HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-CC-2017-03-29COMMON COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
CITY OF ITHACA, NEW YORK
Committee of the Whole Meeting 6:00 p.m. March 29, 2017
PRESENT:
Mayor Myrick
Alderpersons (10) Brock, McGonigal, Murtagh, Nguyen, Gearhart Fleming,
Smith, Kerslick, Mohlenhoff, Martell
OTHERS PRESENT:
Boards and Committees Restructuring Working Group Members
Alderperson Mohlenhoff — Chair
Alderperson Gearhart
Chief of Staff - Cogan
City Clerk — Conley Holcomb
City Attorney — Lavine
City Planner — Wilson
Joe McMahon, Chair, Natural Areas Commission
Ellen McCollister, Former Common Council Member
Pierre St. Paul, Intern
SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS:
Presentation of the Recommendations from the City of Ithaca Boards and
Committees Restructuring Working Group
Mayor Myrick welcomed and thanked the audience, which was largely composed of
volunteers currently serving on the City's many boards, committees and commissions,
for sharing their time, expertise, and service with the City.
Alderperson Mohlenhoff led the presentation of the work completed by the Restructuring
Working Group, affectionately known as the "Committee on Committees". The
presentation included:
• The charge of the Working Group
• Work that has been completed to date
• The goals of the Working Group
• The outline of the proposed new commission structure:
o Public Safety and Information Commission
o Mobility and Transportation Commission
o Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Commission
o Community and Quality of Life Commission
• The proposed delegation of duties for each commission
• The proposed membership and staffing of the commissions
• Examples of how issues would move through the commissions and the existing
legislative process
• The Working Group's recommendations regarding membership appointments,
the designation of subcommittees/working groups, staff responsibilities, a new
application process, onboarding procedures, and training for commissioners
• A diversity analysis of existing barriers to public engagement
Common Council members extended their appreciation for the thoughtful approach to
this issue and the level of work that has been completed to date. Extensive discussion
followed on the floor on the following issues:
• An explanation of the difference between the duties of the Workforce Diversity
Advisory Committee to the City of Ithaca organization, and the diversity/inclusion
charges of the proposed new Community and Quality of Life Commission
• An explanation of the differences between the work that would be completed by
the Board of Public Works and the proposed new Mobility and Transportation
Commission
March 29, 2017
• The Liaison structure between existing boards and committees and proposed
communication improvements under the new structure
• A clarification regarding legislative public hearings that would be held by the
Standing Committees and public input sessions and potential hearings that the
Commission might convene
• The fact that Commissions would not have the authority to direct staff; however,
staff would be encouraged to use the Commissions as a resource
• Commissioner terms of office and residency requirements
• The need for additional feedback from members of the existing boards and
committees and the plan to obtain it
• The relationship between the Commissions and the quasi-judicial boards, staff,
and Common Council
• The need for Commissioners to be more "generalists" in nature and the use of
subject matter experts for issues that require the use of a more direct level of
expertise
• Explanation of how agenda items would get to the Commissions
• The proposed new application, recruitment, and vetting process for the
Commissioners and Subject Matter Experts that would include the collection of
demographic information along with skill sets and interests
• The amount of work delegated to each Commission and the potential need for
future adjustments (for example the appointment of additional Commissioners, or
an additional Commission)
• The development of a manual/handbook that would detail the rules of operation
of the Commissions along with the City's policies and legislative process
• Concerns that future leaders could make appointments to a Commission that
would only represent one point of view and the importance of diversity of thought
• The need for Charter and City Code changes should the new structure be
implemented
• Questions about the Board of Fire Commissioner duties including the distribution
of 2% monies.
• The need to balance and spread the workload of the Commissions equally and
the importance of the inter -connectedness between the Commissions
Mayor Myrick thanked the Working Group for the incredible work, noting that this had
been the dream of former mayoral administrations as well. He acknowledged the
decrease in the number of appointed Commission members vs. the existing committees
but highlighted the fact that all of the existing quasi-judicial and other boards continue to
offer many opportunities for citizens to participate in their government.
Next Steps:
Alderperson Mohlenhoff detailed the timeline and next steps of this process:
• Public comment can be made at the April 5, 2017 Common Council meeting
• This topic will be an agenda item for the April 19, 2017 City Administration
Committee meeting and people may speak during the public comment period
• This topic will continue to appear on the May and June City Administration
Committee agendas as legislative action is required.
• An implementation plan will be developed through early fall which will include the
development of a manual/handbook and rules of operations for the
Commissions, development of an on-line application and onboarding process,
and the development of recruitment strategies
• The goal is to have all legislation voted on by the August Common Council
meeting
• If adopted, the implementation of the plan would be deployed in January 2018
with a reset of the structure and appointments.
ADJOURNMENT:
On a motion the meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Julie Conley Holcomb, CIVIC Svante L. Myrick
City Clerk Mayor
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