1 (PROPOSED EXHIBIT “A” WITH MARKUP)
LANDSCAPE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE GUIDELINES AND DUTIES
The City Council of the City of Fairfield hereby establishes a Landscape Oversight CommiƩee (CommiƩee) to provide fiscal oversight and review of the Public Works Department’s management of landscaping throughout the city. A primary focus of the The CommiƩee’s primary focus will be to improve the effecƟveness, transparency, and financial oversight management of the City’s landscape maintenance. 16 Landscaping and LighƟng Maintenance Districts (LLMD or Districts). The CommiƩee will review the annual budgets, projected expenditures, assessment levels and provide management oversight.
ApplicaƟon/ Recruitment Process:
The standard recruitment process that is used for all other exisƟng City boards, commissions and commiƩees will be uƟlized to conduct the recruitment of applicaƟons for the CommiƩee.
NoƟce of these vacancies will be adverƟsed in the Fairfield Daily Republic newspaper, posted on the City’s website, and posted on the Civic Center complex meeƟng noƟce boards.
Powers and DuƟes:
The CommiƩee will provide independent oversight of the operaƟonal and financial aspects of the LLDMs, and for landscape maintenance in non-LLMD areas, all Landscaping and LighƟng Maintenance Districts (LLMDs) and non-LLMD landscape areas paid for by the General Fund (herein “non-LLMD areas”). throughout the city and will report directly to the council. DuƟes shall consist of reviewing the annual budget and any other City financial reports necessary to advise the council. The CommiƩee will report directly to the council. The CommiƩee will ensure effecƟveness, transparency, review of the managerial processes over the Landscape Districts and non-LLMD landscaped areas throughout the City, and provide oversight of the revenue generated by the LLMDs, as well as general fund revenues specifically budgeted for landscape maintenance in non-LLMD areas throughout the city Enterprise fund and other funds generated by the city outside of the purview of the CommiƩee.
Key responsibiliƟes include reviewing managerial processes, ensuring transparency and effecƟveness, and examining the use of LLMD revenues and General Fund revenues, specifically allocated for landscape maintenance in non-LLMD areas. Landscape maintenance that is funded by Enterprise funds and other funding sources are excluded from the CommiƩee’s purview.
The CommiƩee, together with staff, will educate district District residents as to the operaƟon and funcƟon of LLMDs and the associated costs to maintain and improve such districts. The CommiƩee serves in an advisory-only role to the council limited to:
2 1. The review of operaƟonal and financial aspects of LLMD and non-LLMD landscaped areas throughout the city.
2. The review of the use of LLMD revenues (such as assessments, interest earned, general fund contribuƟons and/or loans) and General Fund revenues specifically budgeted for landscape maintenance in non-LLMD areas.
1.3. EducaƟng residents about the operaƟon and funcƟon of LLMDs.DuƟes may consist of reviewing the annual budget and any other City financial reports necessary to advise the council. The CommiƩee will work with city staff to provide management oversight of the landscape maintenance for the various Districts and non-LLMD landscaped areas throughout the City.
The duƟes of the CommiƩee do not include decision-making responsibiliƟes regarding:
spending prioriƟes, ;
funding source decisions, ;
or financing plans. ;
operaƟonal or managerial processes;
contractor selecƟon or management; or
any other decision-making responsibiliƟes that pertain to exisƟng processes, procedures, or policies regarding the City’s landscaping. The CommiƩee services in an advisory-only role to the council, limited to the review of the managerial processes over the Landscape Districts and non-LLMD landscaped areas throughout the City and the use of LLMD revenues, as well as general fund revenues specifically budgeted for landscape maintenance in non-LLMD areas.
QualificaƟons for Appointment:
The commiƩee CommiƩee will consist of seven members.
Six of the seven commiƩee CommiƩee members Members shall be comprised of one person that haswith residency within the respecƟve council district area. One commiƩee CommiƩee member Member will be at-large. Residency may be verified annually by the cCity cClerk's oOffice through (1) voter registraƟon or (2) uƟlity bills (phone, water, cable).
SelecƟon of Members:
The CommiƩee will be composed of seven members. Candidates for the CommiƩee shall complete and submit applicaƟons to the City per instrucƟons on the vacancy adverƟsement. The mayor and city council will appoint their respecƟve CommiƩee membersMembers. 3 All CommiƩee Members shall aƩend orientaƟon and training, including the Brown Act and AB1234 Ethics Training, prior to their first regular CommiƩee meeƟng.
Terms of Service:
Each CommiƩee Member term shall be for a period of five years.
