RESOLUTION NO. 2022-24 A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING CITY COUNCIL AND
MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEES
RECITALS:
A. Whereas the citizens of Ashland have a strong history of voluntary service to their community, including on advisory bodies to the City of Ashland (City); and
B. Whereas Ashland citizens have important practical and technical knowledge on issues and topics important to sustaining the quality of life in the city and on the operational effectiveness of the City of Ashland organization; and
C. Whereas the City Council of the City of Ashland has an interest in promoting continued community participation in advising the City Council and City management.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND, OREGON, RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Procedure and Guidance for advisory committees to the City Council and City staff include the following:
A. Each advisory committee shall serve solely as an advisory body whose actions or recommendations shall not be considered as City policy or the establishing of City policy or as final decisions of the City and are therefore not subject to administrative or judicial appeal.
Each advisory committee will provide service that does not conflict with the functioning of City departments or other government agency and shall have no executive or administrative powers or civil rights investigatory or enforcement authority. Attendance at an orientation or training session for standing advisory committee members, when offered, is required before they are permitted to further exercise voting rights at committee meetings. The City Manager will provide at least an annual orientation or training session update to all standing advisory committees and will be responsible for assigning City staff support for the work of the advisory committees.
Except as otherwise expressly stated, standing advisory committees shall observe policies and meeting and conduct rules consistent with those set forth for commissions and boards 2 in AMC 2.10, Uniform Policies and Operating Procedures for Advisory Commissions and Boards, including its meeting and attendance, and code of ethics provisions.
B. Advisory committee members shall serve as individuals exercising their own best judgement and not as delegates for their respective organization or groups. Committees and their members are not official representatives of the City of Ashland and may not present their committees recommendations or their personal opinions or points of view as representative of the City’s policy or operational perspectives. Prior to speaking publicly on behalf of their respective advisory committee, members must secure the permission of their committee to represent the activities or recommendations of their committee.
C. A quorum of each standing advisory committee shall consist of more than one-half (˝) of the total number of its current Council-confirmed voting members, but in no case fewer than three (3) members. Appointed voting and alternative members of a standing advisory committee may not name a substitute or alternate member to attend a meeting of their advisory committee on their behalf. Nonvoting ex-officio members, staff, and liaisons do not count toward the quorum.
Appointed voting and alternate members of a standing advisory committee need not be physically present at a meeting if another means of attendance (e.g., telephonic, internet, etc.) has been established by the membership and public meetings law requirements are met. At least a majority of the quorum is necessary to adopt any motion; some motions may require the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the members present.
A voting or alternative member of a standing advisory committee should provide at least a 48-hour notice to both their committee’s chairperson and the City Manager appointed ex-officio committee staff support member regarding any planned absence from a scheduled meeting of the advisory committee. In the event an unexpected or emergency absence, the member should notify their advisory committee’s chairperson, or the appointed staff support individual within a reasonable time in advance of the meeting.
If the members in attendance do not constitute a quorum, staff or invitees may make informational presentations provided (1) Notes describing the presentations and discussions are made and posted on the City website; (2) no motion, debate or vote or any other official business other than adjournment takes place; and (3) all topics advertised are automatically added to the agenda for the next regularly scheduled meeting.
D. Standing advisory committees may request voluntary testimony but may not compel an individual or organization to appear before it or respond to questions.
E. Advisory bodies may consult with other city advisory committees on matters of mutual interest in the course of developing recommendations to bring to the City Council or City Management. It will be the responsibility of advisory committee chairpersons to work or meet informally as needed to coordinate the activities or coordination of matters between their committee and other advisory committees.
F. Standing advisory committee members (voting, alternative and non-City staff ex-officio) will be appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the City Council. Council confirmed standing advisory committee appointments shall have three (3) year terms. Members of city commissions with corresponding responsibilities as the standing advisory committees will be invited by the City Recorder to confirm their interest in appointment by the Mayor without the necessity of submitting a formal new appointment application. New applicants must submit formal application with the City Recorder for Committee appointment. All regular terms commence with appointment and shall expire on April 30 of the third year. In the case that a new committee member is appointed to fill the remainder of a recently vacated voting position, the new member will be eligible for reappointment at the end of the partial term they are completing. The City Manager will appoint all ex-officio City staff support committee members. The Mayor, with City Council confirmation, will appoint Council liaisons to each of the standing advisory committees. Council liaisons shall be non-voting ex-officio members of the corresponding committees.
