December 15, 2005
SUBJECT: Draft City Council Intergovernmental Assignments; Information Only
REPORT IN BRIEF
Traditionally, in January of each year, the City Council fills a number of positions for intergovernmental (IGR) assignments.
To assist Council in beginning to think about their 2006 assignments, this draft report provides a listing of Councilmembers’ 2005 IGR committee assignments (Attachment A), and a short description of IGR agencies, including membership composition and meeting frequency. To expedite the appointment process in January, Councilmembers may want to discuss their plans for re-appointment at the December 15 Council Workshop. Staff will present a second and final report, requesting Council action on 2006 IGR appointments, at the January 10, 2005 City Council meeting.
BACKGROUND
The City Council annually appoints members to a variety of intergovernmental agencies in order to represent the City's interests and to influence policies and regulations of other agencies. All intergovernmental positions that have terms expiring (either due to the bylaws of the organization or by Council policy), and are not appointed by an outside agency, are appointed by Council in January.
There are some appointments made by outside agencies (i.e., Association of Bay Area Governments' Finance and Personnel Committee and Regional Planning Committee). Council must ratify these appointments. In addition, the Mayor or Mayor's designee has a seat on the Santa Clara County Cities Selection Committee and the Military Affairs Council. The Mayor may also serve on U.S. Conference of Mayors’ committees.
Currently, Councilmembers hold 55 intergovernmental relations committee positions. As noted in Attachment B, City policy directs that "Reasonable staff assistance shall be provided to Councilmembers serving on intergovernmental bodies ..." A staff person with appropriate expertise is assigned for each committee appointment. To manage limited staffing resources effectively, early in the calendar year staff works with Councilmembers to identify support requirements. Staff support levels can vary greatly. Depending on the committee assignment, staff support will range from "no support" for committees with limited activities, to more extensive support for leadership committee positions. Typically, however, staff support consists of reviewing and advising on upcoming committee agendas for issues pertaining to Sunnyvale and, as needed, assisting Council in presenting those issues.
EXISTING POLICY
GOAL 7.3C: Participate in intergovernmental activities, including national, state and regional groups, in order to represent the city's interest, influence policy and regulations, and enhance awareness.
Policy 7.3C.1 Represent adopted City policy in intergovernmental activities.
Council Policy 7.3.15 – City Council Appointments to Intergovernmental Agencies, City Council Subcommittees and Council or Mayor-Created Advisory Task Forces
Council Policy 7.3.18 – Staff Support for Councilmembers; Staff-Council Communications
DISCUSSION
All IGR appointments that expire in January or do not have set term lengths, and are not appointed by outside agencies, are made annually in January. Appointments without expiration dates expire annually and must be re-appointed by Council. In making appointments, Council should consider the City's overall intergovernmental priorities and the particular interests and backgrounds of individual Councilmembers. Attachment A lists all Councilmember IGR assignments, including those which are ratified, but not appointed, by Council.
Below is a list of IGR committees to which Council needs to either make new appointments or re-appoint the current representative for calendar year 2006. The current (or former) representative and the new term expiration are listed after the organization in italics.
Appointments Made by Council
· ABAG General Assembly - Hamilton, 1/07
· ABAG General Assembly, Alternate - Lee, 1/07
· Bay Area Water Transit Authority, Community Advisory Committee - Swegles, 1/07
· North Valley (NOVA) Job Training Consortium Workforce Board, Nomination Committee, Miller, 1/07
· Santa Clara County Cities Association, Alternate - Miller, 1/07
· Santa Clara County Cities Association, Board Member - Chu, 1/07
· Santa Clara County Cities Association, Legislative Action Committee – Lee, 1/07
· Santa Clara County Cities Association, Joint Economic Development Policy Committee – Howe, 1/07
· Santa Clara County Emergency Preparedness Council - Fowler, 1/07
· Santa Clara County Housing Bond Advisory Committee - Swegles, 1/07
· Santa Clara Valley Water District, Water Commission - Chu, 1/07
· Santa Clara Valley Water District, Lower Peninsula Flood Control and Watershed Advisory Committee - Chu, 1/07
· Santa Clara Valley Water District, Guadalupe/West Valley Flood Control & Watershed Advisory Committee – Fowler , 1/07
· Sustainable Silicon Valley Initiative - Hamilton, 1/07
· Valley Transportation Authority, Board of Directors - Chu, 1/07
· Valley Transportation Authority, Caltrain Policy Advisory Board - Chu, 1/07
· Valley Transportation Authority, Policy Advisory Committee - Swegles
1/07
· Valley Transportation Authority, Policy Advisory Committee, Alternate – Howe, 1/07
· Valley Transportation Authority, Design Enhancements Committee – Chu, 1/07
Agency Descriptions
The following is a short description of each agency, including its 2005 membership composition, meeting frequency and approximate duration, and monetary compensation to Councilmembers (if available at the time this report was published) for the IGR assignments to which Council makes appointments.
