title
CC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Discussion and Direction Regarding Vacancies on the Finance Advisory Committee; the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission; and the Fiesta La Ballona Committee; (2) Discussion and Direction on Whether to Keep or Dissolve the Fiesta La Ballona Committee, and (3) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
body
Meeting Date: November 13, 2023
Contact Person/Dept: Jeremy Bocchino/City Manager’s Office/Adam Ferguson/PRCS
Phone Number: (310) 253-5851/ (310) 253-6685
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (11/07/2023)
Department Approval: Jesse Mays, Assistant City Manager (11/06/2023)
_____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council discuss and provide direction to the City Manager on (1) the vacancies on the Finance Advisory Committee (FAC), the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission, and the Fiesta La Ballona Committee; (2) whether to keep or dissolve the Fiesta la Ballona Committee, and (3) provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND
Unscheduled vacancies have arisen on the Finance Advisory Committee (FAC), the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission (PRCS), and the Fiesta La Ballona Committee (FLBC). Staff is requesting direction from the City Council on addressing these vacancies.
Finance Advisory Committee
There are nine positions on the FAC and six of those nine are filled, leaving three positions currently vacant. Resident Position (Seat No. 2) was held by Anne Diga Jacobsen who provided notice of resignation on September 15, 2023, for personal reasons. Former member Darrel Menthe’s appointment to the Planning Commission has created a vacancy for Business Member (Seat No. 5.) Both of these seats are available for a partial term expiring June 2024. The CCUSD Representative Member (Seat No. 9) was held by Assistant Superintendent Robert Quinn, who retired in June 2023. CCUSD has not yet found a replacement for recommendation to City Council for appointment.
There were no vacant FAC positions for the 2023 recruitment, which means that there are no applicants from which to select members.
PRCS Commission
Commissioner Cuffe was notified of his multiple absences, which resulted in forfeiture of his seat. Mr. Cuffe requested that the City Council review his absences and determine if he could be reinstated. The City Council determined to not reappoint Mr. Cuffe at the October 9, 2023, City Council meeting. PRCSC has five positions and 4 are filled currently.
Fiesta La Ballona
On May 3, 2023, the Chair of the FLBC resigned, leaving the FLBC without the four members required to meet a quorum. The Committee has not been able to have a meeting since its last quorum at the Regular Meeting on February 15, 2023. At the June 26, 2023, annual recruitment period, there were only three applicants from the community to fill the four vacancies. At that time, City Council approved waiting to appoint members to the FLBC.
Except for a few discussions with existing Ad Hoc Subcommittees, there was very little input provided by the Committee for this year’s Fiesta La Ballona event. Despite not having the FLBC’s participation in the planning, the August 2023 Fiesta La Ballona event occurred successfully. City staff organizes many community-wide events throughout the year that do not have an official City Committee associated with them.
There are seven positions on the FLBC and four positions are currently vacant (Seats 2, 3, 4, and 5). Appointments made would be to complete the remaining terms of those who resigned. Please note that all terms longer than 2 years are considered full-term. Seat No. 2 is available for a full term expiring on October 31, 2027. Seat No. 3 is available for a full term expiring on October 31, 2027. Seat No. 4 is available for a full term expiring on October 31, 2027. Seat No. 5 is available for a full term expiring on October 31, 2026.
DISCUSSION
Staff is requesting that the City Council provide direction on the following issues:
For the FAC: the City Council may (A) hold a special recruitment, or (B) wait until the next annual recruitment to fill the vacancies.
For the PRCSC: The 2023 annual recruitment included four additional applicants who were not selected for other bodies. Staff reached out twice to the eligible applicants via email. Margaret Peters was the only applicant who responded with interest in the position. The City Council may (A) select a member from those applicants, (B) hold a special recruitment, or (C) wait until the regular recruitment.
For the FLBC: The City Council may: 1) eliminate this committee as an official City Committee, and instead encourage an informal volunteer group of people to assist with planning ideas and with final decisions made by PRCS staff; 2) keep it an official Commission, Board, and Committee (CBC) body and either (A) consider the remaining 2023 applicant who confirmed interest in the position (Karim Sahli) who applied during the 2023 recruitment to enable a quorum and recruit during the annual process, or (B) fill vacancies during a special or the regular recruitment process.
The timing for a special recruitment would be January to February, 2024 with appointments being made in March. The regular recruitment begins by April 2024, with appointments in June 2024.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There will be no cost if a special application period is not held or if it is held but outreach is done via email and social media only. There would be a potential advertising cost of approximately $900 if the City Council directs the City Clerk to advertise for the vacancies in the newspaper. This amount will be paid from the Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2023/2024 in Account #10111100.517300 (City Clerk - Advertising).
ATTACHMENTS
1. PRCSC Redacted Application from Margaret Peters
2. FLBC Redacted Application from Karim Sahli
MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Discuss and provide direction to the City Manager regarding vacancies on the Finance Advisory Committee; the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission and on the Fiesta La Ballona Committee, as deemed appropriate;
AND
2. Keep the Fiesta La Ballona Committee as an official advisory City committee;
OR
3. Dissolve the Fiesta La Ballona Committee and provide direction to the City Manager regarding community involvement in the Fiesta La Ballona Event;
AND
4. Provide other direction as deemed necessary.