HomeMy WebLinkAboutPresentation - Item 3B Boards and Commissions 2022-04-21REVIEW OF CITY
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS:
April 21, 2022, City Council Meeting
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
Visioning Sessions
•Two Sessions held Nov 20th & 30th 2021
•Primary means of setting future priorities
•Identify Targeted Process Improvements
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
Process Improvement
•Looked at life cycle of decision making
•Identified multiple role players: residents, stakeholders,
external partners, City departments, committees,
commissions
•Targeted improvements across the cycle of decision
making for all role players
•Some changes are already implemented
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
Challenges
•Commission structures and authority vary
significantly
•Some lack strategic direction provided by
City Council
•Confusion about roles and responsibilities
•Lack of on-boarding and training
•Lack of integration and communication
Opportunities
•Streamline Commission structures
•Review, amend and clarify roles and
responsibilities
•Integrate Commissions in priority setting
•Expand communication through scheduled
activities
•Create onboarding and training materials
for Commissioners and staff
Boards and Commissions
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Challenges and
Recommendations
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•Challenge #1: There are currently 14 Boards and Commissions,
most of which are created to advise Council on policy, but
sometimes participate in administrative work.
Recommendation: Realign ordinances, bylaws, and practices to
reflect advisory roles. Delegate ongoing administrative work to the
few Commissions that have this responsibility, such as Planning
Commission and Architectural Review. Reserve all other delegated
tasks on a case-by -case basis.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
•Challenge #2: Boards/ Commissions vary in size from 5 to 19
members. Larger Commissions sometimes struggle with attendance,
continuity, and efficiency.
Recommendation: Reduce Commissions to 5 or 7 members,
excluding Airport Commission. Consider reducing Airport
Commission in a way that still emphasizes regional participation (a
7-member Commission could have 4 appointees from Palm Springs
and 3 from mid-Valley, East-Valley, and County.)
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
•Challenge #3: All Commission meetings are held at 5:30 pm,
which creates scheduling conflicts and makes logistics of hybrid
meetings more difficult.
Recommendation: Consider allowing Commissions to schedule
meetings at other times, as long as transparency with recorded
meetings and convenient options for public input are maintained.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
•Challenge #4: Boards and Commissions have varying practices
with bylaws, use of subcommittees, and other practices.
Recommendation: Create template bylaws for all Commissions.
Require any special provision that may be necessary for some
Commissions to be approved by City Council.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
•Challenge #5: Expectations regarding conduct, media relations,
stakeholder engagement, working with external jurisdictions,
representing Commissions with outside groups , representing the
City, etc., are unclear.
Recommendation: Create a template Handbook outlining various
expectations for conduct and incorporate into onboarding.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
•Challenge #6: Members often lack clarity on roles, responsibilities,
and important rules such as the Brown Act. Not all staff that serve
as liaisons are trained in this area.
Recommendation: Ensure onboarding materials cover this content
and there is annual training provided to staff liaisons and
Commissions.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
•Challenge #7: Boards and Commissions often lack strategic
direction from Council, leading to confusion and frustration as
Commissions struggle to meter the volume of work and produce
recommendations that Council is ready to act on.
Recommendation: Create an annual cycle of strategic planning
for Boards/ Commissions that coincides with Council’s strategic
visioning.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
•Challenge #8: Commissions report feeling disconnected from
Council and unaware of how information is exchanged. High
demand for Council Member time makes consistent participation at
Commission meetings difficult.
Recommendation: Create a process whereby active Commissions
create and submit quarterly reports to Council; or Mayor or
Council Member attends Commission meetings quarterly. Hold at
least one annual meeting between Council and Commissions.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
•Challenge #9: Commissions often have ideas for engaging in
additional work, subcommittees, communication content, etc. that
often goes beyond researching, drafting, and presenting policy
recommendations.
Recommendation: Outline in Commission Handbook that staff is
committed to assist the work of Commission but empowered to
adjust and meter work to balance demand on staff time.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
•Challenge #10: Commissions can sometimes have tension between
roles of individual members and Commission as a body. Some
Commissioners engage in advancing work outside of meetings,
causing confusion about what has been directed by a Commission
as a body.
Recommendation: Outline in Handbook expectations for conduct
and emphasize limited nature of individual roles and the greater
emphasis on group decision making.
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
Next Steps
•Staff to begin implementing recommendations
•Create comprehensive Handbook and onboarding materials for Council
approval
•Consider recommendations specific to individual Commissions not yet outlined
•Establish regular schedule of “connecting” activities such as annual dinner,
quarterly meetings between Commission Chair and Mayor, staff reports etc.
•Staff recommending June 21, 2022, Study Session as a Joint Meeting with
Boards/ Commissions and City Council
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
Questions/ Comments