HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 11347
City of Palo Alto (ID # 11347)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Consent Calendar Meeting Date: 6/8/2020
City of Palo Alto Page 1
Summary Title: Ordinance Dissolving the Library Advisory Commission
Title: Adoption of an Ordinance Dissolving the Library Advisory Commission
by Amending Sections in Chapters 2.08 (Officers and Departments), 2.16
(Boards and Commissions Generally), and 2.24 (Library Advisory Commission)
From: City Manager
Lead Department: Library
Recommended Motion
Staff recommends that Council adopt the attached ordinance dissolving the Library Advisory
Commission by amending the following chapters in the Palo Alto Municipal Code: Chapters 2.08
(Officers and Departments), 2.16 (Boards and Commissions Generally), and 2.24 (Library
Advisory Commission).
Background and Discussion
On February 24, 2020 the City Council approved a motion to disband the Library Advisory
Commission after receiving input from staff and members of the Commission. During this time,
a City Council Ad Hoc Committee was reviewing all boards and commissions to propose any
changes or adjustments that may be beneficial.
Colleagues Memo 11050 recommended the following action: Disbanding the Library Advisory
Commission, as some members recommended. Final motion passed 7-0 to move forward with
this recommendation. The attached ordinance implements Council’s direction by dissolving the
Library Advisory Commission as of July 2, 2020 (the effective date of this ordinance) and
removes related references to it in the Palo Alto Municipal Code.
Stakeholder Engagement
At LAC meetings on August 22 and October 24, 2019, some members suggested bringing the
topic of disbanding the commission to the attention of City Council. This possibility was
included in the City Council LAC Study Session on December 16, 2019. At this meeting, City
Council added the LAC to their list of boards and commissions for consideration of this change.
Environmental Review
The proposed ordinance is not a project for the purposes of the California Environmental
City of Palo Alto Page 2
Quality Act.
Attachments:
• Attachment A – Ordinance Dissolving the Library Advisory Commission by Amending
Sections in PAMC Chapters 2.08, 2.16, and 2.24.
*Not Yet Approved*
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Ordinance No._____
Ordinance of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Dissolving the Library Advisory Commission by
Amending Sections in Chapters 2.08 (Officers and Departments), 2.16 (Boards and Commissions
Generally), and 2.24 (Library Advisory Commission)
The Council of the City of Palo Alto ORDAINS as follows:
SECTION 1. The City Council finds and declares as follows:
(a) The City Council adopted Ordinance 4529 in October 1998, which created the Library Advisory
Commission (“LAC”) to advise the City Council on library planning and policy matters.
(b) Throughout the years, the LAC has worked on many lasting initiatives, including:
(1) In 2006, in response to Council direction, the Library Advisory Commission developed
a Library Service Model Analysis and Recommendations (LSMAR) that was
instrumental in beginning the work towards remodeling and rebuilding city libraries.
(2) In 2012, the LAC’s Virtual Library subcommittee recommended the development of a
robust online presence that has led to a dynamic eLibrary today.
(3) In 2017, the LAC worked with library staff to expand the library’s International
language collection.
(4) Most recently, in 2019, the LAC recommended banning library fines and to allow Staff
to explore offsets.
(c) On February 24, 2020, the City Council directed the Ad Hoc Committee reviewing the City’s
boards and commissions to explore dissolving the Library Advisory Commission.
SECTION 2. Section 2.08.230 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code is hereby amended as
follows (deleted text is in strikethrough, new text is underlined):
2.08.230 Department of Libraries.
(a) The department of libraries shall be organized and administered under the control of a
director of libraries who shall be accountable to the city manager to carry out the duties of the
department. The duties of the department of libraries shall be as follows:
(1) To manage, operate, direct, and control a continuing municipal library system providing
access to informational services for the residents of Palo Alto;
(2) To provide administrative support for the library advisory commission on matters relating
to the department;
*Not Yet Approved*
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(32) To generate appropriate reports as may be required by county, state, and federal agencies
or by law;
(43) To review and approve adult, teen, and children's service programs and activities;
(54) To review and approve technical services activities specified in Library Collection
Development Policy;
(65) To recommend and monitor annual operating and capital improvement budgets,
reviewing and exercising final approval authority over all library expenditures; establish and
monitor inventory control systems for all library furnishings and material; and review and analyze
fee structure and fee collection;
(76) To perform or cause to be performed all duties required by this code or other law of the
director of libraries and the department of libraries; and
(87) To perform such other duties as may be required.
