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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Nomination Process for Boards and Commissions
1. Resolution Establishing a Recruitment and Selection Process for Appointment of Individuals to Boards and Commissions
2. Resolution Establishing the Procedure to Address Complaints or Allegations of Misconduct or Poor Performance Against Members of Boards and Commissions
3. Introduction of Ordinance Amending Glendale Municipal Code, 1995, Section
2.36.010 Pertaining to Terms of Members of Boards and Commissions
4. Motion Providing Direction to Staff
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for September 10, 2024 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On August 20, 2024, the Council directed staff to prepare the necessary legislation to reinstitute the panel nominating system for members of the boards and commissions.
Staff has prepared the necessary resolutions and motion to reconstitute the boards and commissions through councilmember panel nominations and a code amendment to provide that the terms of board members and commissioners (except Civil Service Commissioners) will be coterminous with the term of the nominating councilmember.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council introduce an ordinance and adopt resolutions and motion to implement the recruitment, nomination, selection and complaint procedures for boards and commissions.
ANALYSIS
On July 16, 2024, the Council adopted Resolution No. 24-128 establishing a formal policy for the recruitment, selection, and appointment of individuals to boards and commissions. The policy set forth in Resolution No. 24-128 provided for each councilmember to nominate one member to each board and commission. Prior to that, at various times in the past five years, Council has utilized different approaches for commissioner and board member appointments, which have included individual and panel systems.
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On August 20, 2024, Council requested that staff propose a hybrid selection process, which ensures that all Council Members have an opportunity to make a selection for every board and commission, but at the same time create a panel system to allow for a broader review of the process. In that regard, staff has provided an alternative for Council’s consideration for the recruitment, selection, and appointment process that reinstitutes an interview panel process, whereby two councilmembers are selected to nominate an individual to fill a vacancy on a board or commission similar to the process established by prior Council Resolutions Nos. 02-80 and 23-29 and allows for every Council Member to have a turn at participating in an appointment.
On July 16, 2024, the Council – by motion – removed all of the members of the Boards and Commissions established under Title 2 of the Glendale Municipal Code, subject to each member being reappointed or replaced in accordance with Council Resolution No. 24-128.
Presented for Council consideration are ordinances, resolutions that will do the following:
Panel Nominations
•Staff presents a resolution to implement the system where a panel of two councilmembers will nominate one member to each board or commission created under Title 2 of the Glendale Municipal Code (“GMC”) (all permanent boards and commissions except Civil Service), subject to appointment by the full Council. For the Civil Service Commission, the assignment to nominate an individual to that Commission will rotate alphabetically but skip any individual councilmember who has nominated – either individually or as a member of a panel - a commissioner currently sitting on the Commission (and who is not up for re- appointment/replacement). In the event, however, a new councilmember begins a term that councilmember will not skip over a councilmember who has not nominated a sitting Civil Service Commissioner.
•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. 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 3{{section.number}}1
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candidates, and make nomination selections, for a single position on a board or commission. The panel rotation system described above shall be applied to each board and commission system separately. To the extent the Council adopts an ordinance amending Section 2.36.010 regarding the term of office for board members and commissioners, the term of each board and commissioner shall be coterminous with the term of the councilmember in Column One on their nominating panel. The seats of councilmembers in Column One shall be numbered as follows:
Asatryan – 1
Brotman – 2
Gharpetian – 3
Kassakhian – 4
Najarian – 5
•The resolution will provide that Councilmembers will have 60 days to make a nomination, starting from the date they are notified that they are assigned to make a nomination (with an additional 30-day extension due to reasons such as insufficient applicant pool, etc.). If a nomination is not made, the Council may assign the nomination to another councilmember or choose another selection process. Note that the process authorizing the Council to reassign a nomination or choose another selection process after a councilmember failed to meet the deadlines above was not significantly utilized previously, but it was part of the previous resolution and would be a useful tool to ensure prompt appointments. •When a vacancy is created by a resignation or removal, (vacancies created after effective date of this Resolution) the panel to fill that vacancy shall be comprised of (i) the councilmember who was in Column One of the panel that nominated the individual to the board or commission and either:
oOption 1: the councilmember who is next in rotation for the specific board or commission; or
oOption 2: a councilmember chosen at random by the City Clerk, provided the Clerk shall be authorized to skip a councilmember chosen at random if that councilmember has been a nominating councilmember from Column Two to nominate a sitting board member or commissioner and at least one other councilmember has not had an opportunity to serve as a Column 2 nominating councilmember of a sitting board member or commissioner have not.
•GMC Changes: As discussed by Council, this item also includes a proposed ordinance revising Glendale Municipal Code section 2.36.010 to provide that, with the exception of the Civil Service Commission (whose members serve 4 years per the Charter), the term of each member of a board or commission will be four years but coterminous with the term of the councilmember in Column One of the panel that nominates them. Upon the commencement of a new 4{{section.number}}1
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councilmember term (whether the nominating councilmember or a successor), that board or commission spot opens up and must be filled by reappointment or replacement.
Revision to Process to Address Complaints
•Staff recommends a modification to the resolution revising the process for addressing complaints of misconduct or poor performance against members of boards or commissions (note that attendance issues are addressed through creation of an ad hoc committee of two councilmembers and the board/commission chairperson, per GMC section 2.36.020). The proposed resolution will encompass the same process as currently exists, except the councilmember in Column One would be incorporated into the process, as necessary. Also, as the system is envisioned, the councilmember in Column One will always have the opportunity to discuss performance issues or seek removal of a board member or commissioner who engages in misconduct or has performance issues. The Council retains the right to remove any board member or commissioner when it deems it in the City’s best interest to do so.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
Not applicable.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
This activity involves organizational and administrative activities of the government related to the process for nominating and appointing members to the City’s boards and commissions, and such internal procedural, organizational activities have no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. As such, this action is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378.
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
1. Council could choose not to make the proposed changes to the nomination and appointment process for the boards and commissions.
2. Council could provide direction on an alternative not identified by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
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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