Report Prepared by: John Tresidder, Assistant City Clerk, City Clerk’s Office
Title
SUBJECT: Appointments to the Citizens Advisory Charter Review Committee with 6 Members by District and 3 Members in At-Large Seats
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers the appointment of individuals to the Citizens Advisory Charter Review Committee.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion accepting nominations and appointing one individual to each of the six City Council Districts and three individuals to at-large seats on the Citizens Advisory Charter Review Committee.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve and appoint individuals as recommended by staff; or,
2. Continue to a future meeting and direct staff to continue recruitment of applicants; or,
3. Deny the item.
AUTHORITY
City of Merced Charter, Section 200.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Placing Charter Amendments on the March 2020 Primary Election.
DISCUSSION
At the March 18, 2019 City Council Meeting, Mayor Murphy brought forward an item to discuss possible amendments to the City Charter. Council directed staff to return with a timeline and list of milestones in order to place possible amendments on the March 2020 Primary Election.
At the April 1, 2019 City Council meeting, staff reported on a timeline and set of milestones that would need to be met in order to place possible Charter Amendments on the March 2020 Primary Election. At the same meeting, Council directed staff to begin the process that would lead to that end.
The Council also agreed at the April 1, 2019 meeting that a Citizens Advisory Charter Review Committee should be used, similar to the last comprehensive Charter review in 2007. This committee would have the sole purpose to carry out the charge of the City Council in reviewing all or part of the City of Merced Charter and making a recommendation to the City Council when the task is complete.
At the City Council Meeting of April 15, 2019 Council discussed the makeup of the committee and directed staff to recruit for applicants with the use of newspaper publications, radio spots, a social media campaign, and connecting with local service groups and organizations.
Staff participated in several radio interviews to assist in the recruitment process, published notices in the local newspaper, and created a social media campaign designed to educate and create public interest. In addition, staff reached out to several local service groups including but not limited to Rotary, Sunrise Rotary, Kiwanis, the League of Women Voters, the Merced Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Building Healthy Communities in order to engage more citizens in the process.
Several applications have been submitted to the City Clerk’s Office at the time of agenda production and are attached. Should more applications be submitted before the 5 p.m. deadline on May 20th, they will be placed at the Council dais at the meeting.
District 1 - 1 applications
District 2 - 0 applications
District 3 - 3 applications
District 4 - 2 applications
District 5 - 2 applications
District 6 - 1 application
The matter of appointment is now before the Council.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
Staffing will be the primary impact with members from the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk’s Office assisting the committee.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Applications