SECTION 3. Section 2.16.070 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code is hereby amended as
follows (deleted text is in strikethrough, new text is underlined):
2.16.070 Schedule of appointments.
(a) The City Council shall review applications to fill vacancies in the following boards and
commissions in May of each year:
(1) Human Relations Commission (Chapter 2.22)
(2) Library Advisory Commission (Chapter 2.24)
(32) Public Art Commission (Chapter 2.18)
(43) Utilities Advisory Commission (Chapter 2.23)
(b) The City Council shall review applications to fill vacancies in the following boards and
commissions in December of each year:
(1) Architectural Review Board (Chapter 2.21)
(2) Historic Resources Board (Chapter 2.27)
(3) Parks and Recreation Commission (Chapter 2.25)
(4) Planning and Transportation Commission (Chapter 2.20)
(c) The City Council shall fill vacancies in all other boards and commissions in May or December
of each year, at its discretion.
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(d) The City Council may fill mid‐ term vacancies during the next regularly scheduled
recruitment for the board or commission or may hold a special recruitment, at its discretion.
Special recruitments shall be subject to the requirements of Section 2.16.060.
20200512_ts_24_207 ‐ 11347 ‐ Attachment B – Ordinance Dissolving the Library Advisory
Commission by Amending Sections in PAMC Chapters 2.08, 2.16, and 2.24.
SECTION 4. Chapter 2.24 (Library Advisory Commission) of the Palo Alto Municipal Code
is hereby restated and amended as follows (new text is underlined, deleted text is in
strikethrough):
2.24.001 Dissolution of the Library Advisory Commission
The Library Advisory Commission created by this Chapter 2.24 is dissolved as of July 16, 2020 by
operation of this ordinance. The terms of all existing members, commissioners, and officers shall
end on July 15, 2020. Any extant duties of the Library Advisory Commission that exist in
contracts, policies, or other documents, if any, shall revert to the City Council, which may
delegate such duties.
2.24.010 Membership.
There is created a library advisory commission composed of five members who shall be
appointed by and shall serve at the pleasure of the city council, but who shall not be
councilmembers, officers or employees of the city of Palo Alto. Each member of the commission
shall have a demonstrated interest in public library matters. All members of the commission shall
at all times be residents of Palo Alto. All members of the commission shall take an oath of office
before commencing their service on the commission.
2.24.030 Term of office.
Terms of office on the Library Advisory Commission shall be three years. Commission
appointments shall be staggered so that two (2) members are appointed in 2013 and every three
years thereafter, and three (3) members are appointed in 2014 and every three years thereafter.
Effective January 1, 2016, terms of office due to expire on April 30 of each year shall be extended
to expire on May 31 of the same year, and thereafter terms of office shall commence on the first
day of June. If a successor is unavailable, a member may remain in office until his or her successor
is appointed.
2.24.040 Officers.
Each year, at the first regular meeting of the library advisory commission, the commission shall
nominate and elect one of its members as the chairperson. The chairperson shall hold office for
one year or until his or her successor is elected, unless his or her term as a member of the
commission expires earlier.
2.24.050 Purpose and duties.
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(a) The purpose of the library advisory commission shall be to advise the city council on matters
relating to the Palo Alto City Library, excluding daily administrative operations.
(b) The commission shall have the following duties:
(1) Advise the city council on planning and policy matters pertaining to:
(A) The goals of and the services provided by the Palo Alto City Library.
(B) The future delivery of services by the Palo Alto City Library.
(C) The City Manager's recommendations pertaining to the disposition of major gifts of money,
personal property and real property to the city to be used for library purposes.
(D) The construction and renovation of capital facilities of the Palo Alto City Library.
(E) Joint action projects with other public or private information entities, including libraries.
(2) Review state legislative proposals that may affect the operation of the Palo Alto City Library.
(3) Review the city manager's proposed budget for capital improvements and operations
relating to the Palo Alto City Library, and thereafter forward any comments to one or more of
the applicable committees of the city council.
(4) Provide advice upon such other matters as the city council may from time to time assign.
(5) Receive community input concerning the Palo Alto City Library.
(6) Review and comment on fund‐raising efforts on behalf of the Palo Alto City Library.
The library advisory commission shall not have the power or authority to cause the expenditure
of city funds or to bind the city to any written or implied contract.
2.24.060 Meetings.
(a) The library advisory commission shall establish a regular time, date and place of meeting
and shall ordinarily hold meetings bi‐monthly.
(b) Three of the five members shall constitute a quorum.
(c) The commission may establish rules and procedures governing the conduct of its meetings
in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.
(d) The commission shall be subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act, California Government Code
Section 54950, et seq.
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*Not Yet Approved*
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SECTION 5. If any section, subsection, clause or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason
held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion or sections
of the Ordinance. The Council hereby declares that it should have adopted the Ordinance and
each section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase thereof irrespective of the fact that any one
or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared invalid.
SECTION 6. The Council finds that this project is exempt from the provisions of the
California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), pursuant to Section 15061 of the CEQA
Guidelines, because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the ordinance
will have a significant effect on the environment.
SECTION 7. This ordinance shall be effective on the thirty‐first day after the date of its
adoption.
INTRODUCED:
PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:
____________________________ ____________________________
City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED:
____________________________ ____________________________
Deputy City Attorney City Manager
____________________________
Director of Library Services