Association of Bay Area Governments - General Assembly (ABAG): ABAG is the regional planning and coordination agency for the nine Bay Area counties and cities within those counties. ABAG also reviews federal grant requests. Each member city or county has one vote on the General Assembly, which typically meets for two eight hour sessions each year (March and October) to set policy for the organization. The City pays dues of approximately $17,500 to ABAG. There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. Melinda Hamilton was the City's 2005 representative and Otto Lee served as the alternate.
Bay Area Water Transit Authority – Community Advisory Committee: The Bay Area Council and Bay Area Economic Forum were directed to set up a task force to look at improving mobility in the Bay Area by significantly increasing water transportation services and facilities. The task force made recommendations to the state legislature and legislation was enacted to create the Community Advisory Committee. There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. Typically, the Committee meets quarterly for two hour sessions (January, April, July and October). Ron Swegles was the City’s 2005 representative.
North Valley (NOVA) Job Training Consortium Workforce Board – Nomination Committee: The NOVA WIB is a 20 member board that oversees the job training and placement programs in the North Valley cities (Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Cupertino, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos). A Nomination Committee comprised of a Councilmember, the director of the Chamber of Commerce, and the WIB Chair review applications and make recommendations to the full Council (this process was established by the Council). Typically, the Committee meets on an as-needed basis for a varied length of time. There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. Julia Miller served as the City's 2005 representative.
Santa Clara County Cities Association (SCCCA): The SCCCA was established in 1990 through a joint powers agreement to develop an effective means to represent the interests of the diverse cities within Santa Clara County in their dealings with other agencies and levels of government. It also functions as a source of education, information, and networking for elected officials. It is governed by a board of directors with one representative from each city. Typically, the Board meets the second Thursday evening of each month for 1-2 hours at Sunnyvale City Hall. The City pays dues of approximately $6,600 to the SCCCA. There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. Dean Chu was the City's 2005 representative and Julia Miller served as the alternate.
SCCCA - Legislative Action Committee: The SCCCA has a Legislative Action Committee to review legislation and make recommendations to the Board of Directors. The committee also has organized countywide meetings with legislators and coordinated lobbying trips to Sacramento. In the past, the committee had been an informal group of any interested councilmembers or staff. In 2002 SCCCA voted to change this task force from an informal group to a full committee of the organization. It has also been recommended that the alternate representative to the SCCCA Board from each City also serve as the representative on the Legislative Action Committee. It is not required that each city have a representative, and it could be a staff member, but the SCCCA would prefer to have a Councilmember appointed and attend regularly. Typically, the Committee meets on the fourth Thursday evening of each month for one hour sessions at Sunnyvale City Hall. There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. Otto Lee was the City's 2005 representative.
SCCCA – Joint Economic Development Policy Committee (JEDPC): The JEDPC was established in 2004 to help develop a permanent regional body to address economic development strategies for local government in Santa Clara County. The JEDPC is advisory in nature, a forum wherein uniform approaches to economic development policy are discussed and forwarded to the full SCCCA Board for further discussion and/or action by each representative City Council. Typically, the JEDPC meets quarterly for a varied length of time. There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. John Howe was the City's 2005 representative.
Santa Clara County Emergency Preparedness Council: The purpose of this group is to organize and coordinate the emergency activities of the governing bodies and political subdivisions of the county. It is made up of one representative from each city and one representative from the County. Members develop and recommend emergency and mutual aid plans and agreements for adoption by the county and individual cities. Regional coordination is critical for emergency preparedness. Typically, the Council meets on the first Thursday of the second month of each quarter for a varied length of time. There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. Fred Fowler served as the City’s 2005 representative.
