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CITY COUNCIL EXPECTATIONS OF
BOARD, COMMISSION, AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS
EXPECTATIONS:
Personal agendas must be set aside, and decisions must be made in the best interest of the Burbank community.
Go "through the Chair" to facilitate orderly discussion. Give all members an opportunity to state their opinion or position and encourage healthy deliberation and openness to consider all ideas.
Work together efficiently, even when disagreements arise on an issue.
Demonstrate respect, friendliness, and remain polite to effectively make decisions.
Refrain from making comments that may be seen as divisive, unnecessary, or inappropriate.
Avoid lengthy conversations on an agenda item once it has been voted on. If necessary, briefly articulate the reasoning behind your vote.
Unanimous votes are not necessary . It is encouraged to express your personal opinions or positions.
Share any relevant information and documents received from the public with designated City staff as soon as possible so it can be properly distributed to all members.
Form connections with fellow members before, during, and after meetings, but be sure to do so in a manner not in violation of California’s open meeting law, the Brown Act.
Members will conduct themselves within the confines of the law, including the Brown Act and Political Reform Act, to ensure transparency and accountability to members of the public.
Members shall disclose any bias, conflicts of interest or potential conflict s of interest, and must recuse themselves from participating in any matter that could significantly impact (positively or negatively) their personal interests.
Requests that are consistent with the duties, scope, or agenda of the Board, Commission, or Committee shall be made to the appropriate staff or staff liaison at a relevant period during the meeting. Members will not otherwise direct work to other department staff members.
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Once the Council has taken a position and voted on an item, it should be considered a non-issue for further discussion by Members, unless the item is being brought back to Council for review.
Members shall not step down from the dais during meetings to speak during public comment on matters not appearing on the agenda and shall instead reserve any non-agenda comments to areas of the agenda that allow for this type of discussion in compliance with the Brown Act exceptions listed in Government Code section 54954.2(a)(3).
When presenting individual opinions and positions, members must speak only for themselves as an individual and explicitly state that they are presenting on their own behalf and are not representing the Board, Commission, or Committee, or other members, especially if approached by the media. Best practice is to direct any media inquiries to the Board, Commission, or Committee’s staff liaison.
Members shall be responsible for conducting themselves in a professional manner that best represents the City when in attendance of events or gatherings outside of regular meetings.
Members are encouraged to wear respectful attire at public meetings and when on official City business.
Violation of these expectations may result in a member’s dismissal.
COUNCIL EXPECTATIONS OF THE CHAIR/VICE CHAIR:
The Chair should work with City staff to ensure that agenda topics are within the scope of the Board, Commission, or Committee’s mission, have a clear purpose, and align with the City Council’s goals.
The Chair and Vice Chair shall work with City staff to receive training on how to effectively facilitate a meeting.
The Chair should meet with City staff as needed to discuss matters related to conduct of the meeting.
The Chair shall apply a two- hour initial time limit to meetings. In the event that a meeting may exceed two hours, the Chair shall confer with the staff liaison to review the status of the remaining items and determine the best manner to proceed.
The Chair shall follow City Council meeting guidelines where applicable (e.g., guidelines for respectful engagement, public comment speaking time limits, etc.).
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COUNCIL EXPECTATIONS OF CITY STAFF:
Staff should clearly communicate the City Council’s goals and priorities as established during the annual City Council Goal Setting Meeting.
Staff should assist the Chair with conducting the meeting in an efficient and effective manner and advise regarding proceeding with the Board, Commission, and Committee’s business in accordance with the Brown Act.
Council Expectations shall be agendized and reviewed with Members at the first meeting following biennial August appointments.
Reports and presentations on agenda items will provide an objective analysis on the issue and will not favor a particular point of view. Alternatives and options on item actions should be presented.
Staff will remain impartial and strive to maintain cooperative and supportive relationships with all members, regardless of any differences in opinion that may exist or arise.
Staff will take requests from the Board, Commission, or Committee as a body, and not from individual members , if such request is relevant to the duties, scope or agenda of the Board, Commission, or Committee.
Staff will work with the Board, Commission , or Committee to obtain a vote on advisory matters being presented to the City Council.
CERTIFICATION:
As a member of a City of Burbank Board, Commission, or Committee, I certify that:
I have read and acknowledge the City Council’s Expectations for Board, Commission, and Committee Members and will ensure its application for the entirety of my term while serving in my capacity.
Print Name: ___________________________________ Date: ________________
Signature: _____________________________________
Board, Commission, or Committee: _______________________________________