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6 DATE: June 17, 2024
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
President and Members of the Estero Municipal Improvement District (EMID) Board of Directors
FROM: Stefan Chatwin, City/District Manager
Marlene Subhashini, Assistant City/District Manager
Kevin Ortiz, Management Analyst
DEPARTMENT: City Manager
SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF CITY COUNCIL/EMID POLICY FOR
REQUESTING TO ADD ITEMS TO A FUTURE AGENDA
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council/Board of Directors1 adopt the attached Resolutions Revising the City Council/EMID Policy for Requesting to Add Items to a Future Agenda and Rescinding City Resolution No. 2023-21.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On March 6, 2024, City staff received a completed Request to Place Item on a Future Agenda Form from Mayor/President Sullivan. At the March 18 City Council Regular Meeting, the Mayor/President, with a concurrence of the majority of the Council, considered the request and directed staff to prepare a staff report for further City Council consideration and/or action at a future meeting.
On April 15, 2024, the City Council discussed the Policy for Requesting to Add Items to a Future Agenda adopted via City Resolution No. 2023-21 at the February 21, 2023 City Council meeting (Attachment 3). At the conclusion of that discussion, Council approved a Minute Order No. 1973 (Attachment 4) by a vote of 3-2-0, to direct staff to revise the Policy. Staff has prepared those revisions for the Council’s consideration. 1 All future references to the City Council include the EMID Board of Directors.
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6 BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
The Policy for Requesting to Add Items to a Future Agenda (“Policy”), adopted via City Resolution No. 2023-21, established a formal process for Council to request to add items to a future agenda, providing clarity and transparency into requests by individual City Councilmembers. The intent of this Policy was to reduce staff time and effort in preparing for agenda items, which ultimately may or may not receive majority support from the Council to proceed. The Policy applies to all City Councilmembers equally and allows the full City Council to determine how to use limited City/District resources while allowing members of the public an opportunity to provide public comment on requests for future agenda items.
On April 15, 2024, the City Council discussed potential revisions to the Policy to simplify the process. At the conclusion of that discussion, a majority of the City Council directed staff to revise the Policy as follows:
1) If a Councilmember would like to add an item to a future agenda, they will first discuss it with the City/District Manager;
2) After a discussion with the City/District Manager, the Councilmember will state their request during the Council/Board Statements and Requests portion of a regular meeting;
3) If at least one other Councilmember supports agendizing the item, direction will be given to the City/District Manager to place the item on a future agenda; and
4) If the item fails to gain approval from at least one other Councilmember in addition to the requesting Councilmember, the item may not be brought back to the City Council for at least six (6) months, unless additional information is provided.
Staff has prepared the attached Resolutions (Attachments 1 and 2) which would adopt the revisions based on Council direction provided at the April 15 Council Meeting and rescind City Resolution No. 2023-21.
California Environmental Quality Act
The approval of the revisions to the Policy for Requesting to Add Items to a Future Agenda is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq., "CEQA") and CEQA Guidelines (Title 14 California Code of Regulations §§ 15000, et seq.), because it does not involve any commitment to a specific project which could result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment; and, constitutes an organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. 6 2
6 FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
City Council Operations and Improved Community Engagement ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – City Resolution
Attachment 2 – EMID Resolution
Attachment 3 – City Resolution No. 2023-21 Establishing the Policy for Requesting to Add Items to a Future Agenda
Attachment 4 – Minute Order No. 1973