REPORT TO NEIGHBORHOOD UNIVERSITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE
SUBJECT
Title
Update on Neighborhood University Relations Committee Restructuring
Report
BACKGROUND
The Neighborhood University Relations Committee (NURC) was established in 1990 to review student housing issues (formerly Student Housing Committee).
In 2006, the Santa Clara University/City Liaison Committee and NURC were combined because of their overlapping subject areas. These two committees met as needed.
June 23, 2009, the NURC requested City Council hold three NURC meetings per year (October /November, February and April/May) as it was agreed that more time was needed for dialogue between the residents and the students.
The new NURC established a forum for on-going communication and problem solving among City officials, neighborhoods, property owners and Santa Clara University officials and students.
At present, the City’s the Community Development Department provides primary staff support and serve in an advisory role to the NURC. Additional staff from the Police Department regularly attend and provide updates. The agendas are not structured for new work items to be referred to staff. In years past, Councilmembers participating in the NURC would refer certain concerns to the Director of Community Development to inquire about certain projects or address certain issues. This structure poses a challenge because an individual or a committee of Councilmembers cannot provide direction staff, as the City Manager is charged with overseeing operations and managing the workprogram of all City employees, under direction and policy guidance from the City Council. Additionally, having primary staff support provided by the Community Development Department limits the scope of issues that can be directly supported by staff assigned to the Committee.
In addition to the direct work of the Committee, a Team 300 was established to deal with enforcement issues in the University area. This team meets monthly to coordinate, exchange information, and problem solve issues that arise. This team is comprised of staff and individuals from:
• Planning Code Enforcement
• Public Works Streets Division (trash/recycling)
• Police Department
• SCU Security
• SCU Off-Campus Student Life staff
• Property Managers
• Old Quad Residents Association
Team 300 participates in the SCU Walk About every September to educate students on local laws and providing resource information.
Additionally, the Police Department holds a property owner/manager meeting at the beginning of each school year.
The current NURC structure includes three City Councilmembers that participate as the Committee members with an Alternate Councilmember also appointed. Santa Clara University staff and City staff from Community Development and Police Department provide updates to the Committee. The agenda is posted 72 hours prior to the meeting and members of the public are welcome to attend.
DISCUSSION
At the October 16, 2023 NURC, City Council Committee members and the one community member present discussed the interest to change NURC meetings in order for it to be a more effective forum as well as to provide a path for referrals for work items to come from the Committee.
At the July 11, 2024 NURC meeting, staff shared a presentation on the NURC’s history and scope of its purpose. Staff also shared that there are limited resources available for expanding NURC work efforts, but that the Committee should also include oversight by the City Manager’s Office.
Since the July 11, 2024 NURC meeting, staffing adjustments have occurred, including the addition of Reena Brilliot to the City Manager’s Office as the Director of Economic the Development and Sustainability in mid November 2024. In her new role, Reena will be representing the City Manager’s Office in oversight of NURC. Also since the last NURC meeting, staff has been researching other city, university and community committees for how best to restructure the NURC to achieve a more effective collaborative body. Two examples of committee types include the City of Newton Massachusetts’s Boston College Neighborhood Council and the City and County of San Luis Obispo’s Student-Community Liaison Committee, both of which function similarly to NURC with a primary focus on city, university, and neighborhood collaboration. Both of these examples include Committee structures where committee members are comprised of residents, university staff, university students, and local government officials. Such a diverse representative structure is different than the current NURC, which currently solely includes City Councilmembers as Committee members.
Regarding the questions about how to move referral items forward for additional staff research or work, those requests should be vetted by the full City Council after they are assessed for the impact to staff resources or budget. Such referral requests from NURC would be proposed to be considered through the Council’s annual Priority Setting Process.
Staff continues to research and develop potential changes to the NURC structure. Possible changes could include modifying the NURC Committee to include two City Council members (versus the three members now), one neighborhood representative, one Santa Clara University representative, and one appointed Santa Clara University student. These and other potential changes would be shared at the February 2025 NURC meeting for discussion and direction.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This is an information report only and no action is being taken by the City Council and no environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) is required.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the City other than staff time.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Community Development Department and City Manager’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the NURC agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Receive staff report regarding proposed restructuring of the Neighborhood University Relations Committee.
Staff
Reviewed by: Reena Brilliot, Director of Economic Development and Sustainability
Approved by: Jōvan Grogan, City Manager