Larry Klein
Mayor
Richard Mehlinger
Vice Mayor
Alysa Cisneros
Councilmember
Murali Srinivasan
Councilmember
Linda Sell
Councilmember
Charlsie Chang
Councilmember
Eileen Le
Councilmember
August __, 2026
T
he Honorable Julie A. Emede
Presiding Judge
Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara
191 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95113
R
E: City of Sunnyvale’s Response to Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Report
J
udge Emede:
T
he Sunnyvale City Council received the 2025- 2026 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury's (“Civil Grand Jury”) Final Report, VTA’s Management and Oversight of BART Silicon Valley Phase II, dated June 17, 2026. The following is the City Council's response to the Civil Grand Jury’s Findings and Recommendations applicable to the City of Sunnyvale, as required by section 933.05(a) of the California Penal Code.
R
esponse to Findings and Recommendations
• F
inding 1
The BSVII project currently requires voter approval of additional sales tax measures to address gaps in construction and operations funding.
N
o response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Finding 1.
• R
ecommendation 1
VTA should adopt and publish a strategy for the completion and operation of the project that reduces dependency on new sales tax measures.
T
his should be implemented by December 31, 2026.
N
o response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Recommendation 1.
Attachment 3
• Finding 2
VTA does not maintain a cash-flow model for the BSVII project.
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Finding 2.
• Recommendation 2
The VTA Board should direct the General Manager to prepare a cash-flow model for the BSVII project and present it quarterly to the Oversight Committee and the Board.
This should be implemented by December 31, 2026.
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Recommendation 2.
• Finding 3
VTA has not developed an alternative funding strategy for the project in the event that planned funding sources are unavailable or insufficient.
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Finding 3.
• Recommendation 3
The VTA Board should direct the General Manager to prepare an alternative funding strategy to meet the project’s estimated total capital costs and VTA’s responsibility for operating and maintenance costs and present it to the Oversight Committee and Board for approval.
This should be implemented by December 31, 2026.
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Recommendation 3.
Attachment 3
• Finding 4
Project management does not consistently report the operating and maintenance cost implications of design and construction decisions to the Oversight Committee or the Board.
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Finding 4.
• Recommendation 4
VTA should adopt a policy requiring staff to present an analysis of operating and maintenance costs when considering design and construction alternatives for BSVII.
This should be implemented by December 31, 2026.
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Recommendation 4.
• Finding 5
The VTA Board would benefit from longer terms of office to improve continuity and institutional knowledge.
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Finding 5.
• Recommendation 5
VTA should reconsider its prior rejections of audit recommendations calling for the establishment of four-year terms and direct its legislative advocates to seek a legislative author to amend VTA’s enabling statute to require four-year terms.
This should be implemented by December 31, 2026.
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Recommendation 5.
Attachment 3
• Finding 6
VTA Board Appointing Authority Groups 2 through 5 often do not follow VTA Administrative Code (Section 2-14) admonitions to “appoint individuals with appropriate experience and qualifications in transportation” and to “reappoint representatives to consecutive terms.”
Response to Finding 6 – DISAGREE WHOLLY.
The City of Sunnyvale disagrees with Finding 6 as it relates to the City of Sunnyvale and the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board appointments made by the Sunnyvale City Council. Sunnyvale does not have any information or an opinion regarding how other agencies make their appointments for Board Appointing Authority Groups 2 through 5.
Section 2-14 of the VTA Administrative Code (Exhibit A) states in part that Board Appointing Authority Groups 2 through 5 “…are strongly encouraged, where possible…” to make appointments based on the language in Finding 6.
California Government Code section 100060(a)(3) (Exhibit B) provides the following requirement relating to appointments made by the City of Sunnyvale:
Five city council members or mayors selected from among the city councils and mayors of all of the cities in the county, other than the City of San Jose, as provided by agreements among those cities. The agreements may provide for the appointment of alternates, who shall be city council members or mayors, for those city representatives.
The City of Sunnyvale follows this Government Code requirement to ensure all of its appointees and alternates to the VTA Board are Sunnyvale Councilmembers or the Mayor.
Finding 6 leaves out an important piece of VTA Administrative Code Section 2- 14 (Exhibit A) – the “…where possible…” language applies to the Mayor and Councilmembers elected by Sunnyvale Voters. While Sunnyvale Voters may value transportation experience when electing Councilmembers, their reasons for voting for a particular candidate likely extend beyond whether or not a Attachment 3
candidate for the Sunnyvale City Council has experience and qualifications in transportation.