G. Standing advisory committees shall be governed by AMC 2.10 – Uniform Policies and Operating Procedures for Advisory Commission and Boards. Council liaisons will be assigned for standing advisory committees per AMC 2.04.100. Standing advisory committees will be reviewed by the City Council approximately every three years as to their assigned responsibilities, level of effectiveness and the need for their continued role and existence.
H. In keeping with the diversity, equity, and inclusion goals of the City of Ashland, efforts will be made to ensure that information regarding standing advisory committee vacancies and the application process is readily available and advisory committees are made up of residents that represent the diverse populations within the City. All committees shall assist the City of Ashland in ensuring that city programs related to the charge of the committee are equitable for all community members, including low-income, young people, persons of color, the elderly, and those living with disabilities. Standing advisory committees may have up to two additional non-voting, ex-officio student/youth members who are of high school or college age.
I. Unless otherwise stipulated below, voting and alternate standing advisory committee members will be comprised of individuals who reside within the City except one (1) member from each advisory committee may be an at-large member living within the City’s urban growth boundary. Ex-officio members are not required to be residents within the City or the urban growth boundary. Voting and alternate members must be over eighteen (18) years of age.
J. All standing advisory committees serve at the pleasure of the City Council and shall deliver to the Council an annual report on their activities and accomplishments in the preceding year and provide to the Council for its approval the priorities and workplan for the succeeding year. Standing advisory committees are expected to work with and advise the City Management and City Attorney to insure their committee recommendations are aligned with City Council priorities and can be implemented within the City’s resources and legal authority. Commissions transitioning under this resolution to become either standing advisory committees, or potentially to MAC status, are requested to complete any current work to develop recommendations for the City Council and advance them for consideration. These recommendations may advance either as a direct final report or presentation to the City Council or may be advance to the corresponding advisory committee or City Manager for reporting to the City Council.
K. The City Attorney is directed to return to the City Council in a timely manner with any updates, changes, or deletions to the Ashland Municipal Code to establish the here identified standing advisory committees as replacements for their corresponding city commissions or boards and to establish them as “Regular” advisory bodies per AMC 2.04. SECTION 2. Standing Advisory Committees to the City Council are established and responsible for the purposes indicated in the following:
SECTION 2. Standing Advisory Committees to the City Council are established and responsible for the purposes indicated in the following:
Social Equity and Racial Justice Advisory Committee (SERJAC)
A Social Equity and Racial Justice Advisory Committee (SERJAC) is established by the City Council. The SERJAC will consist of nine (9) voting members and one (1) nonvoting ex-officio member designated by the City Manager to provide support to the committee. Voting members will include members from a broad spectrum of community interests and perspectives, specifically including individuals with backgrounds in race and social equity work and a representative cross section of historically marginalized or underrepresented groups, such as Black, Aboriginal peoples, people of color, LGBTQ+, the elderly and disabled persons.
The SERJAC shall be responsible for assisting the City in the following:
i. Encouraging understanding and celebration of the diversity of the City’s population and visitors and promote amicable intergroup relations within the City.
ii. Recommending policies, measures, and practices to bring about social and racial equity and a greater inclusion for all who live, work, or visit in the City, including counter measures to systematic racism, homophobia, sexism, classism, and other racial and social inequities impacting Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ+, and disabled persons, as well as other marginalized persons in the Ashland community.
iii. Recommending efforts to increase economic opportunities for Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ+, and disabled persons, as well as other marginalized persons in the Ashland community.
iv. Advising on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and human rights training for the City of Ashland’s staff, commissions/boards, other advisory committees, and the City Council.
v. To seek, at least every two (2) years, a broad spectrum of input from community members on emerging issues and needs of the Ashland community as they relate to diversity, equity, inclusion, human rights, and intergroup
Please remember that other than staff, the people listed below are volunteers working on behalf of our community and should only be contacted on matters related to their particular commission, committee or board.
