City of Santa Clara
Meeting Minutes
Governance and Ethics Committee
Draft
3:00 PM City Hall – Council Chambers
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
07/02/2024
Special Meeting
The City of Santa Clara is conducting Governance and Ethics Committee meetings in-person and continues to have methods for the public to participate remotely or in-person.
• Via Zoom: https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/98559951444
• Webinar ID: 985 5995 1444
• By phone: +1 669 444 9171
To submit written public comment before meeting:
Send email to [email protected] by 10 a.m. the day of the meeting.
Those emails will be forwarded to Committee members and will be uploaded as supplemental meeting material.
Note: Emails received as public comment will not be read aloud during the meeting Chair Raj Chahal, Member Suds Jain, and Member Kevin ParkPresent 3 -
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Chair Chahal called the meeting to order at 3:01 p.m.
Chair Raj Chahal, Member Suds Jain, and Member Kevin ParkPresent 3 -
CONSENT CALENDAR
1A. 24-662 Approval of the June 3, 2024 Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes
Recommendation: Approve the minutes of the June 3, 2024 Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting
A motion was made by Committee Member Jain, seconded by Committee Member Park to approve the staff recommendation to approve the June 3, 2024 meeting minutes.
Aye: Chair Chahal, Member Jain, and Member Park3 -
07/02/2024Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
None.
GENERAL BUSINESS
2. 24-627 Review Policy and Procedure 049 (“Community Grant Policy”) (DEFERRED FROM JUNE 3, 2024)
Recommendation: Approve amendments, if any, to Policy and Procedure 049 (“Community Grant Policy”) and bring forth to City Council for consideration and approval.
Staff presented on Council Policy 049 ("Community Grant Policy") and recommendations to amend the policy.
The Committee discussed the policy and provided additional proposed amendments including 1) Increase grant amounts to account for inflation, in a method to be determined by staff, and increase total amount of the program to compensate for inflation (Approved by Council in a budget process), 2) Reserve a portion of funds for later in the year for tournament type events, 3) Roll over balances from the program to the following year, 4) Consider term limits for suspension to be based on the severity of the infraction as well as organization change by which the infraction occurred, and 5) Require grantees to submit a post-event description which may be included on the City website.
The Committee approved the staff recommendations with additional proposed amendments.
Committee Member Jain motioned to approve the staff
recommendation, seconded by Committee Member Park with
additional proposed amendments from the Committee for Council Policy 049 ("Community Grant Policy")
Aye: Chair Chahal, Member Jain, and Member Park3 -
07/02/2024Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes
3. 24-628 Review Meeting Management Protocol Options and Rosenberg’s Rules of Order and Provide Direction to Staff
(DEFERRED FROM JUNE 3, 2024)
Recommendation: Provide Direction on a Council Policy for Meeting Management Protocols Recommendations by the Governance and Ethics Committee and Forward for Consideration and Approval by the City Council
Staff presented options to consider for meeting management protocols including Rosenberg's Rules of Order. Committee Member Park recommended the enforcement in the application of rules and to also consider options for opportunities for robust discussions, to not place time limits and limiting rounds of number of questions.
Member of the public Tom Shanks stated public comment at the end of a meeting is a concern as many are exhausted and few people are listening.
Member of the public Wanda Buck commented on efficiency for meeting management.
Committee Member Jain motioned and seconded by Committee Member Park for staff to return to the Committee with a policy on Rosenberg’s Rules for Meeting Management Protocol and
recommended establishing public comment sections at the beginning and at the end of a meeting, at the Chair’s discretion, with a time limit for the first round of public comments, and the balance of the public comments to be heard at the end of the meeting.
Aye: Chair Chahal, Member Jain, and Member Park3 -
4. 24-650 Update on Review of SCSC Chapter 2.155 (“Regulation of Lobbying Activities”) and SCSC Chapter 2.160 (“Calendars of Certain City Officials”) (DEFERRED FROM JUNE 3, 2024)
Staff provided a verbal update on the status of the review of SCSC Chapter 2.155 (“Regulation of Lobbying Activities”) and SCSC Chapter
2.160 (“Calendars of Certain City Officials”). Staff will return to a future Committee meeting with additional information on benchmarking to review other jurisdiction’s ordinances and a staffing analysis to determine the staffing needs for the enforcement of the lobbying ordinance.
07/02/2024Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes
5. 24-651 Review and Action on Updated 2024 Governance and Ethics Workplan (DEFERRED FROM JUNE 3, 2024)
Recommendation: Approve the 2024 Governance and Ethics Committee Workplan with any additional amendments
Staff presented the additional workplan items brought forth by Committee members and noted the current workload and priorities to accomplish additional items. The Committee approved the additional items to be included in the revised 2024 workplan. Committee Member Park noted the need for additional Committee meetings to accomplish workplan items.
Committee Member Jain motioned, seconded by Committee
Member Park to approve the additional items for the 2024 Governance and Ethics Committee Workplan.
Aye: Chair Chahal, Member Jain, and Member Park3 -
STAFF REPORT
None.
COMMITTEE MEMBER REPORTS / FUTURE REFERRALS
None.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Chahal adjourned the meeting at 5:44 p.m.
MEETING DISCLOSURES
07/02/2024Governance and Ethics Committee Meeting Minutes The time limit within which to commence any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City is governed by Section 1094.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, unless a shorter limitation period is specified by any other provision. Under Section 1094.6, any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City must be filed no later than the 90th day following the date on which such decision becomes final. Any lawsuit or legal challenge, which is not filed within that 90-day period, will be barred. If a person wishes to challenge the nature of the above section in court, they may be limited to raising only those issues they or someone else raised at the meeting described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clara, at or prior to the meeting. In addition, judicial challenge may be limited or barred where the interested party has not sought and exhausted all available administrative remedies.
If a member of the public submits a speaker card for any agenda items, their name will appear in the Minutes. If no speaker card is submitted, the Minutes will reflect "Public Speaker."
In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the City of Santa Clara will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities, and will ensure that all existing facilities will be made accessible to the maximum extent feasible. The City of Santa Clara will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities including those with speech, hearing, or vision impairments so they can participate equally in the City’s programs, services, and activities. The City of Santa Clara will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities.
Agendas and other written materials distributed during a public meeting that are public record will be made available by the City in an appropriate alternative format.
Contact the City Clerk’s Office at 1 408-615-2220 with your request for an alternative format copy of the agenda or other written materials.
Individuals who require an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or any other disability-related modification of policies or procedures, or other accommodation, in order to participate in a program, service, or activity of the City of Santa Clara, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at 408-615-3000 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.