The Sunnyvale City Council makes its appointments to Intergovernmental Agencies, such as the VTA Board, following Council Policy 7.4.12 Council Appointments to Intergovernmental Agencies, Council Subcommittees, and Council or Mayor-Created Task Forces (Exhibit C). This Policy allows Councilmembers to express interest in the various Intergovernmental Agencies of interest to them and where their experience on the Intergovernmental Agency’s board is beneficial to the Intergovernmental Agency and to the City of Sunnyvale.
Based on individual Councilmember interests and the varying and changing needs of the City of Sunnyvale, it is not always feasible for the same Councilmember to be appointed to consecutive terms on the VTA Board. When making appointments to the VTA Board, the City of Sunnyvale often appoints a Board Member and an Alternate to the VTA Board. The VTA Board Alternate is often appointed to the full VTA Board seat the following year, helping to bring a level of continuity across years on the VTA Board as desired by the language in Section 2-14.
• Recommendation 6
VTA Board Appointing Authority Groups 2 through 5 should certify to the VTA Board that they will adhere to VTA Administrative Code (Section 2-14) admonitions, regarding Board member expertise and appointment to consecutive terms.
This should be implemented by December 31, 2026.
Response to Recommendation 6 – THE RECOMMENDATION WILL NOT BE IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE IT IS NOT WARRANTED.
The City of Sunnyvale will not be implementing Recommendation 6. Sunnyvale appreciates the intent of this recommendation but does not plan on committing the City to administrative rules adopted by a partner agency. Sunnyvale will continue to follow the California Government Code provisions and its own Attachment 3
Council Policy (Exhibit C) when making appointments to the VTA Board and other Intergovernmental Agency boards.
• Finding 7
VTA Board Appointing Authority Groups 2 and 5 have different processes for making Board Appointments.
Response to Finding 7 – DISAGREE PARTIALLY.
The City of Sunnyvale follows Council Policy 7.4.12 (Exhibit C) when making appointments to the VTA Board and other Intergovernmental Agencies. This policy is adopted by the Sunnyvale City Council which is elected by Sunnyvale voters. Sunnyvale assumes other agencies follow a process as defined by their governing bodies.
• Recommendation 7
The cities represented in Appointing Authority Groups 2 and 5 should agree on a uniform process for making Board appointments.
This should be implemented by December 31, 2026.
Response to Recommendation 7 -THE RECOMMENDATION WILL NOT BE IMPLEMENTED – IT IS NOT WARRANTED
The City of Sunnyvale will not be implementing Recommendation 7. Sunnyvale appreciates the intent of this recommendation but does not plan on committing the City to an appointment process that differs from Council Policy 7.4.12 (Exhibit C) when making appointments to the VTA Board. This is the same policy the Sunnyvale City Council uses for appointments to other Intergovernmental Agencies and is a policy adopted by Sunnyvale’s elected City Council.
• Finding 8
The role assigned to the auditor general is outside the traditional scope of an auditor’s responsibilities and has introduced conflict and uncertainty among Attachment 3
VTA staff and the Oversight Committee. Being involved in the management and policy-making process threatens the auditor general’s independence.
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Finding 8.
• Recommendation 8
The Board should implement an alternative model for supporting the Oversight Committee that does not rely on the auditor general to provide services such as agenda preparation, monitoring of VTA staff assignments, or preparation of a synthesis of multiple independent inputs to the Committee’s deliberations.
This should be implemented by December 31, 2026
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Recommendation 8.
• Finding 9
The Board of Directors has not approved the bylaws, nor the charter of the Oversight Committee.
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Finding 9.
• Recommendation 9
VTA should formally adopt a revised Charter for the Oversight Committee, setting the Board’s expectations on the following issues:
o Defining the role of the auditor general to no longer require him to supervise the presentations by VTA staff to the Oversight Committee; o The responsibility of the Oversight Committee to report regularly to the Board on the independent analyses of costs, risks, and schedule by the PMOC and any SMEs; and to provide the Oversight Committee’s synthesis of those analyses with recommendations to resolve conflicts when necessary;
Attachment 3
o The responsibility of the Oversight Committee to consider and present its recommendations before the Board considers major decisions such as scope of the project, contracting, risk management, budgeting, and funding strategy;
o The responsibility of the Oversight Committee to hold subject matter experts accountable for timely analysis of costs, risk, and schedule; o The responsibility of the Oversight Committee to report to the Board on the implications of design and construction issues that impact future ongoing operations and maintenance costs to be borne by VTA.
