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CC - ACTION ITEM: Discussion of City Council Agenda Item Tracking, Timelines, and Scheduling, and Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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Meeting Date: June 24, 2024
Contact Person/Dept.: Jeremy Bocchino/City Clerk’s Office
Phone Number: (310) 253-5859
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (06/19/2024)
Department Approval: Michael Bruckner, Assistant City Manager (06/18/2024)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council discuss City Council agenda item tracking, timelines, and scheduling, and provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
At the February 12, 2024, City Council meeting, there was consensus for staff to bring an item regarding agenda items for discussion. Specifically, the City Council wanted to learn how other cities track agenda items, determine how agenda items are scheduled, how agenda items are placed on agendas for the first time and how they are returned for additional consideration. There was also a request to consider adding a report of the combined financial costs of consent items.
There are three ways that items are placed on an agenda: 1) through staff, based on the work plan and operational needs; 2) via consensus by a majority of council members; and 3) through a Council subcommittee provided the agenda item is related to the subject matter jurisdiction of that subcommittee. (See Attachment 1 - Council Policy 3204 - Agendizing Items for Discussion.)
Items driven by the work plan and operational needs are tracked internally by the City Clerk’s Office in communication and collaboration with department staff. The City Clerk’s Office and staff determine the timeliness of potential items, staff workload, research needs, and any other considerations required to place items on an appropriate meeting date.
Currently, items that receive consensus by a majority of City Council Members to be placed on an upcoming agenda are tracked by the City Clerk’s Office. The City Clerk’s Office works in collaboration with department staff to determine an agenda meeting date based on the research and work involved with preparing the item for an agenda, as well as taking into consideration any specific timing requirements directed by a majority of the City Council.
Every two weeks, the City Manager and City Clerk meet with the Mayor to discuss the upcoming agenda items to ensure that the number and nature of agenda items is relatively manageable and the length of the meeting is reasonable.
Research on Other Cities
At the direction of the City Council, staff reached out to other City Clerks to determine their method of agenda item placement and tracking. Attachment 1 provides a summary of the information received.
Report on Combined Cost for Consent Items
West Hollywood provides a report of the total cost for the consent items, if approved by the members as a whole (Attachment 2.) For Culver City, this report would need to be compiled once the agenda items have gone through the approval process and are finalized. It would need to be prepared as one of the final steps prior to publishing the agenda and would add to the City Clerk’s Office and Finance Department workload.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is no fiscal impact to the discussion of City Council agenda item tracking, timelines, and scheduling.
ATTACHMENTS
1. City Council Policy No. 3204 - Agendizing Items for Discussion
2. Responses from other Cities.
3. Sample Consent Item Fiscal Report from West Hollywood
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Discuss City Council agenda item tracking, timelines, and scheduling;
2. Provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.