REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on the Amendments to Council Policy 007 ("Constituent Requests Addressed to City Council") as Recommended by the Governance and Ethics Committee
Report
BACKGROUND
At the December 4, 2023 Governance and Ethics Committee meeting, staff brought forth proposed amendments for Policy and Procedure 007 ("Citizen Complaints Addressed to Council"). As background, Policy and Procedure 007 ("Citizen Complaints Addressed to the City Council") (Attachment 1) was last revised in April 1992 and provided a procedure on handling citizen complaints addressed to the City Council.
The Committee reviewed and discussed proposed amendments presented by staff to update the policy to Council Policy 007 ("Constituent Complaints Addressed to City Council"). Additionally, the City Manager referenced a copy of a memorandum from the City Manager on City Council Inquiries and Requests to Staff which was provided to the City Council offering guidance on the process to submit requests and constituent inquiries to City staff (Attachment 2). As noted in the document, the memorandum will be periodically reissued when staff members or assignments change.
During the discussion, the Committee members provided feedback which included the request for a follow-up summary on outcomes for constituent inquiries and encouraged constituents to utilize the City's customer service request platform MySantaClara
The Governance and Ethics Committee approved the proposed amended policy to Council Policy 007 ("Constituent Complaints Addressed to City Council") (Attachment 3).
DISCUSSION
In the effort to align the policy with the City Charter that provides for the City Manager to guide and direct staff, revisions to the Policy provide general guidance on the process for addressing: (1) Constituent Requests for Service, (2) Constituent Operational and Policy Interpretation Questions, and (3) Constituent Legal Inquiries.
To streamline communication protocols in place, Co...
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