General Government & Social Services Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The General Government & Social Services Committee met on October 6, 2015, at 1:00 p.m., with Lamb presiding. The committee addressed seven agenda items, taking seven votes during the session. The meeting included five public comments from members of the public.

All seven items on the agenda were approved, including the approval of the meeting summary and six substantive policy and program matters. The committee approved revisions to CAO Policy 14R regarding inclement weather procedures, as well as updates to both the compensatory time carry-over policy and the vacation time carry-over policy. The committee also approved matters related to boards, agencies, and commissions membership and vacancies, reviewed the aquatics program design, and addressed items currently in committee.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on October 6, 2015:

• Lamb
• Evans
• Akers
• Bledsoe
• F. Brown
• J. Brown
• Gibbs
• Henson
• Moloney
• Scutchfield

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Ordinance 271-2009 – Amend the oath of office ordinance 2:34

Motion by Evans, seconded by J. Brown. This motion to amend the oath of office ordinance to include authorized officers beyond the Council Clerk failed on a roll call vote. The vote was 8 ayes and 2 nays.

Voting in favor: Akers, Bledsoe, F. Brown, Gibbs, Henson, Lamb, Moloney, and Scutchfield.

Voting against: J. Brown and Evans.

Ordinance 271-2009 – Approve amendments to Section 2-19(1) 3:09

Motion by Bledsoe, seconded by Akers. This motion to approve amendments to Section 2-19(1) of the Code of Ordinances as proposed passed unanimously.

Ordinance 271-2009 – Remove Oath of Office for Boards, Agencies & Commissions from Committee 9:12

Motion by Bledsoe, seconded by Evans. This motion passed unanimously.

CAO Policy 14R – Remove Inclement Weather revision from Committee 11:51

Motion by Henson, seconded by Bledsoe. This motion to remove the revision of CAO Policy 14R – Inclement Weather from Committee passed unanimously.

Compensatory Time Carry Over Policy – Remove from Committee 12:25

Motion by Henson, seconded by Evans. This motion passed unanimously.

Vacation Time Carry Over Policy – Remove from Committee 12:25

Motion by Henson, seconded by Evans. This motion passed unanimously.

Adjourn the meeting 4:00

Motion by Bledsoe, seconded by Scutchfield. This motion passed unanimously.

Public Comment

Several councilmembers raised questions and suggestions regarding board management and aquatics infrastructure during the meeting.

Board Vacancies and Appointments

Councilmember Maloney suggested that the committee receive quarterly updates on board vacancies to help fill positions and assist constituents interested in serving on boards 21:39.

Councilmember Evans proposed that the council consider creating a dedicated position to manage board appointments, noting that the current system relies on multiple staff members with limited time 33:29.

Aquatics Program and Infrastructure

Councilmember Fred Brown requested historical data on pool construction and renovation dates, and asked for financial breakdowns of pool revenues and expenses to assess maintenance needs 55:01.

Councilmember Henson noted that accessibility for individuals with disabilities was not addressed in the aquatics presentation and emphasized the need to exceed ADA requirements 1:00:27.

Future Planning

Councilmember Evans asked whether the committee is considering emerging trends beyond splash pads and lazy rivers, such as new types of aquatic attractions that may emerge in the next 20 years 1:03:42.

Contested Items

Oath of Office for Boards, Agencies & Commissions

A motion to expand the list of authorized officers permitted to administer the oath of office for boards, agencies, and commissions resulted in a split vote. The motion failed with a vote of 8-2, indicating significant disagreement among council members about the proposed expansion. Councilmember Evans was identified as opposing the change to broaden the authorization of oath administrators.

Approval of Summary

The committee reviewed and approved the summary of the previous meeting's motions and actions 3:09. Key speakers during this discussion included Henson and Scutchfield.

During the review, a correction was identified regarding the vote count on a prior motion. The committee addressed this discrepancy and incorporated the correction into the summary.

The summary was approved following this correction.

Revision of CAO Policy 14R – Inclement Weather

3:41

The CAO's office presented revisions to CAO Policy 14R addressing inclement weather procedures. Key speakers Walters and Doreen outlined several updates to the policy.

Policy Updates

The revised policy includes the following changes:

• Expanded eligibility for all employees to access inclement weather provisions
• Updated communication methods for notifying staff of weather-related closures or delays
• Implementation of a text alert system for improved notification
• Clarification of time reporting codes for inclement weather situations
• Clarification of time bank rules as they apply to inclement weather absences

Outcome

The revised CAO Policy 14R – Inclement Weather was approved.

Revision of Comp. Time Carry Over Policy

11:38

The CAO's office presented a proposal regarding compensatory time carryover policy. Jennifer presented the item, which focused on streamlining the process for handling exceptions to compensatory time carryover limits.

Proposal

The proposal would allow the CAO to grant exceptions for compensatory time carryover in cases of emergencies or extenuating circumstances. This change would eliminate the need for a full ordinance revision each time an exception to the standard carryover policy was needed.

Outcome

The item was approved.

Revision of Vacation Time Carry Over Policy

The CAO's office presented a proposed minor ordinance change regarding vacation time carryover policies for employees. 11:38

Presentation

Jennifer presented the proposal, which would authorize the CAO to extend vacation carryover for employees in exceptional circumstances. The change was designed to provide flexibility in cases involving emergencies or unforeseen work demands that prevent employees from using accrued vacation time within standard timeframes.

Outcome

The revision of the vacation time carry over policy was approved.

Boards, Agencies & Commissions – Membership, Vacancies, Etc.

19:01

The council clerk's office presented an overview of the city's boards and commissions structure, which encompasses approximately 80 boards and commissions with around 600 total members.

Presentation and Discussion

Jamie Emmons and Scutchfield led the discussion on membership management and operational efficiency. The presentation addressed the current state of board vacancies and membership across the various city boards and commissions.

Key Topics

The committee discussed several areas for improvement:

• The need for quarterly updates on board and commission membership and vacancy status
• Ways to improve outreach efforts to recruit new members for vacant positions
• Potential board mergers to increase operational efficiency and reduce administrative burden

Outcome

The agenda item was approved by the council.

Aquatics Program Design

The parks director and consultants, including Monica Conrad and Pat Hoagland, presented preliminary findings from a master plan study on aquatics programming 37:53.

The presentation included analysis of public input gathered during the planning process. Community members expressed interest in several facility improvements and enhancements, including:

• Indoor year-round aquatics facilities
• Splash pads
• Extended operating seasons

The consultants also shared demographic and location analysis to inform recommendations for the aquatics program design.

The agenda item was approved.

Items in Committee

9:12

The committee reviewed the status of several referred items during this agenda section. The discussion included updates on the aquatics program, parks foundation, ethics ordinance, and extended social services.

Key participants in this discussion were Bledsoe, Henson, and Scutchfield.

All items under review were removed from the committee agenda. The committee approved a motion to report back on these items on a quarterly basis, establishing a regular schedule for future updates on the aquatics program, parks foundation, ethics ordinance, and extended social services.