Workshop Item Michelle A. Wolfe, City Manager
Title
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.Council Policies
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Background
As a council, there may be topics you wish to discuss during the workshop as it relates to council process and communications. I have attached the City of Shoreview’s governance document as one example. In addition, I have attached some sample policies from the City of Woodbury covering the following:
• City Council and Advisory Commission Roles and Guidelines
o Topics covered in this directive include Council Role and Authority, Affirmation of Expectations, Agendas, Communication, General Meeting guidelines, and Requests for Information/Analysis
• City Council Electronic Communications
Council Requests for Agenda Items
I have had discussions with several councilmembers about how is a topic placed on the agenda for a council meeting or workshop. There are multiple avenues. Sometimes it is driven by statute and charter. Examples include development proposals, liquor licensing, and the budget approval process. Other times, council policies or city ordinances drive the process. As an example, City Council established a pavement management program, which establishes how the program will be managed, financed, and how projects will be approved.
Another method for items to be placed on the agenda is via Council request, which has been the subject of discussion and some lack of clarity. I have had councilmembers ask:
• What is the process for me to request an item be placed on the agenda?
• How did __X__ topic end up on a workshop agenda, with staff time preparing an item, when there was no majority support for addressing the topic?
• How should Council (or a Board/Commission) respond to a citizen petition, e-mail, letter(s), phone calls, etc. requesting Council to address a certain topic or take a certain action?
All of the above questions were asked in the spirit of wanting to understand and to make the best use of Council and staff time and resources, and to be responsive to the public. Over the past 1.5 years, I have noted an increase in the number of agenda topics and it has been increasingly challenging to manage the agendas and time available for workshop topics. I would like to work with you to establish a common understanding for how you, as Blaine elected officials, would like to conduct business as it relates to selecting and prioritizing agenda topics generated by Council. As best I have been able to determine, past practice has been informal and not always consistent. I welcome the opportunity to explore this topic with you.
In discussions with peers, I’ve learned of a few examples from other cities that may help frame this discussion:
• If a councilmember wishes to have the council address a topic or discuss a project, they fill out a form. (The councilmember articulates the topic, why they wish to discuss it, and how it relates to the strategic priorities.) Then it is discussed at a study session. During the initial discussion, council does not discuss the merits of the topic; rather, they discuss “do we want to work on this”? Staff maintains a list of future council topics, and the council continually reviews it to prioritize the topics and projects they as a body will be working on in upcoming meetings.
• There is an opportunity at the beginning of each Study Session for councilmembers to bring up a topic. If a majority of council indicates a desire to discuss that topic, staff asks questions to clarify that they understand the topic, so that they can prepare for a future Study Session agenda. A topic cannot be placed on the agenda based on one member’s request; it has to be supported by a majority of the members.
• A “roundtable” item was added to the (workshop) agenda. Essentially, this allows for the opportunity to discuss a topic and determine if a majority of council members agree that a certain topic is worth investing significant staff time to prepare for a future agenda.
• Council and Commission agendas shall be established by the City Administrator or his/her designee. Future agenda items requested by a Council Member or Commission Member shall be discussed during a regular and/or workshop meeting and will be determined by the majority of the Council or Commission.