Santa Clara County Housing Bond Advisory Committee: This group provides advice to the County Board of Supervisors on the Mortgage Credit Certificate Program and the Mortgage Revenue Bond Program, which provide funds for first-time homeowners and for affordable housing. Each member city, as well as the County and industry officials, are represented on the Advisory Committee. Typically, the Committee meets on an as-needed basis for a varied length of time. There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. Ron Swegles was the City's 2005 representative.
Santa Clara Valley Water District – Water Commission: The Water Commission is an advisory panel to the Water District. It is made up of one representative from each city and one representative from the Board of Supervisors. Its primary role is to advise the district on issues such as proposed water rates, district master planning activities, drought planning, legislation impacting the county water supply, and other related water issues. Typically, the Commission meets quarterly for two hour sessions (January, April, July and October). There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. Dean Chu was the City's 2005 representative.
Santa Clara Valley Water District – Lower Peninsula Flood Control and Watershed Advisory Committee: The flood control and watershed advisory committees of the Santa Clara Valley Water District are established to assist the Board of Directors with issues pertaining to flood protection and stream stewardship. Typically, the Committee meets quarterly for three hour sessions (February, May, September, and November). There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. Dean Chu was the City's 2005 representative.
Santa Clara Valley Water District – Guadalupe/West Valley Flood Control & Watershed Advisory Committee: The flood control and watershed advisory committees of the Santa Clara Valley Water District are established to assist the Board of Directors with issues pertaining to flood protection and stream stewardship. Typically, the Committee meets quarterly for two hour sessions (February, May, September, and November). There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. Dean Chu was the City's 2005 representative.
Sustainable Silicon Valley Initiative: The Initiative's goals are to create an environmental management system for the region and undertake collaborative projects involving businesses, government agencies, non-government organizations and private citizens to significantly reduce selected environmental or resource pressures. Sponsors of the project are the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group and the Silicon Valley Environmental Partnership. Typically, the Committee meets the second Tuesday of each month for one hour and a half hour sessions. There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. Melinda Hamilton was the City's 2005 representative.
Valley Transportation Authority – Board of Directors: The Board consists of 14 members that oversee the activities of, and establish policy for, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). Members are selected from city "groups" to allocate seats among the region’s cities and the County according to geographic location and population. The VTA’s mission is to provide the public with a safe and efficient countywide transportation system. In doing this, the VTA oversees major federal, state, and regional transportation funding allocations in Santa Clara County for all types of transportation projects. The VTA is the primary transit service provider, including buses, commuter rail, light rail, and paratransit. The VTA also manages major highway and expressway projects in the county, and prepares long range regional transportation plans. Typically, the Committee meets the first Thursday of each month for one hour sessions. There is monetary compensation for this appointment. According to VTA Administrative Code Article VI, Sec 2-61, “In lieu of reimbursement for expenses for attending meetings, each Director and each alternate shall be entitled to an allowance of one hundred dollars ($100) per day for attending Board meetings and meetings of Board standing and ad hoc committees to which the Director or alternate is assigned, not to exceed a total of five (5) days in any calendar month.” Dean Chu was the City’s 2005 representative.
Valley Transportation Authority - Policy Advisory Committee: This Committee is made up of a representative from each city in the county and advises the Transit District Board of Directors on issues such as bus service, light rail, and congestion management. Typically, the Committee meets the second Thursday of each month for two hour sessions. There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. Ron Swegles was the City’s 2005 representative and John Howe served as the alternate.
Valley Transportation Authority - Design Enhancements (DE) Committee: The DE Committee was established in 2004 to augment the role of the Community Oriented Design Enhancements Committee. The new DE Committee’s purpose is to oversee the design enhancement process in highway and rail projects contained in the Valley Transportation Plan. The DE committee includes representatives from each city in which a project that is appropriate for enhancements is located. The DE committee meets on an as-needed basis for a varied length of time. There is no monetary compensation for this appointment. Dean Chu was the City’s 2005 representative.
Appointments Made by Outside Agencies
Appointments by outside agencies are ratified by Council when first made if they have set terms, but annually if they do not have set terms.
Below is a list of Councilmember appointments made by outside agencies that are currently scheduled to continue in 2006. These appointments need to be ratified by Council. The 2005 representative is listed with each appointment.