This should be implemented by December 31, 2026.
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Recommendation 9.
• Finding 10
VTA’s vtabart.org website is poorly organized and not always intuitive to navigate, making it hard to find information about the status, cost, and schedule of the BSVII project.
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Finding 10.
• Recommendation 10
The VTA Board should direct the General Manager to implement and maintain a project dashboard on its vtabart.org website that includes status, cost, and schedule information.
This should be implemented by October 31, 2026.
No response from the City of Sunnyvale is requested by the Civil Grand Jury for Recommendation 10.
The City has carefully reviewed and considered the concerns raised in the report. The Attachment 3
Sunnyvale City Council supports the BART Silicon Valley Phase II project and robust oversight of this project that is important to our region. The Sunnyvale City Council is mindful of the issues raised in this report. We thank the Civil Grand Jury for their interest in this important issue.
Sincerely,
Larry Klein
Mayor, City of Sunnyvale
Exhibits:
A. Valley Transportation Authority Administrative Code Excerpt, Section 2-14 B. California Government Code, Section 100060
C. Sunnyvale Council Policy 7.4.12 Council Appointments to Intergovernmental Agencies, Council Subcommittees, and Council or Mayor-Created Task Forces
cc: Vice Mayor Mehlinger and Sunnyvale City Council members Tim Kirby, City Manager
Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
David Carnahan, City Clerk
Attachment 3
With Amendments through March 6, 2025
SANTA CLARA VALLEY
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
Excerpt
Find the full Administrative code by visiting:
https://www.vta.org/about#accordion-administrative-code
Exhibit A
EXHIBIT A
Attachment 3
Through Resolution 2025.3.09 (Board Action 3/6/25) and General Manager approval of non-substantive amendments per Sec. 1-1.2, effective 9/8/23.
6 Sec. 2-13. City and County Groupings; Selection of Directors and Alternates Groupings of cities and the County, which appoint Directors and alternates to the Board, are as follows:
Group Number Grouping Representatives
1 San José 5 Directors
1 Alternate
2 Los Altos
Los Altos Hills
Mountain View
Palo Alto
1 Director
1 Alternate
3 Campbell
Cupertino Los
Gatos Monte
Sereno
Saratoga
1 Director
1 Alternate
4 Gilroy
Morgan Hill
1 Director
1 Alternate
5 Milpitas
Santa Clara
Sunnyvale
2 Directors
1 Alternate
6 County of Santa Clara 2 Directors
1 Alternate
Sec. 2-14. Selection of Directors and Alternates by City/County Groupings Procedures for the selection of Directors and alternates to the Board for Groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 as described in this Code shall be determined by the cities of each respective grouping.
Appointing authorities are strongly encouraged, where possible, to: (1) appoint individuals with appropriate experience and qualifications in transportation; (2) ensure t hat there is sufficient remaining time in the elected official's term of office to allow full completion of their term as a Director; and (3) reappoint representatives to consecutive terms.
Sec. 2-15. Ex-Officio Directors
Metropolitan Transportation Commissioners who reside in Santa Clara County, and who are not members or alternate members of the Board of Directors by virtue of Public Utilities Code Section 100060, shall be inv ited to serve as Ex-Officio members of the Board of Directors. Upon acceptance of the invitation to serve as Ex-Officio Board members, they shall be invited to, and they may regularly attend, Board meetings, including Closed Sessions, but their presence shall not be counted for purposes of establishing a quorum, they shall not have voting rights, and they shall not serve on the standing committees of the Board.
Secs. 2-16 - 2-25. Reserved
Exhibit A
Attachment 3
DIVISION 10. TRANSIT DISTRICTS [24501 - 107025] ( Division 10 repealed and added by Stats. 1955, Ch. 1036. ) PART 12. SANTA CLARA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY [100000 - 100619] ( Heading of Part 12 amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 724, Sec. 5. )
CHAPTER 4. Government of VTA [100060 - 100100] ( Heading of Chapter 4 amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 381, Sec. 19. ) 100060.
PUBLIC UTILITIES CODE - PUC
ARTICLE 1. Board of Directors [100060 - 100063] ( Heading of Article 1 amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 381, Sec. 20. ) (a) The government of the VTA shall be vested in a board of directors which shall consist of 12 members, as follows:
(1) Two representatives of the county and one alternate who shall be members of the board of supervisors of the county, appointed by the board of supervisors.
(2) Five representatives of the City of San Jose and one alternate who shall be city council members or the mayor of the City of San Jose, appointed by the city council.
(3) Five city council members or mayors selected from among the city councils and mayors of all of the cities in the county, other than the City of San J
ose, as provided by agreements among those cities. The agreements may provide for the appointment of alternates, who shall be city council members or mayors, for those city representatives. (b) An alternate may vote in the place of a director represented by that alternate if the director is absent. (c) To the extent possible, the appointing powers shall appoint individuals who have expertise, experience, or knowledge relative to transportation issues.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 381, Sec. 21. (AB 2196) Effective January 1, 2017.)
EXHIBIT B
Exhibit B
Attachment 3 | Page 12 of 18
COUNCIL POLICY MANUAL
7.4.12 – Page 1
Policy 7.4.12 Council Appointments to Intergovernmental Agencies, Council Subcommittees, and Council or Mayor-Created Task Forces
POLICY PURPOSE:
This policy provides clarity around the appointment of Councilmembers and non- Councilmembers to intergovernmental (IGR) assignments, including appointment criteria, appointment process, and term length. The policy also addresses Council subcommittees and task forces.
POLICY STATEMENT:
I. City Councilmember Appointments to Intergovernmental Agencies
• The City Council appoints members to a variety of intergovernmental agencies in order to represent the City’s interests and to influence policies and regulations of other agencies.
In general, appointments are governed by the following principles:
A. For those IGR assignments where the City’s representative serves at the discretion of the Council, the City Council will nominate members to fill vacancies on IGR bodies as part of a noticed agenda item at a regular meeting.
B. For appointments made by outside bodies (for example, the Cities Association or the League of California Cities), the City Council must ratify the appointment of a Councilmember as part of a noticed agenda item at a regular meeting. No further Council ratification is needed for subcommittee appointments if the appointing committee assignment has already been ratified by Council.
C. The term of office for the Sunnyvale representative shall be in accordance with the by-laws of the intergovernmental agency to which they were appointed. For agencies with no defined terms, the appointments shall be made annually in January. Notwithstanding, in all cases, Councilmember assignments and appointments shall terminate automatically when a Councilmember leaves office, effective upon the Councilmember’s last day of service.
D. In the event a vacancy occurs during a term, the Council will select a member to serve the remainder of that term as part of a noticed agenda at a regular meeting.
Councilmembers shall notify the City Manager of any changes to IGR assignments.
E. Council shall appoint a member to serve as an alternate to IGR bodies at the request of the agency or when the nature of the assignment requires a representative always be present.
EXHIBIT C
Exhibit C
Attachment 3
COUNCIL POLICY MANUAL
7.4.12 – Page 2
F. Staff support is provided to Councilmembers serving on IGR bodies as directed by the City Manager and in accordance with this Policy.
G. When representing the City on an intergovernmental committee, Councilmembers must vote in accordance with the official City position on an issue, regardless of the Councilmember’s individual position.
H. City Council Appointment of a Non-Councilmember to an IGR Assignment
The City Council may, on occasion, appoint a non-Councilmember to represent the City's interest on an intergovernmental body. These appointments must be made as part of a noticed agenda item at a regular meeting. In those circumstances:
1. Staff support is not provided to non- Councilmembers who serve on an intergovernmental body, although a staff member liaison will be designated by the City Manager.
2. Non-Councilmembers serving on intergovernmental bodies shall provide a summary written report to the entire City Council and the City Manager after each intergovernmental agency meeting they attend.
II. Mayoral Appointments to Intergovernmental Agencies
The Mayor appoints members to a variety of intergovernmental agencies in order to represent the City’s interests and to influence policies and regulations of other agencies.
In general, appointments are governed by the following principles:
A. The Mayor may appoint themself.
B. For those IGR assignments where the City’s representative serves at the discretion of the Mayor, the Mayor will appoint members to fill vacancies on IGR bodies.
C. Mayoral appointments include appointments to the US Conference of Mayors’ Policy Committees; Cities Association of Santa Clara County’s Board of Directors, City Selection Committee, and Legislative Action Committee; Sourcewise (formerly the Advisory Council to the Council on Aging) ; and Council voting delegates and alternates for annual League of California Cities and National League of Cities conferences.
D. As vacancies occur to the Mayoral appointment to Sourcewise, the Mayor may direct staff to recommend individuals for consideration.
III. Council Subcommittees
The City Council and/or Mayor may establish Council subcommittees as stated below.
Subcommittees usually comprise less than a quorum of the Council and are generally used to provide more detailed review and analysis of complex issues. Subcommittees make Exhibit C
Attachment 3
COUNCIL POLICY MANUAL
7.4.12 – Page 3
recommendations to the Council but cannot take formal action on behalf of the Council.
For purposes of the State’s open meeting law (the “Brown Act”) there are two types of council subcommittees: standing committees and ad hoc advisory committees. Under the Brown Act, “standing committees of a legislative body, irrespective of their composit ion, which have a continuing subject matter jurisdiction, or a meeting schedule fixed by charter, ordinance, resolution, or formal action of a legislative body” are subject to all open meeting requirements.
Ad hoc advisory committees are composed of less than a quorum of the Council and are created for a limited time for a particular purpose. Under the Brown Act, ad hoc committees are not required to comply with open meeting requirements.
A. Standing Committees
1. All Council standing committees shall be established by the Council and the membership will be appointed by Council.
2. Standing committees exist, with the set membership, unless and until modified by the Council.
3. Standing committees shall select their own chair. If the committee is unable to select a chair, or if the timing requires immediate action, the Council will appoint the chair.
4. Standing committees are subject to open meeting requirements. Any action to create or modify the committee must be placed as an item on the Council agenda.
B. Ad Hoc Advisory Committees
1. The Mayor may create ad hoc committees of the Council to assist in particular matters as they arise. Members of the committee shall be appointed by the Mayor. Council may request the creation of an ad hoc committee through the Mayor.
2. Ad hoc committees have a fixed, limited assignment.
3. No more than three Councilmembers may serve on an ad hoc committee. Ad hoc committee meetings are not subject to open meeting requirements, unless the Mayor directs otherwise when they are formed. The findings and recommendations of the ad hoc committee must be presented to the entire Council at a noticed meeting.
4. Any action to create or modify the committee must be placed as an item on the Council agenda.
IV. Community Member Advisory Task Forces
Exhibit C
Attachment 3
COUNCIL POLICY MANUAL
7.4.12 – Page 4
There are two types of community member advisory task forces – those that are created by action of the Mayor, and those that are created by the Council.
A. Mayor Created Task Forces
From time to time the Mayor may wish to establish advisory task forces of members of the public, or so-called “blue ribbon panels,” to address specific issues of the day.
The task force may be composed solely of community members, but may also include Councilmembers. The Mayor may create an advisory task force at his or her discretion. So long as there are only two Councilmembers included on the task force, they are not considered “legislative bodies” within the meaning of the Brown Act and do not need to comply with open meeting requirements. (This of course does not preclude the task force from holding open and publicly noticed meetings, it simply does not require it.)
Basic principles governing these task forces are:
1. Members are appointed by the Mayor, and may include both Councilmembers (no more than two) and non-Councilmembers.
2. The advisory task force presents its findings and recommendations to the Mayor; at their discretion the Mayor may or may not direct that the findings and recommendations be brought forward to the Council. Any action resulting from advisory task force recommendations must be directed and approved by the Council at a noticed meeting.
3. An advisory task force exists until its work is concluded or it is terminated by the Mayor; in all cases the term is limited to the term of the appointing Mayor.
4. A task force chair shall be selected by the task force unless the Mayor directly appoints a person to serve as chair.
B. Council Created Task Forces
The City Council may take action to create a temporary, community member task force to consider and advise on defined issues or topics. These commissions, created by formal action of the Council, are considered “legislative bodies” for purposes of the Brown Act, and must comply with open meeting requirements.
The following applies to these task forces:
1. Members of the task force are appointed by the Council, or Council’s designee, and may include Councilmembers (no more than three). Any action creating such a task force must be taken at a noticed meeting. The Council may choose and utilize relevant criteria for making such appointments.
2. The findings and recommendations of the task force shall be brought forward to the Council at a noticed meeting; likewise, any action resulting from the task Exhibit C
Attachment 3
COUNCIL POLICY MANUAL
7.4.12 – Page 5
force recommendations must be directed and approved by Council at a noticed meeting.
3. The task force exists until it accomplishes its mission or is otherwise terminated by the Council.
4. The task force chair shall be selected by the task force unless the Council directly appoints a person to serve as chair.
V. Staff Support to IGR Assignments
Staff assistance shall be provided to Councilmembers serving on intergovernmental bodies when the Council has approved the appointments of a member to that body, or in the case when the Council is not the approving body, if the Council has consented to tha t member sitting on that body. Unless officially approved by the Council, no staff support shall be provided once a Councilmember leaves City office. The City’s Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) Program is coordinated within the Office of the City Manager. The Office of the City Manager is responsible for assisting Council with applications for IGR committees, determining levels of staff support, presenting Reports to Council to ratify IGR appointments, and maintaining the Council IGR committee database.
For purposes of this policy, intergovernmental bodies are broadly defined to include committees of intergovernmental agencies or organizations. Staff support shall be consistent with the following guidelines:
A. Assignments will be made by the City Manager.
B. If the intergovernmental body has its own professional staff, such staff should be utilized to the greatest practical extent, rather than City staff.
C. Assigned staff shall meet with newly assigned Councilmembers regarding the expected level of support.
D. Staff shall request that the Councilmember be placed on the committee’s email/mailing list to receive all required information.
E. Assigned City staff shall not attend the intergovernmental meeting unless the Councilmember requests such attendance from the City Manager, and the Manager approves.
F. The primary responsibility of assigned staff is to review issues before the intergovernmental body as they may affect the City, and to advise and assist the Councilmember in presenting issues before the full Council. Staff is encouraged to communicate with Council in writing to avoid miscommunication. IGR information provided to Council shall be consistent with adopted City policies (consider General Plan Sub -elements, adopted legislative advocacy positions, or past Council practice).
Exhibit C
Attachment 3
COUNCIL POLICY MANUAL
7.4.12 – Page 6
G. In the absence of adopted policy, staff should determine whether the issue is significant enough to warrant a Council adopted position. If so, the City Manager should be notified in a timely manner so that the issue can be placed on a Council agenda.
H. Councilmembers shall not direct staff to conduct major research. Major research shall occur only upon the direction of the City Manager.
I. As directed by the City Manager, assigned staff may prepare formal IGR correspondence on behalf of Councilmembers only on issues arising from a Councilmember’s IGR committee assignment Always copy the originating Department Director, and City Manager on all IGR -related correspondence ( see Council Policy 7.4.1 “Provision of Staff/Administrative Support to Councilmembers” Section V.A).
J. Council may provide updates on their IGR assignments during the Council Updates on Intergovernmental Activities section of the Council agenda.
K. Legislative Briefings. Staff prepares talking points for Councilmembers attending conferences and meetings as directed by the City Manager. Such talking points include up-to-date information on the issues at hand. When the subject is to be discussed with specific legislators, their position (if known on the matter) should be included in the report.
VI. Implementation.
The City Manager shall monitor those provisions of this policy within the City Manager’s Charter responsibilities. Disagreement in interpretation shall be resolved by the City Council. The City Manager shall institute administrative policy to implement this policy.
At the time a new Councilmember is seated, the Mayor and City Manager should review this policy with him/her.
Annually, the City Manager shall review the resource requirements necessary to support the level of service specified in this policy, and recommend as a part of the proposed budget necessary changes of budget resources.
(Adopted: RTC 81- 602 (10/6/1981); Amended: [No RTC] (6/21/1994); [No RTC, Budget workshop] (5/20/1997); Amended by RTC 05-163 (6/7/2005); Amended: [No RTC] (4/19/2006); Amended: RTC 08- 089 (4/1/ 2008); Amended: RTC 09- 001 (1/6/ 2009); Amended: RTC 12- 006 (1/10/ 2012); Updated for clarity (8/21/12); Clerical update (1/25/2013); Adopted: Council Policy Update, RTC 14-0061 11/25/2014) ; Amended RTC 25-1114 (12/9/2025))
Lead Department: Office of the City Manager
For Reference, see also: 7.4.14 Legislative Advocacy Positions; 7.4.15 Council Advocacy
Exhibit C
Attachment 3