PL PACKETS 01191999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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STAFF REPORT To: Planning Commissioners Park Commissioners Michael Morrison, City Manager From: Kim Moore-Sykes,Management Assistant Date: January 13, 1999 Subject: Council Liaison to Planning and Parks Commission The question of whether or not to have a Council liaison for each of the Commissions has come up again in Council discussions. Recent Planning Commission minutes reflected that the Planning Commission was very interested in having a Council liaison. As a result, the Council is interested in knowing how often the Commissioners want a Councilmember attending their monthly meetings, e.g., monthly, quarterly, etc.; what are the commissioners' expectations; what role should the Councilmember play at the meetings; and should the assignment to the two Commissions be rotated or have only those interested attend the meetings. In an attempt to provide some information on this issue, I contacted the cities of New Brighton, Brooklyn Center and Woodbury to find out if they have Council liaisons, how they are assigned and if they have written policies or ordinances regarding Council attendance at commission meetings. The assistants at each city that I called said they have Council liaisons attend commissions meetings and those appointments are generally made on an annual basis at the first January Council meeting. Woodbury appoints liaisons annually but they rotate to the various commissions on a quarterly basis and that rotation assignment is established at the first Council meeting of the year. New Brighton was the only city that had anything regarding the Council liaison in writing,which is found in their ordinance relating to boards and commissions. Sec. 2- 65 of the City of New Brighton's ordinance on Council Representation states, "The city council may appoint one of its members as an ex offuio member of the commission for a term of one year. This member will have full rights of discussion, but will not be a voting member of the commission. The council may also, at its discretion, appoint other ex offuio members." Woodbury has a letter that it gives to newly elected Councilmembers,which describes the commissions and their expected role as a Council liaison. She read the letter and it stated in much the same language as the New Brighton ordinance the role and status of the Council liaison.