December 17, 2024
City Clerk's Office
DATE: December 17, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Pamela Christian, City Clerk
Subject:
Amendments and Updates to the Boards and
Commissions Handbook
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact with this item
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
3/1/2022
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Boards and Commissions Handbook requires
Council final approval of the proposed updates
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE amendments to the Boards and Commissions
Handbook to address members reapplying to the same
board, commission, or committee after a waiting period
and the process for members to obtain a Gmail account
for City of Richmond business only – City Clerk’s Office (Pamela Christian 510-620-6513).
DISCUSSION:
On April 27, 2021, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 45-21 to formally approve its Boards, Commissions and Committees Handbook with the understanding that the handbook's contents would be subject to change when necessary. The handbook was revised on March 1, 2023, to clarify the process when a conflict arises between any provision in the Boards, Commission and Committees Handbook and a board, AGENDA
REPORT
December 17, 2024
commission, and committee adopted ordinance, the provision in the perspective ordinance prevails and overrules any other provision.
The City of Richmond Charter, Municipal Code, and Boards, Commissions and Committees Handbook is silent on the issue of reapplying to the same board, commission, or committee after a waiting period. The handbook is also silent regarding city-issued email accounts. The below suggested procedure changes are necessary for clarification.
Suggested changes in red
MEMBERSHIP – starts on page 11
Member Privacy
The City Clerk’s Office does not release the personal contact information of board, commission or committee members without their consent. Requestors will be directed to the staff liaison to verify consent with the member.
Application, Appointments, and Reappointments, and Waiting Period to reapply to the same Richmond board, commission, or committee (Page 11) All residents interested in serving on a City of Richmond board, commission, or committee must complete and submit the appropriate application form (Appendix H) to the city clerk.
Employees cannot serve on any city board, commission, or committee. Recommendations for appointment are made by the mayor and approved by the City Council, with the exception of the Richmond Fund for Children and Youth Oversight Board, appointed by the mayor and City Council.
Any person who has served on a board, commission or committee for a period of less than one full calendar year may be appointed to the same body for a full term.
Reappointment is not automatic; therefore, board members, commissioners, and committee members are required to submit a new application to the city clerk prior to each term expiration date (Appendix B), to be considered for reappointment. Members with expired terms may continue to serve until a replacement appointment has been approved (Appendix C, Resolution 24-14).
A termed-out board, commissioner, or committee member is eligible to reapply for appointment to the same board, commission, or committee after a two-year absence from the board, commission, or committee. If appointed, the terms and maximum consecutive term limits restart.
Use of City Business Cards, Logo, and Insignia, and City Issued Email (Page 13) Board, commission, and committee members may request city business cards, at their own expense, to be used only for official City of Richmond business or promoting the city. The City Clerk’s Office is not responsible for ordering business cards; this is the responsibility of
December 17, 2024
the staff liaison to order business cards from the city’s approved printing vendor. The City Attorney’s Office advises against individual board members, commissioners, and committee members privately printing their own business cards using the city logo or insignia.
A board, commission, or committee member may request a Gmail account for use while serving a term on a City of Richmond board, commission, or committee. The assigned Gmail account should only be used for City of Richmond official business. Please request a Gmail account through your staff liaison. The staff liaison will contact the appropriate department to begin the process. Please be advised that Gmail accounts may be linked to a member at their respective board, commission, or committee website.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Boards, Commission and Committee Handbook – red lined Attachment 2 – Boards, Commission and Committee Handbook – clean version