MINUTES
CITY OF UNION CITY
LEGISLATION AND POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING
Monday, April 29, 2025 | 3:00 PM
City Hall - City Council Conference Room
34009 Alvarado-Niles Road
Union City, CA 94587
1. Call to Order
Mayor Singh called the meeting to order at 3:01 PM.
2. Roll Call
Attendance Attendee Name
Present Councilmember Nishihira
Mayor Singh
Absent None
3. Approval of the Minutes
There were no minutes presented for approval.
4. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
There were no oral communications.
5. Business Matters
5.a. Review Policy Governing Expenses of the City Council City Clerk Thai Pham and City Attorney Kristopher Kokotaylo presented proposed amendments to the Council Travel Expense Policy. The Committee provided consensus direction to remove the unused cash advance provision and revise the per diem language to rely solely on current federal GSA rates without listing fixed example amounts. The Committee also approved extending the reimbursement submission deadline from 30 to 45 days, updating the title of “IT Manager” to “IT Director,” and adding policy language to permit city-funded mobile data capabilities for LTE-enabled devices, subject to budget availability.
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The Committee discussed the policy on unused travel fund redistribution.
Consensus was reached to eliminate the existing $2,000 cap for reallocating unspent funds. However, the Committee affirmed that relinquishment of funds by individual Councilmembers should remain voluntary and not automatic.
Members agreed that any decision to release unused funds must be made by the first regular City Council meeting in May to ensure timely budget forecasting and equitable redistribution.
5.b. Commission Norms and Compliance Standards – Review of Commissioner Attendance, Training Compliance, and Rols of Alternate Commissioners
City Clerk Pham presented a review of proposed updates to commission attendance, training compliance, and the roles of alternate commissioners. The Committee directed that commissioners who arrive more than ten minutes late without prior notice will be marked unexcused and ineligible for compensation.
Commissioners who provide advance notice of tardiness may still be marked present, provided the absence does not disrupt quorum. This policy will be placed in the Commission Norms and Guidelines by resolution.
The Committee also approved shifting the attendance tracking period from a rolling 12-month basis to a calendar year basis, aligning with term start and end dates. The Committee directed that all commissions and committees be required to adopt a regular meeting calendar before the start of each calendar year to clearly define what constitutes a “regular meeting” under the attendance policy.
With respect to ethics training, the Committee supported codifying the requirement that commissioners must both complete and submit documentation for AB 1234 Ethics Training and AB 1661 Harassment Prevention Training within the state-mandated timeframe. Failure to do so will result in automatic removal and a 24-month disqualification period from serving on any board or commission. The Committee also affirmed that the City Clerk must maintain formal records of all swearing-in ceremonies for commissioners and alternates.
The Committee discussed the role of alternate commissioners and agreed to establish a non-mandatory expectation that alternates attend at least 30 percent of regular meetings to remain engaged and informed. Alternates may sit on the dais and participate in discussions when all regular members are present but may not vote unless officially seated to fill an absence. When called upon to serve but unable to attend, alternate absences will be considered excused on a case-by-case basis. No changes will be made at this time to the attendance threshold or vacancy process for alternate commissioners.
6. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Singh adjourned the meeting at 4:42 PM.
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Meeting Minutes
Respectfully Submitted,
Thai Nam Pham, MMC, CPMC
City Clerk