1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: January 10, 2023
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Viviana Garzon, MPA, Administrative Analyst II
SUBJECT: Appoint City Council Members to Committee and Liaison Roles for the 2023 Calendar Year
RECOMMENDATION
Appoint members of the City Council to Committee and Liaison roles as listed on Attachment 1 for the 2023 calendar year.
BACKGROUND
On an annual basis, following City Council’s reorganization, the Council engages in a discussion resulting in the appointment of Council members to serve as committee members and liaisons to various boards, commissions, committees, and task forces. This process ensures consistency in Council appointments, affords Council members the opportunity to represent the City’s interests, and creates an avenue for orderly reporting of activities of these various entities to City Council and the general public.
DISCUSSION
City Council approved the 2022 appointments to subcommittees and liaison roles at the December 14, 20 21 City Council meeting. The current Committee and Liaison list is included (Attachment 1) and is intended to assist the City Council in selecting t he 2023 appointments.
Certain committee and liaison appointments are pre-determined pursuant to the Burbank Municipal Code (BMC) or have traditionally been assigned to the Mayor and/or Vice Mayor. BMC Section 5 -2-103(A) stipulates the Mayor shall be the chairman of the Disaster Council. It is customary as well for the Mayor and Vice Mayor to serve on the Airport Ad Hoc Committee. Furthermore, the liaison to Cal Cities, LA Division and Cal Cities, Annual Statewide Voting Delegate has traditionally been the Mayor, with the Vice-
2 Mayor as the alternate. Should the Mayor and Vice Mayor not attend the General Assembly’s Annual Business Meeting at the Cal Cities Conference in September, a present Council Member could step in as the voting delegate. If more than two Council Members are present, the voting delegate would be assigned, first, on seniority in City Council or, second, on votes received in the election.
Burbank Unified School District/ City Council Committee One addition to the list of Council Subcommittees is the Burbank Unified School District/ City Council Committee. At the Joint City Council meeting with the Burbank Unified School District (BUSD) Board of Education on July 19, 2022, it was unanimously approved by City Council and the Board of Education to form a committee comprised of the BUSD Board President, Vice President, and Superintendent and Burbank Mayor, Vice Mayor, and City Manager. The Committee meets quarterly or as needed.
American Public Power Association Policy Makers Council One addition to the list of external committees is the American Public Power Association Policy Makers Council. The American Public Power Association (APPA) is the advocate of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide.
APPA represents public power before the federal government to protect the interests of the more than 49 million customers that public power utilities serve. The Association advocates and advises on electricity policy, technology, trends, training, and operations.
The Policy Makers Council (PMC) assists APPA in promoting federal legislation that is important to public power utilities and opposing harmful legislation. In December 2022, then Council Member Nick Schultz was selected to serve a three-year term on the APPA PMC by its Board of Directors. While Burbank is fortunate that then Council Member Nick Schultz was selected , the appointment was made by APPA ’s Board of Directo rs via a recommendation by its members agencies through a nomination process. At the end of Vice Mayor Schultz’s term in the APPA PMC, the City of Burbank will have to submit a new nominee for consideration.
Homeless Advisory Committee
At the November 15, 2022, City Council meeting, Council approved the Five -Year Homelessness Plan. One of the goals in the plan is to establish a Homeless Advisory Committee. This advisory committee will be comprised of representatives of the public, people with current or former experience of being unhoused, partnering institutions who meet to relay information between the groups, and a Council appointee. Staff is currently creating the details for this advisory committee, including roles, responsibilities, meeting frequency, etc. Staff will return at a Council meeting in 2023 to present the details of this Homeless Advisory Committee and request a Council appointment. The Council appointment to the Homeless Advisory Committee will be included in the annual Council Liaisons and Appointments to Committees and Coalitions report starting in 2024.
3 Metro San Fernando Valley Service Council
Former Mayor Jess A. Talamantes has served on the Metro San Fernando Valley Service Council (Service Council) since his appointment by City Council in July 2015. His current term on the Service Council ends June 30, 2024. The nominating authorities for the seat currently filled by Mayor Talamantes are the Cities of Burbank, Glendale, and San Fernando. The nominating authorities also have one other seat on the Council, currently filled by former City Council Member Robert Gonzalez who was appointed in June 2017.
Mr. Gonzales’ current term will end on June 30, 2023. The seat in the Service Council is not required to be filled by an elected official; Service Council Bylaws require that nominees live, work, or represent in the region. In October 2022, Metro asked Former Mayor Jess A. Talamantes if he would like to complete his term in the Service Council through June 30, 2024 and he chose to complete his term. Staff will return to City Council with a request for a Council appointment to the Service Council when the seat becomes vacant.
Reporting on Council Liaison and Appointments to Committees City Council will have the opportunity to report on their respective Council committee assignments during Council meeting s. An additional item titled “Council Committee Assignment Report” will be added to the Council Agenda after Reports to Cou ncil. This will give Council an opportunity to provide the public updates, a summary of the meeting, important information, and resources from the Committees.
To provide additional transparency to the public and information to assist City Council in its decision -making, a summary of the primary purpose of each board, commission, committee, and task force is provided as Attachment 2.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
CONCLUSION
City Staff recommends Council make the necessary liaison and committee appointments for the 202 3 calendar year. For the Council’s reference, Attachment 3 provides the “Liaison Definition of Role and Purpose Policy” that was adopted at the June 12, 2018 Council Meeting. Staff will provide an updated liaison list after Council’s appointments.
ATTACHMENT
Attachment 1 – Council and Agency Liaison to Committees and Coalitions Chart Attachment 2 – Description of each Committee and Coalition Attachment 3 – City Council Liaison Definition of Role and Purpose Policy