DATE:
January 21, 2025
TO:
LaTanya Bellow, City Manager
FROM:
April Richardson, City Clerk
SUBJECT:
City Council Committee Reorganization And Amendment To The Housing Committee Membership:
Resolution Of The City Council Of The City Of Emeryville Amending The Public Safety Committee And Community Services Committee Meetings Schedule To Every Other Month With Meetings In January, March, May, July, September, and November With A Regular Meeting Date And Time To Be Determined By The Membership At Their First Meeting Each Year Introduction And First Reading Of An Ordinance Amending Section 4-9.01 Of The Emeryville Municipal Code To Combine The Transportation Committee And The Sustainability Committee, With Expanded Oversight, Rename It The Transportation And Sustainability Committee, And Delete Reference to City Staff CEQA Determination: Not A Project And Exempt Pursuant To CEQA Guidelines Sections 15378(b)(5) and 15061(b)(3) Resolution Of The City Council Of The City Of Emeryville Amending The Membership Of The Housing Committee From Nine To Seven Community Members; And Amending The FY2024-25 Local Roster Of Boards, Commissions And Committees Accordingly Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the above-entitled resolutions reorganizing the City Council Committees and their schedules and reducing the Housing Committee from nine to seven community members and waive first reading and introduce by title only the attached Ordinance amending the Section 4-9.01 of the Emeryville Municipal Code.
Background
City Council Committees were formed at various times as needed and have been amended at least yearly by resolution to appoint new members and change meeting dates and times. The Committees provide a forum for more detailed study and discussion regarding policy direction, program and budget priorities, and oversight than can be accomplished at regular City Council meetings. The Committees are comprised of two Council Members who make recommendations to the full City Council.
There are currently five Council Committees:
Budget and Governance Committee
Public Safety Committee
Transportation Committee
Sustainability Committee
Community Services Committee
All Council Committee meet monthly or quarterly and are staffed by various departments who oversee their topic areas. Staff present items to the Committees that are referred by the full City Council, or that the Department Heads and the City Manager deem appropriate to send to the Committee for study and refinement prior to being presented to the City Council. The Committee recommendation is included in the staff report that is published with the item on the City Council agenda.
Council Committee appointments are made in the month of December per the Rules of Procedure for Local Boards, Commissions and Committees. Staff recommends that the City Council change the terms to one-year terms beginning in January to allow Council Members more time to review appointments, especially in election years. Staff will make the change at the next update to the Rules of Procedure.
Discussion
Public Safety and Community Services Committees
The Public Safety Committee and Community Services Committee meet monthly, and staff has determined that meeting every other month would be more efficient and still allow the Committees ample time to review necessary items and reports. Staff recommends that meetings are held in January, March, May, July, September, and November. This schedule avoids the Council recess month of August and meetings during the holidays in December.
Additionally, instead of setting their meeting schedules by resolution, staff recommends that at the first meeting of the year, the Committee Members determine a regular meeting date and time based on their availability.
Transportation and Sustainability Committees
In 1991, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 91-02, codified as part of Chapter 9 of Title 4 of the Emeryville Municipal Code creating the City’s Transportation Committee. On September 15, 2020, the Council adopted Ordinance No. 20-022, amending the Municipal Code to expand the jurisdiction of the Transportation Committee and merge it with the Public Works Committee. The Sustainability Committee was created March 17, 2015, by Resolution No. 15-20.
The Transportation Committee and Sustainability Committee have similar purviews, and the same reports and recommendations are often presented to each Committee individually. Staff recommends combining these Committees and renaming it the Transportation and Sustainability Committee. Staff also recommends this Committee meet monthly, except during the Council’s recess month in August.
Additionally, instead of setting the meeting schedule by resolution, staff recommends that at the first meeting of the year, the Committee Members determine a regular meeting date and time based on their availability.
Budget & Governance Committee
There are no recommended changes to the Budget and Governance Committee except to change the one-year Member appointments to begin in January.
Housing Committee
The Housing Committee (an Advisory Body to the City Council) currently has four vacancies. Over the last year, there have been resignations and an insufficient number of applicants. The Housing Committee has been unable to establish a quorum of Members to meet since June 5, 2024, and therefore, the Committee Secretary has requested a reduction in membership. Staff recommends that the Housing Committee be reduced to seven community members, setting their quorum at four.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact.
Staff Communication with the Public
There has been no communication with the public on this item.
Conflict of Interest
There is no conflict of interest identified.
CEQA DETERMINATION
Adoption of the Ordinance is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) because it is an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment pursuant to CEQA Guidelines 15378(b)(5). In addition, the adoption of the Ordinance is covered by the “common sense” exemption of CEQA Guidelines 15061(b)(3) in that it can been seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the adoption of the code amendments may have a significant effect on the environment.
Conclusion
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt resolutions reorganizing City Council Committees and their meeting schedules and reduce the Housing Committee membership to seven community members, and waive first reading and introduce by title only the attached Ordinance.
PREPARED BY: April Richardson, City Clerk
Approved and Forwarded to the
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EMERYVILLE :
LaTanya Bellow, City Manager
Attachments
Draft Resolution (Public Safety and Community Services Committee) Exhibit A – FY2024-25 Local Roster
Draft Ordinance (Transportation and Sustainability Committee) Exhibit A – FY2024-25 Local Roster
Draft Resolution (Housing Committee)
Exhibit A – FY2024-25 Local Roster
Council Committee Reorganization and Housing Committee Membership Amendment City Council Meeting | January 21, 2025
City of Emeryville
CALIFORNIA
MEMORANDUM