ATTACHMENT A - OPTIONS MATRIX
City Council Committee Restructuring
Option (No. of
Committees)
DescriptionBenefitsConsiderations /
Trade-offs
Participation & Workload
Baseline - 6
Committees
(Current)
Existing standing
committee
structure and work
plans.
Subject areas
are distinct and
specialized.
Inconsistent meeting
frequency has caused
delays or direct routing
to Council, contributing
to complex Council
agendas.
Participation is distributed
but meeting inconsistency
frustrates officials, staff, and
the community.
Option A - 5
Committees
Maintains a
balance between
specialization and
efficiency;
preserves more
distinct subject
areas while
modestly reducing
overall count.
Improves
topical
definition
versus 4-
committee
structure while
still reducing
from six.
More committees to
staff and schedule
than Option B; risks
reintroducing conflicts
if cadence is
inconsistent.
Equitable distribution of
members across five bodies
is essential to avoid
overburdening individuals.
Option B - 4
Committees
Provides more
specialized focus
while still
streamlining
operations.
Reduces
conflicts while
preserving
clarity of
subject-matter
coverage.
Requires clear
delineation to avoid
overlap among
g ove rna n ce/o pe rati o ns
topics.
Balanced workload is
achievable but requires
transparent assignment
strategies and possible chair
rotations.
Option C-3
Committees
Consolidates
subject areas so
each committee
carries a broader
scope.
Streamlined
scheduling;
enhanced
focus; potential
efficiency
gains.
Broader scopes may
compress agendas
and reduce
specialization.
With eight elected officials
equitable assignment and
rotation become critical to
ensure meaningful
participation.
Example 4 Committee Organization Structure
CommitteePotential ConsolidationsRationale
Infrastructure, Utilities &
Sustainability
• Municipal Services Committee (minus
Transportation)
• Finance (capital projects, rate-setting,
CIP)
• Environmental / Sustainability items
Combines infrastructure, utilities, and
sustainability with finance where
appropriate; oversees physical and
capital systems while avoiding land-use
matters that could conflict with Planning
Commission jurisdiction.
Housing, Human
Services & Economic
Vitality
• Homelessness & Housing Policy
Committee
• Economic Development Committee
• Public hlealth / Human Services
Aligns housing, health, and
homelessness with economic mobility;
leverages PORT teams and case
management synergies; balances
workload by adding Economic
Development.
Public Safety &
Governance
• Public Safety Committee
• Legislative Policy Committee
• Finance (governance, administrative,
budget oversight components)
Preserves focus on PD/FD while
incorporating governance (legislative
review, administrative policy, general
fund stewardship) to reduce overall
committee count and maintain coherent
oversight.
Operations, Innovation &
Community Services
• Transportation
• Operational departments (HR, IT/DolT,
Library, Parks/PRCS, Office of the Young
Child, RSD, etc.)
• Technology & innovation
Centers day-to-day operational
excellence, digital transformation, and
community services; reduces siloing by
allowing service departments to feed
into one operations-centric body.