REPORT TO CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE
SUBJECT
Title
Presentation of Council’s Direction on the Charter Review Committee (CRC) Proposed Comprehensive Charter Update and Potential Action on (1) a Plan for CRC Member Support for Community Outreach on the Proposed Public Works Charter Update, and (2) a Closeout Report to Council.
Report
DISCUSSION
As all of you surely know by now, at their July 14th meeting the City Council took final action on the CRC’s recommendation for a comprehensive Charter update. Consistent with previous Council direction, the Council considered the CRC’s recommendation for placement of a measure on the November 2026 ballot in two parts: (1) whether to proceed with a comprehensive Charter update measure (“Comprehensive Update”); and/or (2) whether to proceed with a stand-alone measure updating the City’s public works procurement provisions (“Public Works Update”).
In summary, the Council declined to proceed with the Comprehensive Update but approved moving forward with a modified version of the proposed Public Works Update. The modification to the proposed Public Works Update was to include a threshold of $250,000 for “major contracts” above which Council approval and formal bidding would be required. All other key elements of that proposal, to be implemented by ordinance, including provisions for “alternative” procurement mechanisms (e.g., design-build) were retained.
Although it is disappointing that the Council did not vote to advance the Comprehensive Update for voter consideration at the November 2026, election, there are two very positive take aways from this process.
First, the Public Works Update, by itself, will create substantial value for City government and its residents by modernizing the process for City procurement of major public facility and infrastructure improvements. And Council’s unanimous support for the proposed Public Works Update bodes well for its prospects in November. (Also a good sign: the deadline ...
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