1 PROPOSED EXHIBIT “A” WITH MARKUP
LANDSCAPE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE GUIDELINES AND DUTIES
The Fairfield City Council of the City of Fairfield hereby establishes that the duties and responsibilities of athe Landscape Oversight Committee (Committee) shall be to provide fiscal oversight and to review service contract compliance for landscape maintenance funded by Landscaping and Lighting Maintenance Districts (LLMDs) and the General Fund.and review of the Public Works Department’s management of landscaping throughout the city. The Committee’s primary focus will be to improve the effectiveness, transparency, and financial management of the City’s landscape maintenance.
Application/ Recruitment Process:
The standard recruitment process that is used for all other existing City boards, commissions and committees will be utilized to conduct the recruitment of applications for the Committee.
Notice of these vacancies will be advertised in the Fairfield Daily Republic newspaper, posted on the City’s website, and posted on the Civic Center notice boards.
Powers and Duties:
The Committee will provide independent oversight of the review operational and quarterly financial reportsaspects and annual budgets related to of all landscape services paid for by Landscaping and Lighting Maintenance Districts (LLMDs) and non-LLMD landscape areas paid for by the General Fund (herein “non-LLMD areas”).
The Committee will also review maintenance service contracts and quarterly performance reports to ensure compliance with agreed-upon standards and deliverables.
Duties shall consist of reviewing the annual budget and any other City financial reports necessary to advise the council. The Committee will report directly to the council.
Key responsibilities include reviewing managerial processes, ensuring transparency and effectiveness, and examining the use of LLMD revenues and General Fund revenues specifically allocated for land scape maintenance servicesin non -LLMD areas to ensure transparen cy and effectiveness.
Landscape maintenance services that isare funded by Enterprise funds and other funding sources are excluded from the Committee’s purview.
The Committee, together with staff, will educate District residents as to the operation and function of LLMDs and the associated costs to maintain and improve such districts. The Committee serves in an advisory-only role to the City cCouncil limited to:and will report directly 2 to the City Council once per year via a formal report and presentation to the City Council in the fourth quarter of each calendar year.
1. The review of operational 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 contributions and/or loans) and General Fund revenues specifically budgeted for landscape maintenance in non-LLMD areas.
3. Educating residents about the operation and function of LLMDs.
The duties of the Committee do not include decision-making responsibilities regarding:
• spending priorities;
• funding source decisions;
• financing plans;
• operational or managerial processes;
• contractor selection or management; or
• any other decision -making responsibilities that pertain to processes, procedures, or policies regarding the City’s landscaping.
While the duties of the Committee do not include decision -making responsibilities, the Committee may make recommendations to City staff that optimize landscape maintenance cost effectiveness or controls or improve landscaping aesthetics.
Application/ Recruitment Process:
The standard recruitment process that is used for all other existing City boards, commissions and committees will be utilized to conduct recruitment for the Committee.
Notice of vacancies will be advertised in the Fairfield Daily Republic newspaper, posted on the City’s website, and posted on the Civic Center notice boards.
Qualifications for Appointment:
The Committee will consist of seven members.
• Six Committee Members shall be comprised of one person with residency within the respective council district area.
• One Committee Member will be at-large.
• Residency may be verified annually by the City Clerk's Office through (1) voter registration or (2) utility bills (phone, water, cable).
3 Selection of Members:
Candidates shall complete and submit applications to the City per instructions on the vacancy advertisement. The mayor and cCity Ccouncil will appoint their respective Committee Members.
All Committee Members shall attend orientation and training, including the Brown Act and AB1234 Ethics Training, prior to their first regular Committee meeting.
Terms of Service:
Each Committee Member term shall be for a period of five years. Committee Members shall serve at the pleasure of the City Council.
Election of Committee Chair and Vice Chair:
Prior to the conclusion of the last meeting of each calendar year, Tthe Committee shall elect a Chair and Vice Chair at the first meeting of the calendar year with a simple majority vote of the Committee Members in attendance. In the event that the last meeting of any calendar year is canceled, rescheduled, or otherwise not convened, the Committee shall conduct the election at the next meeting.
The Chair and Vice Chair shall serve a one -year term beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31 ; however, incumbentsa Committee Member may be elected to serve additional consecutive or non-consecutive terms.
Meetings:
Schedule and Duration: The Committee shall adopt an annual regular meeting schedule no later than the last meeting of the preceding calendar year. Regular meetings shall be held on a quarterly basis for approximately tw o hours each meeting. Additional special meetings may be scheduled as necessary.
Quorum: The quorum requirement for any meeting shall be a minimum of four members. If the quorum requirement is not met by 10 minutes after the scheduled start time (15 minutes with notification to the Chair or staff liaison) the meeting shall be cancelled.
Guidelines: The Committee is subject to the provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Act. Meetings shall be noticed and open to the public. Committee meeting minutes and reports are a matter of public record. Draft meeting minutes shall be posted on the City’s website no later than 21 calendar days after conclusion of the meeting.
Voting: Committee decisions and actions require a simple majority vote of those Committee Members in attendance.
4 Attendance: A Committee Member may have a maximum of two unexcused absences in any twelve-month period. Absences exempt from this Section 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.
In the case of a medical or family emergency, or due to unforeseen and urgent circumstances, a Committee Member shall notify the chairperson or staff liaison in writing within 30 days of their absence to request an exemption.
If a Committee Member incurs a third non-exempt absence during any twelve-month period, the Committee Member will be deemed to have resigned their position and shall no longer be a member of the committee.
The staff liaison shall issue a letter to the Committee Member, with a copy to the Mayor, notifying them that they have exceeded the number of absences allowed under this policy, and have therefore resigned their position. The letter shall be personally served to the Committee Member or sent via first-class United States Postal Service (USPS) mail, return receipt requested.
Having received th e notice, the Committee Member shall have 10 business days to request an appeal of this section before the City Council. The Committee Member shall submit their request for appeal in writing (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 meeting of the city council within 45 business days from receiving the request for a hearing from the Committee Member.
If the Committee Member fails to submit the request for a right of appeal within 10 business days, the position shall be deemed vacant.
At an appeal hearing brought by a Committee Member under this section, the council shall allow the Committee 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 Committee Member or vote to reinstate the Committee Member to their position on the committee. In the case of a ti e vote by the council, the removal of the Committee Member under the section shall be deemed affirmed. The decision of the council shall be final and not subject to appeal.
Staff Liaison Appointment:
5 The Director of Public Works and/or their designee will serve as staff liaison to the Committee.
The liaison will be responsible for providing relevant information , support, and advice to the Committee. The liaison will prepare, post, and distribute agendas and take minutes at each meeting.