Appointments without set terms
· Air Force Space Command’s Commander’s Group - Swegles
· Moffett Field Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) - Swegles
· Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
- Congestion Management and Planning Committee – Chu
- Dumbarton Rail Corridor Policy Committee - Chu
Appointments with set terms
· Blue Ribbon Task Force on Nanotechnology (and Education Sub-Committee) – Lee, 1/07
· League of California Cities
- Transportation, Communications and Public Works Committee – Chu, 9/06
- Peninsula Division – Chu, 9/06
- Housing, Community and Economic Development Policy Committee – Swegles, 9/06
· Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) – Howe, Exp. 5/08
· National League of Cities (NLC)
- Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials – Chu and Lee, 1/07
· Recycling & Waste Reduction Commission of Santa Clara County – Howe, Exp. 7/07
· Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
- Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Board – Chu, 1/07
As noted in Attachment C, City policy directs that "Notwithstanding, in all cases, council member assignments and appointments shall terminate automatically when a council member leaves office, effective upon the council member’s last day of service.”
Appointments from 2005 that are not scheduled to continue
· Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
- Administrative Committee – Miller
- Executive Board, - Miller
- Finance and Personnel Committee - Miller
- Legislation & Governmental Organization Committee - Miller
- Regional Planning Committee - Miller
- San Francisco Bay Trail Board of Directors - Miller
- Regional Airport Planning Committee – Miller
- Inter-Regional Partnership – Miller
· Bay Area Economic Forum
- Board of Directors - Miller
· South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project
- Stakeholders’ Forum – Miller
· Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)
- Board of Directors – Miller
- Executive Committee – Miller
- Budget & Finance Committee – Miller
- Public Outreach Committee – Miller
- Stationary Source Committee – Miller
- Personnel Committee – Miller
· League of California Cities
- Peninsula Division, Past President - Miller
- Employee Relations Policy Committee – Miller
Mayor’s Appointments
The Mayor is the recognized City representative on certain organizations. Those organizations are described below:
SCCCA Selection Committee: This organization appoints representatives from Santa Clara County cities to boards, commissions, and agencies as required by law. The membership is made up of the mayor or his/her designee from each city in the county. It appoints to agencies such as the ABAG Executive Board, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and the Air Quality Board. It is officially a committee of the Santa Clara County Cities Association and meets as needed to make appointments. Typically, the Committee meets on an as-needed basis for a varied length of time. Dean Chu served as the City’s representative during his term as Mayor.
Military Affairs Council: This group was established several years ago by the Air Force and other resident agencies at Moffett Federal Complex as an informal group to update the resident agencies, the cities of Sunnyvale and Mountain View, and the Chambers of commerce regarding issues related to the Moffett Complex. The Mayor is the official invitee, but he may appoint a designee if he does not wish to serve. Typically, the Committee meets quarterly for one hour and a half hour sessions. Mayor Dean Chu appointed Ron Swegles to serve as the City’s 2005 representative.
U.S. Conference of Mayors: The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of U.S. cities with populations of 30,000 or more. Each city is represented in the Conference by its mayor. The primary roles of the Conference of Mayors are to promote the development of effective national urban/suburban policy, strengthen federal-city relationships, ensure that federal policy meets urban needs, provide mayors with leadership and management tools, and create a forum in which mayors can share ideas and information. Conference membership dues for 2005 were in the amount of $5,438. This was a reduced rate. In 2004, the USCM had agreed to give the City of Sunnyvale 50% off the regular annual membership rate for 2004 and 2005 due to the City’s budget crisis. Typically, the Committees meet twice a year at the bi-annual (January and June) conferences. Dean Chu served on the Transportation & Communication and International Affairs Standing Committees during his term as Mayor.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to this report.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made through posting of the Council agenda on the City's official notice bulletin board, posting of the agenda and report on the City's web page, publication of the Council agenda in the San Jose Mercury News, and the availability of the report in the Library and the City Clerk's Office.
Reviewed by:
Robert Walker, Assistant City Manager
Prepared by: Coryn Campbell, Neighborhood and Community Resources Manager
Approved by:
Amy Chan
City Manager
Attachments (pdf)
A. 2005 IGR Assignments
B. Council Policy 7.3.18 – Staff Support for Councilmembers; Staff-Council Communications
C. Council Policy 7.3.15 – City Council Appointments to Intergovernmental Agencies, City Council Subcommittees and Council or Mayor-Created Advisory Task Forces