee to adjourn the meeting immediately as it started two hours late. He stated that for years Council P&S: 090910 PS 1 offer some clarity. Secondly, Staff is trying to put together a type of Executive Summary of each agenda item. It would be more work for Staff, but it would be easier for the public. Chair Espinosa said it would also be helpful, as a matter of public accessibility, to have on the outside door of the chambers a debrief sheet for members of the public that are new to Council Meetings. The sheet would welcome members of the public, and include information on how the meetings work, what Oral Communications are and how one partiCipates in them, and what the agenda covers. It would help people that have never been to a meeting before. MOTION PASSED 4-0 3. Recommendation to Council on Policy & Services Committee Workplan for Remainder of 2009 and Proposed Structure for Setting Future Year Workplans. ASSistant to the City Manager, Kelly Morariu spoke about having a strategiC conversation with the Committee regarding the workplan for the remaining year and any topics the Committee feels Staff should put more energy into. Staff is suggesting a structure for setting workplans in the future years. Each year, in early January, the Council has a retreat to set priorities for the upcoming year. Staff suggests that the Committee hold a Study Session after the annual retreat to define some initiatives or key issues related to Council priorities. This will help guide Staff. At the last Policy and Services meeting the Committee asked about the See It site. The Committee could pick one subject from the site and request that Staff come back with information about what they are doing to bring the vision to life. Chair Espinosa suggested they split the item in two. He suggested they discuss planning for the remaining year first. It would be helpful to come together and discuss what will be addressed for 2009. After that, he said they can look at what to cover for 2010. Council Member Barton asked for clarification that they were discussing the next three months. Chair Espinosa confirmed that he was referring to the remaining three months in 2009. MOTION: Council Member Espinosa moved, seconded by Council Member Kishimoto that the Policy & Services Committee accepts Staffs recommendations for setting future year workplans after the January 2010 Retreat. P&S: 090910 PS 4 Chair Espinosa said that he is suggesting, through the Motion, that after Councils Annual Retreat the Policy and Services Committee convene and map out an Agenda for 2010 based on the Council priorities set at the retreat. MOTION PASSED: 4-0 Chair Espinosa said it's only a few months, but we want to go through a few options to create a workplan for the remaining part of 2009. Ms. Morariu said there are a few items that are still outstanding and may come back to the Committee by the end of this year. One is the Legislative Program. Staff will come back to Council with the award of contract later this month. The plan is to have a Study Session with the Council in October to introduce the Council to the Consultant and hold a discussion around the Federal Legislative Priorities. The Prevailing Wage study is also something that might come back to the Committee by the end of the year. In October, Staff might bring back some of the Agenda changes as well. Chair Espinosa asked if the Committee had other items they would like to add to the list. Council Member Barton said the idea of working from the Council goals set in January makes sense. With the Economic Health category, most items will fit with the Finance Committee. That leaves Policy & Services with Environmental Protection and Civic Engagement for the Common Good .. He said the Civic Engagement for the Common Good item is the one with the most work that needs to be done. Under the Environmental Protection subcategory, he cited some studies, one in the New York Times the week of September 1, 2009, and one in the San Francisco Chronicle the week of September 7, 2009, that indicate green standards may not be working and may actually be counter productive. LEED Certified Buildings, according to at least one study, perform worse than standard production buildings in regards to energy efficiency. The Council needs to look at the Ordinance to see if it is counter productive. Chair Espinosa agreed that the Civic Engagement category should be the one the Committee works with. Council Member Kishimoto said she wanted to add the City Recruitment Strategy to the table, but she prefers to think of it as a Restructuring Services. She said that Economic Development should be tied with the Environmental Goals as well. She also said the Comp Plan discussion has been pushed off. P&S: 090910 PS 5 City Manager, James Keene said that the Comp Plan has had phases that have been extended. But there is some timeliness and there are some broad strategy questions that need to be addressed. Council Member Kishimoto asked if there are any discussions planned on the Housing Element. Mr. Keene said that the Planning Staff is working with the Planning and Transportation Commission on vision statements that go beyond the elements. It was decided that there isn't enough time on the schedule to get this discussion to Council. A conversation like that might be a good start with the new Council in January because of the way the timing works. Council Member Kishimoto recapped that her priorities would be restructuring services, Economic Development with an emphasis on Green Economy, and getting started on the Comp Plan discussion. Chair Espinosa asked if there is a particular component to the Comp Plan that she wants the Policy and Services Committee to look at. Council Member Kishimoto said that the Comp Plan is something the whole Council should be involved in unless there is some vetting the Committee can do. Council Member Yeh said that Economic Development Strategy should be an open discussion about how the City can position itself to be attractive to businesses, whether through land use or taxes and fiscal policy. Regarding the recruitment strategy he said that it would be illuminating to have a better understanding of what brought workers to the City. He was interested in how Council Members can support the City Manager with the recruitment process. Chair Espinosa asked Staff to advise the Committee on which components of the Civic Engagement workplan they would like the Committee to offer input or direction on. Mr. Keene said a good role for the Committee might be to serve a priority vetting role for Staff. They could help Staff determine priorities when they have ten issues and no way to get them all completed. Council Member Barton has a point regarding the great need for progress in Civic Engagement, but the City is doing a lot more than ever before. It has been difficult to gain any traction though, with the strategy presented as is. Staff needs to be able to have those conversations with the Council. He said it doesn't have to be a standing item on the Agenda. It would just be a way to know he can come to the Committee when he gets word from Staff that things aren't going to get done. He spoke P&S: 090910 PS 6 with 500 employees recently at the Town Hall meetings. Some feedback he got was that they have all these things that they have to do, with no mechanism to stop doing them, yet they always manage to get new work to do as well. There should be a process to reprioritize mid-year, not just in January. Chair Espinosa asked Ms. Morariu if there was something else she feels a discussion with the Committee could add value to. Ms. Morariu suggested the City's use of social technologies would be a place to strategize with the Committee. MOTION: Council Member Espinosa moved, seconded by Council Member Barton to approve the three month plan outlined: In October, Staff will come back with two items, 1) the Economic Development Strategy, or Revenue Generating Strategy, and 2) the Structure of a Sounding Board for Staffing, Option Weighing, and Priority Setting. In November Staff will come back to the Committee with, 1) Prevailing Wage, and 2) the Legislative Program Structure. And lastly, in December, Staff will present 1) the Restructuring Plan, and 2) the Social Technology Plan. MOTION PASSED: 4-0 4. Discussion of Upcoming Meetings and Topics. Assistant to the City Manager, Kelly Morariu said that the next meeting is currently scheduled for October 13, 2009. She had some concern because Council Member Kishimoto had a meeting in the Council Conference Room. Council Member Kishimoto confirmed that her meeting would be over by 4 p.m. Ms. Morariu said they can then proceed with the regularly scheduled Policy & Services Committee meeting on October 13, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. Chair Espinosa asked if Staff would confirm the remaining meeting dates for the year. Ms. Morariu said the remaining three dates are October 13, November 10, and December 8. Chair Espinosa asked if she would double check with relevant Staff to make sure they attend the meetings. ADJOURNMENT: Meeting adjourned at 9:43 p.m. P&S: 090910 PS 7