January 2^nd, 2002

To: Vice Mayor and City Council
Fm: Fred Fowler
Cc: City Manager

Standing Council Subcommittees are formed by the City Council to recommend actions for the Council to take in specific policy areas. Two such subcommittees exist at this time: the Council Technology Subcommittee and the Council Subcommittee on Moffett Field.

Neither of these subcommittees have been active for quite some time. The Technology Subcommittee has not met in over two years, and its last recommendation to the Council was made in 1999. The Moffett Field subcommittee has not met since June, 2000 and its last recommendation to the Council was also made in 1999.

Having standing subcommittees can limit the Council’s flexibility in working through policy initiatives. Sometimes the Council Members who are the most interested and have the most knowledge about certain aspects of a policy are not those assigned to the subcommittees, and thus cannot participate in their deliberations.

For those reasons, I recommend that the Council consider disbanding both subcommittees.

The Council’s Technology subcommittee was formed prior to 1996 and was given the task of recommending whether the City should explore the use of the Internet for public outreach and communication purposes. The subcommittee’s work resulted in the creation of the City’s web site (www.ci.sunnyvale.ca.us) as well as the City’s on-line permitting project.

When I joined the Council in 1997 I was assigned to the subcommittee immediately upon assuming office. At that time, it was tasked with making recommendations regarding the upgrade of the technology in the Council Chambers. The committee worked through its task and recommended the equipment that is now in use.

In 1999, the subcommittee was given the task of recommending policy for the resale and/or commercial distribution of the City’s on-line permitting software. It did so, resulting in the policy that is now in place.

There has been no further work assigned to the subcommittee. As of January, 2000 its membership has been Jack Walker (chair), Fred Fowler, and Tim Risch, but the committee has not met since 1999 and the current members have never been convened.

Recently, a technology related initiative was directed to an ad-hoc subcommittee because the two Council Members making the initiative were not members of the subcommittee, and so could not make their case before it for a recommendation.

The Council’s Subcommittee on Moffett Federal Airfield was created prior to 1996 and was tasked with recommending Council action regarding proposed uses for the facility. It met regularly in 1996, 1997, and 1998, then began to meet more infrequently as the future of the facility took shape. It’s last recommendation to the council was made in RTC 99-529 regarding appointments to the board of directors of the California Air and Space Center. It met once after that, in June of 2000, where the only action it took was to appoint a chair. It did not meet at all in 2001.

There is currently an issue before the Council regarding the Environmental Impact Report that NASA is preparing for their proposed Research and Development park. Two Council members have raised traffic related questions about it and wish to explore the EIR further. Neither of them are members of the Moffett subcommittee, and so could not participate in its deliberations on the subject, should the EIR matter be referred there by the Council.

There will likely be no fiscal impact. There may be a potential reduction of staff support needed, but since neither subcommittee has met in the last 18 months, no staff support has been required.

I recommend that the Council Technology Subcommittee and the Council Subcommittee on Moffett Field be dissolved. I further recommend that future policy recommendations in these areas be delegated to ad-hoc subcommittees rather than standing committees.

Prepared by:
Frederik M. Fowler
Mayor