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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 70-25RESOLUTION 70-25 RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS ESTABLISHING STANDING COMMITTEES AND ADOPTING GENERAL AND SPECIAL RULES PERTAINING THERETO WHEREAS, the City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills wishes to establish standing volunteer committees to assist the Council with various issues; NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the Town does RESOLVE that the following standing committees are established, and the following general and special rules pertaining to standing volunteer committees are hereby adopted: Section 1. Committees Established. The following are hereby constituted as the regular Standing Committees of the Town: a) Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee b) Environmental Design and Protection Committee c) Finance and Investment Committee d) Parks, Recreation and Community Events Committee e) Pathways Committee f) Open Space Committee g) Environmental Initiatives Committee h) History Committee i) Public Art Committee j) Technology Committee Section 2. General Powers and Duties a) Each of the Standing Committees shall have the general power and duty to render advice and make recommendations to the City Council, Planning Commission, or the City Manager and other Town bodies designated by the City Council on all aspects of its particular sphere of interest. b) Each Standing Committee shall make regular oral reports to the Council, in addition to any specific reports and recommendations requested by the City Council or deemed necessary by a majority of the members of the Standing Committee. c) Each Standing Committee shall meet with the City Council, once a year at the Council's request, to discuss and report on its goals, projects, accomplishments, and concerns. d) Each Standing Committee shall study its own structure, specific charges and direction, and recommend any changes, if needed, to the City Council. e) The City Council shall advise Standing Committees of any evaluation made of the Standing Committee's actions and direction, and any proposed action to amend the Standing Committees charges. f) Each Standing Committee is encouraged to send a representative to City Council and Planning Commission meetings whenever possible. RESOLUTION 70-25 1 pa g e Section 3. Appointment of Committees. The following general rules shall be applicable to the qualifications of members and associate members of Standing Committees, and their appointment and removal; a) The members of each Standing Committee shall be appointed with the approval of a majority of the City Council. b) Each Committee member shall: i) be a resident of the Town at the time of their appointment and for so long as they serve. ii) serve at the pleasure of the Council, without compensation or payment of mileage, for a term of four {4} years. In the case of the Councilmembers serving on a Standing Committee as voting members, their terms shall not exceed their terms of elected office. Upon leaving elected office the City Council shall appoint other members of Council to those committees with Councihnember participating as voting members. iii) be eligible for reappointment upon application to the City Council, but the City Council shall encourage new applicants in order to promote widespread community involvement. To achieve this, the City Council will generally not appoint an applicant who has served for two {2} consecutive terms as a member of that Committee, within a period of two {2} years from the expiration of their most recent term. These term limits do not constrain a resident from being appointed as an associate member of that Committee, nor from applying for appointment to any other Town Committee. A Committee member's record of attendance at the Committee's meetings may be a factor in determining whether that member should be reappointed to the Committee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the City Council retains the ability to appoint anyone that it may select by majority vote for membership on a Town Committee. iv) not serve as a member (as distinguished from an associate member) on more than one of the following committees concurrently: Pathways Committee; Open Space Committee; and Environmental Design and Protection Committee. Individual committee members currently serving as members on more than one of these committees are grandfathered in and may continue to serve on more than one of these committees until their respective term ends on one of these committees. v) be considered to have resigned in the event of three consecutive absences from the meetings of their Committee, unless the Chairperson of the Committee shall have excused the member's absence and informed the other Committee members of the exception at the third consecutive meeting missed. RESOLUTION 70-25 2 1 P a g e c) The associate members of each Standing Committee shall be appointed by a majority vote of their respective committees. Each Associate Committee member shall: i) serve at the pleasure of the Committee without compensation or payment of mileage for a term not to exceed four 141 years. ii) have non-voting membership status. iii) be of assistance to their respective committees with their charges and duties on an as -needed basis. Residency and regular meeting attendance is not required. iv) be unlimited in number based on the needs of each committee. v) the appointment of associate members of the Environmental Design and Protection Committee, Pathways Committee, and Open Space Committee shall be subject to the approval of the City Council. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the duties of the associate members of those committees do not include site visits, City Council approval shall not be required. d) Notification of resignations or terminations of committee members shall be submitted to the City Council in writing. Notification of appointments and resignations of associate members shall be submitted to the City Clerk in writing. Vacancies in the membership of any Standing Committee with the exception of the Councilmembers serving as voting members on any Standing Committee shall be filled in the following manner: i) The City Cleric shall post in three {3} public places in the Town a notice of the fact that a vacancy has occurred and that the applications will be received prior to a date stated in the notice. ii) All persons interested in serving shall submit to the City Cleric a written request for appointment containing such information on their background and qualifications as they deem appropriate. The City Cleric shall notify all applicants of the Council meeting at which their application shall be considered. iii) The City Council shall, during a public meeting, appoint Standing Committee members by selecting appointees from a roster of persons offered by individual Council members and applications from candidates. The City Council shall endeavor to appoint the best qualified persons. e) One member of the City Council shall be designated by the Mayor as a liaison for each Standing Committee with the exception of the Finance and Investment Committee which shall include two council liaison members (Mayor/Vice- Mayor). The designated Council liaison(s) may attend meetings of the Standing Committee to which he or she is assigned, and shall try to do so at least quarterly, but shall not vote. The Council liaison shall contact each member of the Standing Committee to which he or she has been assigned at least once RESOLUTION 70-25 3 1 P a g e annually to determine any problems which may exist and to receive information for use in Council evaluations of Standing Committee actions and direction. Section 4. Organization of Standing Committees. The following general rules shall be applicable to the organization and conducting of business by each Standing Committee: a) Each Standing Committee shall establish a time and place for its regular meetings. Once the Standing Committee has established a time and place for its regular meetings, the Standing Committee shall request the City Council to approve the time and place of the regular meeting. The City Cleric shall cause notice of the schedule of regular meetings to be posted on the bulletin board at Town Hall. The agenda shall be set by the Chairperson, but upon the request of any Standing Committee member an item shall be placed on the agenda. Agendas of meetings shall be posted in compliance with the provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Act (commencing with Government Code Section 54950), as hereafter amended. No Standing Committee meeting shall be considered to have been held unless notice of the time and date of the meeting shall have been properly available pursuant to the Ralph M. Brown Act, as hereafter amended, and unless a quorum shall have been present. Special meetings of a Standing Committee may only be called by the Standing Committee Chairperson, Mayor or City Manager and must be called in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act. b) The quorum is a majority of the currently appointed membership. c) A committee may be required to participate in property site visits. Site visits must be performed by only current committee members and are permissible as long as any group of committee members does not contain a quorum of current members. In the event a site visit is necessary, a Standing Committee chair shall inform Town staff at least one week in advance of any visit. Town staff shall send the homeowner(s) a courtesy postcard notifying them that a site visit will be taking place within a defined time period. The postcard shall be sent a minimum of 72 hours in advance of any visit. d) At its first regular meeting in July of each year, each Standing Committee shall elect, by a simple majority of the members present, from its membership a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, and such other officers as the Standing Committee deems advisable, who shall not serve for more than two {2} consecutive one 111 year terms. If at the time of the election, it is determined that there are no viable nominations for the slate of officers including the Chairperson, the Committee may request an exemption of the general rule pertaining to the term(s) for the Officers/Chairperson from the City Council. At the July meeting, any subcommittees deemed advisable by the Standing Committee for specific activities within the purview of the Standing Committee shall be appointed by the members. At any other meeting an officer may be replaced. However, at any meeting other than the first regular meeting in July, a vote of the majority of the Standing Committee is necessary to replace or elect an officer. e) All committee leadership (chairperson and vice -chairperson) shall attend annual training before taking their seats as chair or vice -chair, or as soon after RESOLUTION 70-25 41 P a g e appointment as possible, to insure they are well versed in managing meetings in an effective, fair, open, and transparent manner in compliance with the Brown Act and Rosenberg's Rules of Order. Once the training has been completed, the Chair and Vice -Chair are not required to repeat the training annually. The Chair will also be responsible for: addressing compliance to these principles both before and after the meeting; assuring all agenda items describe the topic sufficiently to promote proper discussion; making reasonable efforts to ensure that project applicants and residents are given a reasonable opportunity to present and respond to questions raised during the meeting; assuring the committee does not react or respond to comments on topics that have not been agendized; and assuring that items raised by speakers during presentations from the floor that are not on the agenda are discussed to seek clarification only or to provide public information about prior relevant actions of the committee or the Town. f) The duties of the Chairperson shall be consistent with those of a presiding officer as they pertain to the conduct of the Committee meetings and adherence to the general powers and duties, organization of Standing Committees, Committee charges and duties and procedures as