ElecƟon of CommiƩee Chair and Vice Chair:
The CommiƩee shall elect a Chair and Vice Chair at the first meeƟng of the calendar year with a simple majority vote of the CommiƩee Members in aƩendance. The Chair and Vice Chair shall serve a one-year term; however, incumbents may be elected to serve addiƟonal consecuƟve or non-consecuƟve terms.
MeeƟngs:
Schedule and DuraƟon: The CommiƩee will shall adopt an annual regular meeƟng schedule no later than the last meeƟng of the preceding calendar year. Regular meeƟngs shall be held on a quarterly basis for approximately two hours each meeƟng. AddiƟonal special meeƟngs may be scheduled as necessary. meet quarterly and provide reports to council on a quarterly basis.
Quorum: The quorum requirement for any meeƟng shall be a minimum of four members. If the quorum requirement is not met by 10 minutes aŌer the scheduled start Ɵme (15 minutes with noƟficaƟon to the staff liaison) the meeƟng shall be cancelled.
Guidelines: The CommiƩee will beis subject to the provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Act. MeeƟngs must shall be noƟced and open to the public. CommiƩee meeƟng minutes and reports are a maƩer of public record. DraŌ meeƟng minutes and may shall be posted on the City’s website no later than 21 calendar days aŌer conclusion of the meeƟng. AddiƟonal meeƟngs may be scheduled as necessary. All CommiƩee members shall aƩend training and orientaƟon prior to the first regular CommiƩee meeƟng, including Brown Act training and AB1234 Ethics Training.
CommiƩee members are expected to aƩend all regular CommiƩee meeƟngs.
VoƟng: CommiƩee decisions and acƟons require a simple majority vote of those CommiƩee Members in aƩendance.
AƩendance: A CommiƩee Member may have a maximum of two unexcused absences in any twelve-month period. Absences exempt from this SecƟon include:
1. Absences due to medical or family emergencies.
2. Absences due to unforeseen and urgent circumstances.
3. Absences approved in advance by the chairperson or staff liaison. 4 In the case of a medical or family emergency, or due to unforeseen and urgent circumstances, a commissioner shall noƟfy the chairperson or staff liaison in wriƟng within 30 days of their absence to request an exempƟon.
If a CommiƩee Member incurs a third non-exempt absence during any twelve-month period, the CommiƩee Member will be deemed to have resigned their posiƟon and shall no longer be a member of the commiƩee.
The staff liaison shall issue a leƩer to the CommiƩee Member, with a copy to the Mayor, noƟfying them that they have exceeded the number of absences allowed under this policy, and have therefore resigned their posiƟon. The leƩer shall be personally served to the CommiƩee Member or sent via first-class United States Postal Service (USPS) mail, return receipt requested. Upon personal service or return of the USPS mail receipt, the commiƩee seat held by the CommiƩee Member shall be deemed vacant.
Having received the noƟce, the CommiƩee Member shall have 10 business days to request an appeal of this secƟon before the City Council. The CommiƩee Member shall submit their request for appeal in wriƟng (either via e-mail, hand delivery, or USPS mail) to the city clerk. The city clerk shall set the appeal hearing at a regular or special meeƟng of the city council within 45 business days from receiving the request for a hearing from the CommiƩee Member.
If the CommiƩee Member fails to submit the request for a right of appeal within 10 business days, the posiƟon shall be deemed vacant.
At an appeal hearing brought by a CommiƩee Member under this secƟon, the council shall allow the CommiƩee Member to address the council to explain their absences and provide any documents or other evidence to support their appeal. The council may consider any evidence it deems necessary to make its decision. Following the hearing, by a majority vote the council may affirm the removal of the CommiƩee Member or vote to reinstate the CommiƩee Member to their posiƟon on the commiƩee. In the case of a Ɵe vote by the council, the removal of the CommiƩee Member under the secƟon shall be deemed affirmed. The decision of the council shall be final and not subject to appeal.
Failure of the commiƩee members to aƩend the meeƟngs may result in removal from the CommiƩee at the discreƟon of the council. CommiƩee decisions and acƟons require a simple majority vote of those members in aƩendance. The quorum requirement for any meeƟng shall be a minimum of four members.
Staff Liaison Appointment:
5 The Assistant Director of Public Works and/or his their designee will serve as staff liaisonliaison (s) to the CommiƩee. The liaison (s) will be responsible for providing relevant informaƟon, support, and advice to the CommiƩee. The liaison (s) will prepare, post, and distribute agendas and take minutes at each meeƟng. The liaison(s) will provide the minutes of the CommiƩee’s proceeds to the council and the public.