1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: November 26, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Kimberley Clark, City Clerk
BY: Melissa Dekermenji, CMC, Records Manager
SUBJECT: Consideration of the Infrastructure Oversight Board Recommendation to Not Excuse the Absences of Board Member
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the recommendation of the Infrastructure Oversight Board (IOB) to not excuse the absences of Board Member Shaunt Kodaverdian.
BACKGROUND
Burbank Municipal Code (BMC) § 2-1-403 requires that a Member who is absent for three consecutive meetings or who fails to attend at least 75% of the regularly scheduled meetings during a 12 month period have their attendance record reviewed by the Board, Commission, or Committee on which they serve and a recommendation made to Council to either excuse the absences, remove the Member, or take any other appropriate action deemed necessary by Council.
DISCUSSION
Board Member Shaunt Kodaverdian was originally appointed to the IOB by Council on January 24, 2023, to serve an unexpired term ending on July 31, 2025. Board Member Kodaverdian then missed three regularly scheduled meetings held on September 28, 2023, October 26, 2023, and January 25, 2024.
The BMC addresses board member absences as follows (§ 2-1-403.A):
“Absences: In the event a member of a board, commission or committee is absent for three (3) consecutive regularly scheduled meetings of the board, commission or committee to which they have been appointed, or who fails to attend at least CITY CLERK’S
OFFICE
2 seventy-five percent (75%) of the regularly scheduled meetings during a twelve (12) month period, which commences on the date of the appointment of the individual member to office, the attendance record of such member shall be reviewed by the board, commis sion, or committee to which the member was appointed. The board, commission, or committee shall consider the reasons for the absences with the member and make a determination whether the absences should be excused or unexcused by the City Council. The report and recommendation shall be transmitted to the City Clerk who shall agendize the matter for City Council consideration. The City Council shall take appropriate action including, but not limited to, excusing the absences, removing the member, or such other action as the Council deems appropriate.”
On February 22, 2024, the IOB reviewed the absences of Board Member Kodaverdian, and, upon representations by Board Member Kodaverdian that he would be able to attend future meetings, voted to recommend that Council excuse the absences.
On March 26, 2024, the Council accepted the IOB’s recommendation and excused Board Member Kodaverdian’s absences for the September 28, 2023, October 26, 2023, and January 25, 2024 meetings.
While the member’s previous absences and dark meetings do not count against him for the current attendance review, Board Member Kodaverdian subsequently missed the June 27, 2024 and September 24, 2024 meetings.
Under this procedure and b ased upon a review of the IOB attendance records, Board Member Kodaverdian has failed to attend at least 75% of the regularly scheduled meetings during the previous (2023- 24) twelve-month period (after excluding the excused, dark, and non- regular meetings as explained above). Board Member Kodaverdian missed two out of six regularly scheduled meetings within the past 12 months, which puts his current attendance record at 67% of the regularly scheduled meetings, and below the 75% threshold. The table below details the meetings and Board Member Kodaverdian’s attendance, during the past 12 months.
3 MEETING ATTENDANCE
1. September 2023 – Regular Meeting Absent (Excused)
2. October 2023 – Regular Meeting Absent (Excused)
3. November/December 2023 – Dark Meeting Dark (Excluded)
4. January 2024 – Regular Meeting Absent (Excused)
5. February 2024 – Regular Meeting Present
6. March 2024 – Regular Meeting Present
7. April 2024 – Regular Meeting Present
8. May 2024 – Special Meeting Excluded
9. June 2024 – Regular Meeting Absent
10. July 2024 – Dark Meeting Dark (Excluded)
11. August 2024 – Regular Meeting Present
12. September 2024 – Regular Meeting Absent
On October 24, 2024, the IOB reviewed the absences of Board Member Kodaverdian and voted to recommend that the Council not excuse his absences. Board Member Kodaverdian did not attend this meeting and stated his absence was due to his employer requiring his attendance at a charity event.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment and, as such, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact for this item.
CONCLUSION
The IOB is aware of Board Member Kodaverdian’s absences and the reasons for them.
They recommend that the Council not excuse the absences of Board Member Kodaverdian. The absences are outlined in the Chair’s letter (Attachment 1).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Recommendation Letter from Infrastructure Oversight Board Chair