set forth in this resolution. g) The Chairperson shall be responsible for monitoring the attendance of committee members and shall meet with any committee member who the Chairperson believes is negatively impacting the operation of the Standing Committee due to absences from committee meetings to discuss a plan to eliminate future absences. If following the meeting, the Chairperson does not believe the committee member will be able to attend the future meetings and will therefore continue to negatively impact the operation of the Standing Committee, the Chairperson may recommend that the City Council either remove the person from the Standing Committee or recommend that the Standing Committee vote to convert the person to Associate membership status on the Committee h) Each Standing Committee shall keep minutes of its meetings, which shall include its determinations, recommendations, attendance of members and an indication of who prepared the minutes. The minutes shall be reviewed by the City Manager who, in consultation with the City Council liaison to the particular committee, shall determine which items need to be agendized for a City Council meeting. The minutes shall also be public records. Section 5. Code of Conduct for all Committee Members: a) Appointees on Committees are volunteers who desire to provide their time, service, and expertise to the Town. b) Appointment to any Los Altos Hills Town Committee or Commission is contingent upon each prospective appointee's acceptance of this Code of Conduct. c) Appointees agree that their service is intended for the greater benefit of the Town and not for any private, commercial, or personal interest. RESOLUTION 70-25 5 1 P a g e d) Appointees will agree to: Abide by the laws of the Federal, State or County and the Town's regulations and ordinances and to follow the direction of legal authorities. Accept and follow Town Council defined charters, objectives, and requirements and to provide their service, advice, and recommendations to the Council and, if approved by the Council, to others. Not disclose confidential information that they may discover during their service unless legally authorized to do so. i) Also, such confidential information shall not be used to advance the personal, financial, or private interests of themselves or others. Recuse themselves if or when a situation arises in which a member could be perceived to have a conflict of interest. All discussions, decisions and votes must be made in public and shall follow the provisions of the Ralph M. Brown Open Meeting Act. Appointees shall also complete bi-annual Ethics and Brown Act training. Deep official discussions within the body's charter. Consider issues that come before the body by using an objective, responsible and equitable process. Treat all persons in a courteous, dignified, and professional manner. i) Confront Ideas and Issues — but not People. ii) A Personal attack, in any form, by an appointee to any other person(s) is unacceptable behavior. Use Town bestowed titles or positions only when conducting Town business, for information purposes or to qualify their background and expertise and not for personal gain or to promote ideas that their committee have not approved. Reject any form of gifts or compensation from any entity or person for their service except when authorized by the Town Council. Respect and follow established channels of communication with Town staff. Use Town equipment, supplies, personnel, or facilities for approved Town activities only. i) Care should be exercised when requesting Town staff services. Satisfy all participation requirements that the Town or the body may impose upon its members. i) Respect others by being on time and properly prepared to conduct the body's business. Section 6. Special Powers and Duties. Each Standing Committee shall be empowered and obligated as follows: a) Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five (5) members and a maximum of nine (9) members. The EPRC may RESOLUTION 70-25 61 Pa g e include Town residents and residents from the unincorporated area within the Los Altos Hills County Fire District (LAHCFD) boundary adjacent to the Town municipal boundary. ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: Advise the Town on its emergency mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery programs, goals, policies, plans, protocols, and priorities related to emergencies, and make recommendations to Staff and City Council. Provide guidance and support to the emergency volunteer programs and community outreach programs on their operations, planning, protocols, and procedures. b) Environmental Design and Protection Committee. i) The membership of this committee shall consist of a minimum of five (5) members and a maximum of eight (8) members including, whenever feasible, professionals in the fields of landscape design and construction, environmental science, and pollution control. ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: To work for the beautification of the Town and the protection of its resources. To assist staff in implementation of the Town landscape policy through recommendations at subdivision, site development, Planning Commission and City Council meetings, and through review and inspection of required plantings. To study and make recommendations relating to landscaping and protection of public property, such as park lands, and treatment of riparian habitat and open space within the Town. To identify nuisance problems and sources of pollution and recommend actions for abatement; and To prepare educational materials for residents outlining Town, ordinances and enforcement with regard to landscape design and protection of the environment. When requested to make recommendations to staff on proposed new development including new homes, remodels, secondary dwellings, and auxiliary structures as to impact on site specific and the surrounding neighboring sites reviewed by the Site Development Plans and Field visits. Such impacts would include topography, vegetation, drainage, lighting, skylights, riparian habitat, and conservation easements. To attend all Fast TracIdSite Development meetings to support committee and staff recommendations. c) Finance and Investment Committee. i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five (5) members and a maximum of nine (9) members. The Mayor and Vice- Mayor shall serve as non-voting Council liaisons. Members shall meet at least one of the following qualifications: { 1 } five years RESOLUTION 70-25 7 1 P a g e accounting and financial experience in a public corporation, municipal government or privately held business; {2} financial officer of a public corporation with five years' experience; {3} investment officer of a F.D.I.C. member institution with five years' experience; {4} money manager who specializes in corporate or government agency issues with a minimum of five years' experience; or {5} five years' experience in investment banking, venture capital and/or general management. ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: To serve as an advisory body to the City Council on financial and investment matters and operations related thereto. To review five-year capital budgets and revenue projections and make recommendations to the City Council. To review the annual budget and make recommendations to the City Council. To review the annual audit and make recommendations to the City Council. To advise the Council on change and selection of auditors. To study all fiscal issues and recommend possible improvements and economies. To develop and recommend an investment Policy that protects to monitor investment performance and recommend changes as appropriate. All such recommendations shall be approved by the City Council. The City Manager shall execute any approved investment decisions. To monitor pension and OPEB obligations and recommend appropriate mitigation and reserve policies. d) Parks, Recreation and Community Events Committee. i) Membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five (5) members and a maximum of ten (10) members, appointed, whenever feasible, from different geographical areas of the Town. ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: to serve as an advisory body to the Town Council on matters related to recreational programs, community engagement, and events. to encourage communication and participation between residents and the Town government, welcome new residents with informational packets, and events, share updates through "Our Town" and info tables, organize events like the Town Picnic and other activities, support other committees with projects, and recruit volunteers to keep the community connected and engaged. to develop and recommend year-round recreational programs and activities to serve residents of all ages. RESOLUTION 70-25 8 1 P a g e to study all recreational facilities within the Town and make recommendations regarding their status and potential improvements, ensuring alignment with the General Plan. e) Pathways Committee. i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five {5} members and a maximum of nine {9} members. ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: to work for the preservation and enhancement of the pathways within the Town for the use and enjoyment of all residents; to review and recommend changes to the Master Path Plan and the Bicycle Plan of the Town; to make recommendations at subdivision, site development, Planning Commission and City Council meetings regarding pathway easements; to meet regularly with the City Manager or the Manager's designee to render advice on pathway activities, priorities, and necessary maintenance; to communicate to residents the concepts and locations of paths and trails within the Town as approved by the City Council; to study and recommend ordinances and resolutions relating to acquisition, construction, maintenance and use of public trails and pathways; to communicate Town policies and procedures regarding pathways if advised to do so by the City Council; and to make recommendations to the City Council regarding both the maintenance and capital improvements budgets with regard to pathways. f) Open Space Committee. i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five {5} members and a maximum of nine f 9 members. ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: to advise and assist the City Council, Planning Commission, and staff in implementing the policies and goals of the General Plan, specifically with respect to acquisition and maintenance, and protection of voluntary conservation, open space easements and open space; to snake recommendations at subdivision, site development, Planning Commission and City Council meetings regarding the acquisition, maintenance and protection of conservation easements, open space easements and open space; to advise and assist the work for the preservation, restoration and enhancement of the environment and natural resources within the Town; to study and recommend ordinances and resolutions relating to acquisition, restoration, maintenance and use of conservation easements, open space easements and open space within the Town; to communicate Town policies and procedures regarding conservation RESOLUTION 70-25 9 1 P a g e easements, open space easements, and open space following standard Town communication policies; to provide educational material and informational forums and programs to the public regarding natural resources (e.g., wildlife, creeks, native plants, and wildlife habitat) following standard Town communication policies; and to develop relationships with other Town committees, neighboring municipalities, and regional entities to collaborate on environmental issues following standard Town communication policies. g) Environmental Initiatives Committee i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five 151 members and a maximum of eleven {I I { members. ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: to assist the Town in the development of and refinement of the Council's Environmental Strategic Goals for Town -owned property; to recommend a set of initiatives that would lead to the progress and achievement of these goals; and to review other environmental initiatives to be proposed to the City Council, subject to the appropriate hearings, that would affect other aspects of Town policy including residential development and Town infrastructure. h) History Committee i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five {5} members and a maximum of nine {9} members. The mission of the Historical Committee shall be the preservation of the Los Altos Hills heritage. ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: to implement policies that preserve the historic and cultural fabric of the Town; to protect the historic and cultural resources from inappropriate destruction; to preserve community input into the policy-making process; to research and document best practices and model preservation policies; to organize and make available to the public the historic artifacts that have been preserved and to continue to collect historic artifacts for future generations. iii) Nothing in the aforementioned charges and duties shall be interpreted as authorizing the mandatory historic preservation of private residences or require property owners to submit their pending site development plans before the Committee. i) Public Art Committee i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five {5} and a maximum of nine {9} members appointed whenever feasible from different geographical areas of the Town. RESOLUTION 70-25 10 113 a g c ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be (in order): Work with art consultants and/or others to find or create appropriate art for display. Propose appropriate sites for the recommended art. Identify any funds that may be required to acquire recommended works of art. Then present applications for new art work(s), including siting recommendations, to the Council for approval. If approved, the Town shall, with the Committee's support, acquire the proposed art work(s). Work with the artist or consultant, Town and donor regarding installation, security, and lighting. Be available for problem solving of maintenance and other issues. Maintain a public resource for all installed and displayed works of art (including artist statements, description of the art, donor information, etc.). Note: The Town is the only entity that can accept a donation of funds or any other item(s). The Public Art Committee cannot accept donations intended for Town usage (See Section 6(b)). iii) The committee shall meet as necessary when called by the Chairperson. j) Technology Committee i) The membership of this Committee shall consist of a minimum of five {5} members and a maximum of nine {9} members. ii) The charges to and duties of this Committee shall be: Advise the Council and staff on policies, initiatives, and practices related to innovation and technology that could enhance services to the public and increase efficiencies Assist staff in evaluating emerging trends and technologies, and make recommendations for implementing new systems and improving existing services Provide policy guidance on the implementation of "Smart City" policies focusing on areas such as cyber security, promoting digital inclusion, improving mobility, enhancing public safety, and developing communication tools Assist with following legislative developments, funding opportunities, and evaluating agreements and proposals Section 7. Procedures. a) Committees are cautioned to limit expenditures from the personal funds of the members without prior approval by the Town. b) Committees may not enter into contracts or agreements on behalf of the Town. RESOLUTION 70-25 11 P a g e c) Any correspondence involving the use of Town letterhead must first be approved by the City Council before distribution. Any outside correspondence (excluding intra -town memos) should be submitted in draft to the City Clerk. d) All press releases and announcements relating to the Town or Town -sponsored events are to be pre -approved by the City Council. Sufficient time should be allowed. to obtain necessary approvals or make necessary changes. e) Itemized budgets must be submitted in advance for projects involving a group or series of purchases. f) Vendors for purchases shall be those which are identified and approved by the Town. g) Funds which are budgeted for a specific use must still be approved prior to expenditure. h) Written bids may be submitted for consideration by the Town. In this case, three or more bids are required. i) Any new programs, projects, or expenditures beyond what has previously been approved by the City Council shall first be submitted to vote by the Standing Committee. The recommendation and supporting minutes shall then be forwarded to the City Council for consideration prior to any obligations being made. j) Priorities and deadlines are set by the City Council and can be changed only by the City Council. Section 8. Communications. All standing committees of the City Council are subject to the following principles and guidelines, unless specifically given other guidance by vote of the Council: a) Committees do not have the authority to speak for the Town. Neither Committees as a whole, nor an individual committee member shall act or speak for the Town unless authorized to do so by the City Council. Committees should not seek to negotiate or conclude agreements with other organizations. Only the Council or Town Staff may do so. b) When speaking with the press or other organizations, committee members should refrain from communication that would lead the recipient of such communications to understand or reasonably believe that they are speaking on behalf of the Town. Section 9. Repeals. This Resolution hereby repeals and. supersedes all previous resolutions regarding standing committees, including, without limitation, Resolution No. 05-25. The above and foregoing Resolution was passed and adopted by the City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills at a regular meeting held on the 16"' day of October 2025, by the following vote: AYES: TANKHA, BHATEJA, MOK, SWAN, TYSON RESOLUTION 70-25 12 P a g e NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE BY: 1:11 ATTEST: Kavita Tankha, Mayor RESOLUTION 70-25 13 1 P a g e