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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Consideration of Modifications to Nomination Process for Boards and Commissions
1. Resolution Revising Recruitment, Nomination and Selection Process for Appointment of Individuals to Boards and Commissions
2. Motion Providing Direction to Staff
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for May 14, 2024 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Council adopted a resolution on March 21, 2023, revising the process for nominating individuals to the City’s boards and commissions. The resolution established a process for a rotation of nominating panels of two councilmembers to interview and nominate a candidate for each board or commission. Since the panel rotations occur as a vacancy arises across all boards and commissions, there are times when the same pairing of two councilmembers will be assigned as the nominating panel for a board or commission to which they have previously nominated an individual.
At the March 12, 2024, the Council expressed a desire to implement a process where each councilmember would have an opportunity to make a nomination to each board and commission prior to other councilmembers having the opportunity to participate on a second nominating panel. Staff attempted to develop a sample process that would incorporate the randomness of a panel system and the allowing every councilmember the opportunity to make an appointment to each commission would be very challenging to implement and is indeed somewhat contrary to a random panel system. Staff recommends maintaining the current system, with a modification that skips over a panel that has already nominated an individual to a particular board or commission.
Alternatively, the Council could revise the panel system to have the rotation applied to each board or commission as opposed to across all boards and commissions. Further, if the Council values proportional representation (i.e. every councilmember getting an opportunity to make a nomination before another councilmember participates in a second panel) over the benefits of the panel system, the Council may want to consider returning to the previous system of allowing each councilmember to nominate one individual to 2{{section.number}}{{item.number}}
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each commission.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council adopt the proposed resolution, or alternate resolution, revising the nominating panel rotation system for boards and commissions.
ANALYSIS
The Council adopted Resolution No. 23-29 on March 21, 2023 re-establishing the rotating nominating panel system for boards and commissions. The resolution provides for the rotating panel system as follows:
“A. SELECTION OF INTERVIEW PANEL
When there exists a vacancy on a board or commission or the term of a member of a board or commission is near expiration, a panel of two council members shall be selected, in accordance with the procedure herein, to act as an interview panel:
The selection of the panel will involve an alphabetic rotation of the council as follows: the first member shall be in a vertical column (Column One) which shall have the council members’ names listed alphabetically. The second member of the panel shall be in a vertical column (Column Two) with the first council member being the individual who is the second council member listed in Column One. The next three council members will follow in alphabetical order, with the first council member in Column One being last in Column Two. Column One shall always remain alphabetical, Column Two will rotate after all council members have an opportunity to serve on a panel. The rotation process will have the council members in Column Two moving up the column with the council member at the top rotating to the bottom. This process of “rotation” will thereafter be repeated after five (5) panels are selected. The two council members who match up horizontally on the columns will constitute the panel to interview candidates who have applied to serve on a board or commission. Each panel shall interview candidates, and make nomination selections, for a single position on a board or commission.”
The panel rotations occur as a vacancy arises across all boards and commissions; thus, there are times when the same pairing of two councilmembers may be assigned as the nominating panel for a board or commission to which they have previously nominated an individual. This occurred recently with the assignment of a panel for a Civil Service Commission appointment that has already made a nomination to that Commission. In that instance, the Council chose to skip that panel and allow the next panel to appoint an individual to Civil Service.
On March 12, 2024, the Council received a report and asked staff to prepare a resolution revising the nominating rotation process to provide that each councilmember will have the opportunity to be part of at least one nominating panel for each board and commission; that no panel of two councilmembers shall have the opportunity to nominate more than 3{{section.number}}{{item.number}}
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one individual to a board or commission, and; that no councilmember shall have the opportunity to serve on more than two panels.
As staff from the City Attorney’s Office and City Clerk’s Office analyzed and attempted to prepare a resolution addressing this scenario, they determined that this method would be very difficult, if not impossible, to implement. One of the biggest challenges is that the terms of existing board members and commissioners are no longer coterminous with the term of a councilmember and instead run four years. In addition, many of the board members and commissioners have been nominated by a single councilmember prior to conversion to the panel system.
Thus, staff recommends maintaining the current system, with a modification that skips over a panel that has already nominated an individual to a particular board or commission.
Alternatively, the Council could revise the panel system to have the rotation applied to each board or commission as opposed to across all boards and commissions, although this will make implementation more challenging. Staff notes that although there have been some repeated assignments of councilmembers to particular boards or commissions, that is mostly due to the high number of positions currently up for appointment. As positions are filled, staff is of the opinion that equal allotment of councilmembers to panels for every board and commission will occur over time. If the Council values proportional representation (i.e., every councilmember getting an opportunity to make a nomination before another councilmember participates in a second panel) over the benefits of the panel system, the Council may want to consider returning to the previous system of allowing each councilmember to nominate one individual to each board and commission and making the terms coterminous with the term of the nominating panel system.
To help make the process more efficient, staff is also recommending adding a four-month timeframe for the period of appointment from the time of the Identification of Nominating Panel to Council. If the panel is unable to make a recommendation or cannot determine the appropriate procedure to resolve its differences within the four months, then the panel shall report same to the Council at the next public meeting. At that time, Council may, among other things, refer the matter back to the panel for further consideration, or designate the appointment of a new panel – in accordance with the selection process designated in the Resolution.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
Not applicable.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
This action is exempt from CEQA as there is no reasonable possibility that revising the procedure for nominating board and commissioners can have a significant impact on the environment.
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CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
1. The Council can adopt the alternate resolution to apply the panel rotation to each board or commission.
2. The Council may direct staff on a different process.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Michael J. Garcia, City Attorney
Prepared by:
Michael J. Garcia, City Attorney
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS