10C
Date: December 17, 2024
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Rebecca Poirier, City Clerk | [email protected] Subject: City Clerk – Discuss and Consider Amending Torrance Municipal Code Regarding Changes to Commission Compensation. Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the City Clerk that City Council:
1. Discuss and consider amending the Torrance Municipal Code regarding changes to Commission Compensation; and
2. Discuss and Consider directing the City Clerk to bring back an ORDINANCE amending Torrance Municipal Code Sections 13.1.1, 13.2.1, 13.3.1, 13.4.1, 13.5.1, 13.9.1, 13.10.1,
13.11.1, 13.15.1, 13.16.1, 13.18.1, 13.20.010 and 13.21.020 all titled “Created, Composition, Compensation, and Qualifications”; and
3. Determine that the project is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15378 and 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines.
DISCUSSION
At the City Council meeting of July 2, 2024, Councilmember Asam Sheikh received concurrence to request that an item be brought back to consider possible changes to the compensation for commissioners. The City Clerk contacted other cities to research compensation for commissioners. Below is a chart with the name of the City and what they provide to their Commissioners for Council’s review and consideration.
The City Attorney’s Office researched the issue of whether commissioners should receive a Form W-2 and concluded that City Commissioners are considered employees for federal tax purposes.
Accordingly, the City should revise the processes and provide commissioners with Form W-2’s for the stipends earned.
Upland Only Planning Commissioners are paid $100 per meeting; Regular meetings once a month; maximum of $200 per
month.
La Mirada Community Services Commission, Planning Commission, and Public Safety & Traffic Commission are paid $35 per meeting – no parameters. If they don’t attend, they don’t get paid. Youth Council, Senior Council, Historical
Preservation Advisory Council do not receive
compensation.
Firebaugh Do not pay commissioners
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7 Sunnyvale Do not pay commissioners
Santa Cruz Do not pay commissioners – item being brought before Council to begin paying them in 2025 $75 per meeting
attended
Pacific Grove Do not pay commissioners
Union City Set by Resolution – do not pay Youth Commissioners. $39 for most; $155 for Planning
Grand Terrace $50 per meeting
Gilroy Set in the Charter that Commissioners can’t receive compensation.
La Habra Only has two Commissions – Planning and Community Services. Planning Commission meets twice per month
and each commissioner receives $100 per month
($50/meeting). Paid monthly. If they are absent from only one meeting, they still receive the full $100; if they are absent from both meetings in the same month, they would receive zero. The Community Services Commission
meets once per month and each commissioner receives
$50 per month, unless they are absent then they would
receive zero.
Irwindale Four Commissions – Parks and Recreation $175 per meeting attended; Planning $200 per meeting attended;
Senior Citizen Commission $100 per meeting attended;
Youth Council is not paid. Commissioners are not paid if they do not attend. Parks and Recreation and Planning
receive medical benefits for themselves and dependents.
Meetings are once a month, paid monthly.
Livermore Planning Commission is paid half of what Council receives, currently $535. If they miss six meetings a year, they can be removed from the commission. Commissioners are paid
even if they are absent from the meeting. No other
commissions are paid.
Montebello Commissioners have a $50 stipend for each meeting attended, not to exceed 2 or 4 meetings in a calendar
month (depending on the Commission). The exception is
the Fiscal Accountability Committee who does not have a stipend for attending the meetings. Everyone with a stipend has the choice to waive their stipend.
Emeryville Only Planning Commissioners
Plymouth Only Planning Commissioners - $25 per meeting attended Antioch All Boards, Commissions, and Committees are volunteer positions – no compensation.
Fullerton Planning Commissioners - $75 per meeting attended. No others are paid.
Santa Ana Commissioners receive $100 per meeting attended – limit on how many meetings per month depending on
commission. Not paid if absent. Community Development
& Housing Commission receive $20 monthly auto
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7 allowance; Planning Commission & Rental Housing Board receive $50 monthly auto allowance.
Pleasantville Architectural Review ($30) and Planning Commissions ($50) per meeting attended, and they receive the payment once every six months.
Bakersfield Planning Commission, Miscellaneous Civil Service Board, Police Civil Service Board and Fire Civil Service Board receive $25 per regular meeting attended. Other
boards/commissions/committees do not receive
compensation.
Napa The City of Napa pays a $100 per meeting stipend to our Planning Commissioners and $50 stipend to our Housing
Authority Members. Remaining commissions do not
receive any stipend.
Menlo Park Menlo Park is currently doing a pilot for a Planning Commission stipend. Per Government Code §36506, the
City is authorized to pay appointed Planning
Commissioners by resolution. The City Council has
adopted a resolution with an amount not to exceed $200
per month per Planning Commissioner. Per the IRS
(Internal Revenue Services), “public officer” also includes appointed members of advisory boards and committees
and commissions. The Planning Commission stipend is
taxable income and each member will receive a W-2.
Sacramento Most commissioners receive $50 for attendance at meetings and they typically have 10 per year. Planning and Design Commission receives $100 per meeting and they
meet 20ish times per year. They get paid for meeting
attendance.
Monrovia Do not pay commissioners. Only have 5 commissions.
Hold Commission recognition event every year and each
commissioner receives a $30 gift card.
Irvine Commissioners receive $225 per month in Irvine and may be allowed reasonable travel and/or other expenses
incurred while traveling or engaged in business by the
Commission. There is something in the respective bylaws that speaks to excessive absences, but other than that, there are not any other parameters with respect to
receiving their pay.
Glendora Do not pay commissioners.
Bell Gardens $100 per meeting attended, meetings are held once per month.
Torrance $10 per meeting attended; must attend 2/3rds of the meeting to receive pay. Payments made quarterly.
Chula Vista Do not pay commissioners.
Redondo Beach Do not pay commissioners.
San Dimas Only Planning Commissioners are paid $50 per meeting attended.
Hillsborough Do not pay commissioners
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7 San Carlos Do not pay commissioners
Lawndale Only two commissions receive a stipend (They have five commissions/committees). The Planning Commission and
Parks and Recreation Commission each receive a $50.00
stipend per meeting, limited to no more than $100.00 per month, or $1,200.00 annually. Members are not
compensated for meetings not attended or cancelled.
Town of Windsor Do not pay commissioners.
Baldwin Park All 4 commissions are paid $50 per meeting attended; no term limits.
Lomita Does not pay commissioners.
Gardena Planning Commission $100 per meeting attended; Human Resources, Recreation & Parks, Senior Citizens, and Rent Board $50 per meeting attended; all others are not paid.
May sit on more than one commission.
Rolling Hills Does not pay commissioners.
Rancho Palos Verdes Does not pay commissioners.
Palos Verdes Estates Does not pay commissioners.
Hermosa Beach Does not pay commissioners.
Hawthorne Does not pay commissioners.
Inglewood Does not pay commissioners.
Culver City $599 annually regardless of attendance.
Los Angeles Board of Public Works is a full-time paid Board; all other Boards and Commissions receive a $50 stipend per
meeting attended though stipends are typically waived.
Scotts Valley Planning Commissioners $150 per month; Parks and Recreation Commissioners $75 per meeting; all other
commissions do not receive stipends.
Laguna Beach Arts Commission $137 per month; Planning
Commissioners and Design Review Board receive $392
per month.
Oxnard Does not pay commissioners.
1. Public Comment
ATTACHMENTS
4 January 14, 2024
2. Supplemental Material (Originally prepared for 12/17/24 Council Meeting) 4 5
ATTACHMENT 1
5 6
6 1
PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM 10C
ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED
FOR 12/17/24
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2 2
8 10C
Date: December 17, 2024
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Rebecca Poirier, City Clerk
Subject:Supplemental Material #1 for Item 10C
DISCUSSION
In response to Councilmember Sheikh’s inquiry about commission compensation, the City Clerk was asked by the Council to conduct research on the subject. The City Clerk reached out to the City Clerk Listserv for information, and the cities that responded have been included in the report.
Regarding Councilmember Sheikh’s specific requests:
•City of Glendale: Glendale does not provide compensation to its commissioners. •City of Pasadena: Pasadena compensates only certain commissioners. Please refer to the attached grid for detailed information.
Additionally, Councilmember Sheikh asked about the history of the $10 per meeting stipend in Torrance. The earliest reference to this compensation appears in the Torrance Municipal Code from 1966, when commissions were first established, and the stipend was introduced.
Lastly, in response to Councilmember Sheikh’s question about the commissioners’ employment status, the commissioners will not become employees of the City. Instead, they will receive a W- 2 form for tax purposes due to the stipend they receive.
ATTACHMENT
1. City Council Appointed Commissions, Boards, & Committees Facts ATTACHMENT 2
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Prepared by the Pasadena Office of the City Clerk
CITY COUNCIL APPOINTED COMMISSIONS,
BOARDS, & COMMITTEES PAID AMOUNT PAID
IS ATTENDANCE
MANDATORY FOR
PAYMENT
Accessibility and Disability Commission No
Arts and Culture Commission No
Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena Airport Authority Yes
$200/mtg;
$300/mtg for
Chair
Yes
Code Enforcement Commission No
Commission on the Status of Women No
Community Police Oversight Commission Yes $100/mtg Yes
Deferred Compensation Oversight Committee No
Design Commission No
Economic Development and Technology Committee
(City Council)
No
Environmental Advisory Commission No
Finance Committee (City Council) No
Fire and Police Retirement System Board No
Historic Preservation Commission No
Human Relations Commission No
ATTACHMENT 1
ATTACHMENT 1
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CITY COUNCIL APPOINTED COMMISSIONS,
BOARDS, & COMMITTEES PAID AMOUNT PAID
IS ATTENDANCE
MANDATORY FOR
PAYMENT
Human Services Commission No
Legislative Policy Committee (City Council) No
Library Commission No
Metropolitan Water District Board Yes $1000/month No
Municipal Services Committee (City Council) No
Northwest Commission No
Old Pasadena Parking Meter Zone Advisory
Commission
No
Pasadena Playhouse Parking Meter Zone Advisory
Commission
No
Pasadena Center Operating Company Board No
Pasadena Community Access Corporation Board No
Pasadena Rental Housing Board Yes
Up to 20 hours per
week, at an hourly
rate of 2.5 times
Pasadena
Minimum Wage
Yes
Planning Commission Yes $50/month No
Public Safety Committee (City Council) No
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CITY COUNCIL APPOINTED COMMISSIONS,
BOARDS, & COMMITTEES PAID AMOUNT PAID
IS ATTENDANCE
MANDATORY FOR
PAYMENT
Recreation and Parks Commission No
Rose Bowl Aquatics Center Board No
Rose Bowl Operating Company Board No
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Board No
Senior Commission No
South Lake Parking Place Commission No
Southern California Association of Governments Board Yes $120/board mtg $70/policy mtg Yes
Transportation Advisory Commission No
Urban Forestry Advisory Commission No
** Employee Deferred Compensation Plan, with elected employees serving on the Board
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