Laserfiche WebLink
Item No: 3 <br />Meeting Date: Feb 4, 2008 <br />Type of Business: Worksession <br />Administrator Review : ___ <br />City of Mounds View Staff Report <br />To: Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From: James Ericson, Interim City Administrator <br /> Greg Lee, Public Works Director <br />Item Title/Subject: Discuss Creation of a Streets and Utilities Improvement <br />Committee <br /> <br />Introduction: <br /> The City Council, in response to suggestions made by members of the Streets and Utilities <br />Task Force, expressed a desire to create an ongoing committee or commission to provide <br />guidance, oversight and advice to the Council as it moves ahead with the implementation of <br />the street and utility improvement program. <br /> <br />Discussion: <br /> <br />The Council may establish an advisory body as a commission, committee or a task force, <br />each of which would ultimately serve the same purpose. The City Charter, in Section 2.02, <br />indicates that the Council may establish a board or commission to advise the Council with <br />respect to any municipal function or activity, to investigate any subject of interest to the City, or <br />to perform quasi-judicial functions. The Charter indicates however that creation of a board or <br />commission be done by ordinance. The Streets and Utilities Task Force was created by the <br />Council by resolution on March 12, 2007. (Public Works Director Lee’s staff report is attached <br />for reference.) Establishing such an entity by ordinance would convey some level of <br />permanence and would likely necessitate introducing a new chapter to Title 400 of the City <br />Code relating to Boards and Commissions. If the Council anticipates that the entity would <br />continue beyond the duration of the ten years street program, creation by ordinance would <br />seem to make sense. If, on the other hand, the entity is anticipated to expire upon conclusion <br />of the reconstruction program, creation by resolution would likely be sufficient. Regardless of <br />how the entity is created, the Council will need to address the following entity parameters: <br /> <br />• How many members? (A five or seven member entity would likely be sufficient) <br />• Length of terms (three year staggered terms is standard for other MV advisory bodies) <br />• Establish Clear Purpose and Expectations (What is their ultimate charge?) <br />• Will the entity continue existence after the program has been completed? <br />• How often would the advisory body meet? Monthly? Quarterly? As needed? <br /> <br />If there is a consensus among the Council as to the parameters that would govern the <br />function of the proposed advisory body, staff will prepare the requisite enabling vehicle for <br />consideration at the February 11 or February 25 Council meeting. <br /> <br />Recommendation: <br /> <br />Consider options relating to the proposed establishment of an entity to provide advice and <br />guidance to the City Council concerning the City’s adopted Streets and Utilities Improvement <br />Program.