MINUTES 

SUNNYVALE Child care advisory board

The Child Care Advisory Board met on March 26, 2008, in the West Conference Room, 456 W. Olive Avenue, at 1:02 p.m. with Vice Chair, Manijeh Khazeni, presiding. 

ROLL CALL

Board Members Present:     Maxine Shea, Mary Smith, Jacqueline Sell, Carrie Bosco,

                                      Manijeh Khazeni, Lisa Taiz (late arrival)

Board Members Absent:      Kimberly Stewart, unexcused

Staff Present:                     Robert Walker, Assistant City Manager

Angela Chan, Youth and Family Resources Manager

                                                          Monica Guerra, Senior Office Assistant

SCHEDULED PRESENTATION   None

CONSENT CALENDAR                      None

CITIZENS TO BE HEARD 

1.    Approval of Draft Minutes,1/22/08 Meeting

PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS

2. Assistant City Manager, Robert Walker, indicated that all boards and commissions have or will be reviewing the Report to Council: Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct.  The report is recommending to merge these two documents into one document that will apply to elected and appointed officials alike. Board Member Shea and Board Member Sell agreed that merging the two documents would be beneficial.  Board Member Smith supported the report as well.  All Child Care Advisory Board Members provided feedback on the proposed Report to Council and indicated it would make sense to merge them and that there would be less confusion and overlap if the two documents are combined.

3.    Assistant City Manager, Robert Walker, briefed the Child Care Advisory Board on the upcoming Study Issue: Consider Transitioning the Child Care Advisory Board to a Staff-Advisory Committee.  Staff reviewed study issues from the last three years that were initiated by the Child Care Advisory Board and noted that they were more operational issues instead of policy issues.  Meaning that those study issues or projects could have been decided at staff-level and not been forwarded to Council for consideration. Board Member Shea asked the difference between the current advisory board changing into a staff-advisory board.  Youth and Family Resources Manager, Angela Chan, stated that if this board becomes a Staff-Advisory Committee it could lose its ability to recommend items to Council as one collective voice which was also indicated by Robert Walker. If needed, staff would be able to represent their suggestions or concerns to Council but CCAB would not be able to represent themselves as a formal board.  As a Staff-Advisory Committee a different set of by-laws would apply, the meetings would not be open to the public, meetings would be less formal and there would be no need for board nominations in the future. Staff-Advisory Committee meeting may be open to the public if staff and committee members see the need to gather public imput. Unfortunately, the CARES participants would no longer be able to attend these Staff-Committee Advisory meetings but would be able to obtain their needed CARES Leadership Activity Verification from other sources such as council meetings, conferences or support programs from other local cities.  Board Member Bosco asked how membership was with other City Staff-Advisory Committees.  Robert Walker indicated that there are other committees such as the Senior Advisory Committee, Teen Advisory Committee, and a pilot Cultural Diversity Committee.  Angela Chan mentioned that her Community Advisory Committee at the Columbia Neighborhood Center is well attended.  If this board becomes a Staff-Advisory Board it would still continue to review study issues and advise staff on its progress.  Board Member Sell hopes that incoming or new Child Care Advisory Board Members are given a briefing of this study issue along with feedback from any previous or leaving CCAB members.  This will help new member understand the differences between the current board and staff-advisory board, if they become one.  Board Member Shea indicated the value of feedback from board member’s with a longer term on the board.  Board Chair Taiz values staff’s time and is supporting City staff on this study issue.  On a side note, she also apologized to the board and staff for her late attendance this afternoon.

4.    The board had the opportunity to review the job description for the vacant position of Program Coordinator.  The vacant position has not been posted at this time.  Angela Chan asked all board members for suggestions or feedback regarding the description.  Board Chair Taiz suggested using a university Intern.  Board Member Sell suggested a social work internship as a possibility to fill the vacancy temporarily.  Board Member Sell noticed some duplicated efforts in the job description compared to other local resources.  She indicated that the 4C Council (Community Child Care Council of Santa Clara County) can assist the community with finding a local center or provider, just like the City’s Program Coordinator.  Also, some agencies offer the same provider workshops as the City of Sunnyvale.  However, Board Member Sell stated that community members continue to ask for assistance from the Program Coordinator because they find it friendlier and get better customer service from the City.

5.      A Special May meeting was set to discuss this tudy issue and the upcoming recommended budget that will be available to the public in mid-May.

NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND COMMENTS

A CARES participant in the audience expressed that she would like the Child Care Advisory Board to remain as-is and not consider to be a Staff-Advisory Committee because she likes the day time CCAB meetings and other local cities offer only evening meetings.

INFORMATION ONLY ITEMS

Staff distributed “Home Care Guide – Providing Care at Home During Pandemic Flu, to board members.  Board Chair Taiz reminded board members of the upcoming Volunteer Recognition on April 1, 2008.

Special Meeting: May 21, 2008, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., West Conference Room, City Hall

Next Regular Meeting:   April 22, 2008, 1:00 -3:00 p.m., West Conference Room, City Hall

ADJOURNMENT:  2:35 p.m.