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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989/01/23 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study Session /A• 1 ‘1-1") MINUTES MINUTES COUNCIL STUDY SESSION ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA January 23, 1989 1 . Call to order Mayor Hanks called the meeting to order at 7:45 p.m. 2. Roll call The following members were present at roll call : Bruce Battaglia, Thomas Duffy, Allen Friedman, Larry Mitchell , David Strand, Lyle Hanks. Also present were the City Manager and the Assistant to the City Manager. 3. Boards and Commissions ' Councilmember Friedman said he wanted to see four items discussed: 1 . Review what commissions are needed for the community; 2. Identify what is a proper number of members; 3. Determine whether a City Council member should serve as a liaison to III a board or commission; 4. Establish a timeframe for decision making and implementation. Councilmember Mitchell suggested a different approach, that being provide the boards and commissions with a definition of the responsibility of their roll and request each to submit an annual report to the City Council at a pre-determined annual joint meeting. He stated that this would assist the boards and commissions in identifying the objectives for the year. Councilmember Strand stated he views the boards and commissions as committees of the executive board and that the City Council has an obligation to define the responsibilities for them. Councilmember Friedman stated that the City Council needs to review how the commissions got started which was by the City Council . Therefore, it should be up to the City Council to determine their role. Councilmember Battaglia asked the City Manager for his previous experience in working with boards and commissions. The City Manager responded that one city had a liaison system which included providing the City Council with an annual report. Councilmember Friedman stated that where there is a clearly defined mission III like that for the police and fire civil service commissions, the commission works extremely well . Councilmember Duffy stated that in some cases the boards and commissions no longer have the responsibility which was originally designated to them. Council study session minutes Jan. 23, 1989 2. Councilmember Strand stated that there is currently no formal orientation process for new members. He stated it is important for new members to understand their role on advisory boards and commissions. It was the consensus of the City Council to request the following boards and commissions to provide the City Council with an annual report: Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Cable TV Advisory Commission, Human Rights Commission and the Building Construction Codes Commission. Further, Council requested that the staff liaison to the Board of Zoning Appeals provide City Council with a report which reflects staff recommended action, BOZA action and City Council action on all cases considered for a one-year period. The City Council discussed the role of the Community Relations Commission and determined that it would be more appropriate to appoint a citizens task force at the time specific issues arise. It was the consensus of the Council to have the Mayor write a letter to the CRC membership explaining the abolishment of the CRC. Further, staff was directed to prepare code modifications to abolish the CRC for consideration at its Feb. 6, 1989 meeting. The City Council discussed the role of the Human Rights Commission and decided that the commission should undertake a study that would address how the City can plan for a growing minority population for the Year 2000 and specifically address housing and community services. This request should be made by the Mayor. Following receipt of the request, the City Council decided to have a joint meeting with the Human Rights Commission. The City Council discussed the Cable TV Advisory Commission and directed staff to review the existing ordinance with respect to meeting schedule and directed that the commission meet on call . Council discussed youth representatives to boards and commissions and decided that the youth members shall be ex-officio non-voting members. Council discussed the number of members on boards and commissions and it was recommended that as a general policy, boards and commissions shall have a minimum number of five members and a maximum of nine and that the membership shall be an odd number. The City Council discussed specific boards and commissions and recommended that all boards and commissions shall be comprised of seven members with the exception of the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Building Construction Codes Commission which shall be a membership of five. The City Council noted that the current membership of those two commissions is currently at six and recommended that the number be reduced through attrition. Council discussed the Streets and Highways committee and inquired as to how it was established. The City Manager responded that he would provide that information to the Council . The City Council discussed the terms of the commission members and recommended that each appointment serve a maximum of six consecutive years at_ the City Council ' s direction. Council study session minutes Jan. 23, 1989 3. III Council discussed their role in the orientation process and recommended that staff provide Council with the ordinance which established the boards and commissions at the time interviews are conducted. 5. National League of Cities It was the consensus of the City Council that Mayor Hanks, Councilmember Friedman and the City Manager attend the NLC Washington conference in March. 6. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m. ,? / - f/ Carmen Kaplan Recording Secretary