REPORT TO BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES
SUBJECT
Title
Review and Discuss Proposed Updates to Board of Library Trustees Bylaws
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency
BACKGROUND
The Board of Library Trustees Bylaws were initially adopted on March 2, 1970, and reapproved and revised multiple times:
* Reapproved 5/2/83
* Reapproved 7/7/86
* Revised 1/3/94
* Revised 2/6/95
* Revised 5/6/96
* Revised 4/3/00
* Revised 10/2/00
* Revised 12/3/07
* Reapproved 12/6/10
Staff received an inquiry from the Board as to whether the Bylaws mentioned the office of a Board Secretary, to take detailed notes regarding Board discussions.
In current practice, the City of Santa Clara Board and Commissions Meeting Minutes are drafted in compliance with the City Clerks Association of California Guidelines for Preparing Minutes for Governmental Agencies as Action Minutes, recording final decisions made. Details of discussion are available on the City's website, where video recordings of Board Meetings are archived alongside Agendas and Minutes. The Board's inquiry suggested that it might be more convenient to have written notes to review, in addition to posted video recordings, Agendas and Minutes.
Upon review of the Bylaws, staff found that the office of nominating secretary is present in the most recent 2010 version of the Board of Library Trustees Bylaws whose stated task is to poll prospective candidates for officers of the board. In practice, the Board has not utilized the role of nominating secretary nor any position resembling the role of a traditional secretary.
DISCUSSION
Staff have worked in coordination with the City Attorney's Office to review and revise the Bylaws. Changes recommended by the City Attorney's Office include removal of the nominating secretary role, and other minor changes to match the language of the Bylaws more closely with the City Charter.
Attached are two draft bylaw amendments for the Board's consideration. Attach...
Click here for full text