DATE: September 12, 2023
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Maintenance Services
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Reducing the Keep Hayward Clean and Green Task Force Membership Size from Thirty Members to Twenty Members and Creating a Waitlist to Account for Vacancies Throughout the Year
RECOMMENDATION
That Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) reducing the Keep Hayward Clean and Green Task Force (KHCGTF) membership size from thirty (30) members to twenty (20) members and creating a waitlist to account for vacancies throughout the year.
SUMMARY
The KHCGTF was formed in November 2006 by the City Council to help address issues impacting community appearance. Its mission is to preserve the environment and enhance the visual appearance of the City through joint efforts of individuals, volunteer groups, businesses, and municipal resources. Unfortunately, the TF’s ongoing vacancies have made it difficult to conduct business due to the lack of quorum at monthly meetings. The KHCGTF and staff recommend a reduction in membership from 30 members to 20 members to improve the operational abilities of this body. Additionally, it’s recommended that a waitlist be created for the TF to consider drawing from as vacancies occur during the year.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The KHCGTF’s core mission surrounds quarterly beautification events supported by monthly planning meetings. In addition to their events and monthly meetings, TF members volunteer to provide educational information that supports environmentally friendly topics at various community events throughout the year. While staff believes the KHCGTF’s mission and work product adds a direct value to the community, the lack of consistent participation is impacting the TF’s efficiency, contributions, and ability to conduct business. The TF currently has fifteen (15) vacancies which has resulted in quorum often not being met at monthly meetings Through the first decade of their work, the TF regularly held monthly clean-up events. In 2020, City staff and the TF reviewed the historical attendance of volunteers at events, and it was determined that TF participation and city resources would be better served by reducing the number of annual events from monthly to quarterly. While Maintenance Services staff and the TF acknowledge there will always be a need for litter reduction, the City and TF have made substantial programming improvements to directly address this issue. To help offset the reduction in TF events, KHCG created the Adopt-a-Block Program. Currently, the program has 172 groups who are actively working within the community picking up and removing litter and reducing blight. Additionally, over the course of the last five years, the addition of Measure C-funded Maintenance Services staff dedicated to litter, graffiti, and illegal dumping abatement has fully off-set the reduction in events. City staff and TF leadership believe a reduction in force to 20 members and the creation of a waitlist to account for vacancies will improve the TF’s ability to regularly conduct business and support their community events.
FISCAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item is a routine operational item and does not relate to any of the projects outlined in the Council’s Strategic Roadmap.
PUBLIC CONTACT
No public contact is required for this item.
NEXT STEPS
If Council approves this request, staff will work with the KHCGTF to update its bylaws to reflect a 20-member size, update the frequency of events from monthly to quarterly, and create a waitlist to account for vacancies.
Prepared by: Colleen Kamai, Administrative Supervisor Manny Grewal, Management Analyst
Recommended by: Todd Rullman, Director of Maintenance Services Approved by:
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Kelly McAdoo, City Manager