REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
City Council Session on Governance
Report
BACKGROUND
On December 13, 2018, the City Council will convene to discuss governance and its implications in a council-district system.
As background, historically Councilmembers have been elected by an at-large election system. Based on a court-order issued to the City of Santa Clara in July 2018, the City moved from an at-large Councilmember election system to a district-based Councilmember election system. On November 6, 2018, Councilmembers Chahal and Hardy were elected to the Santa Clara City Council through district-based elections for Districts 2 and 3, respectively. As a result, the currently seated Council is comprised of four at-large elected Councilmembers and two elected by district. The Mayor continues to be elected at-large. The implications for changed governance need to be surfaced and reviewed by the City Council to ensure that values and goals supporting the City Council’s duties are completed with intentional governance.
In addition, on November 6, 2018, Santa Clara residents were asked to vote on the Advisory Ballot Measure (Measure N):
“Shall the City of Santa Clara engage the voters in a public process to draft a Charter Amendment ballot measure to elect its Council Members, other than the Mayor, by district?”
The measure passed with 70.4% voter approval and may have additional implications on the current governance system. Staff will be developing a workplan in early 2019.
Lastly, the City is also engaged in an appeal to the CVRA lawsuit, which may have additional impacts. The combination of all these factors requires focused discussion on City Council governance in the context of a changed structure for how the City elects City Councilmembers.
PURPOSE OF SESSION
Dedicating time to discuss how to govern with intention through this transition and the potential implications for such a transition is important so that the Council can establish a set of values or rules of engagement and frequently assess governance over time. The Council will be well served by a deliberate and focused conversation on this topic of governance and any potential transition issues that need to be recognized as the City continues to operate and implement Council direction.
Thus, with the goal of having a shared understanding of our governance structure, this session is meant for the City Council and Executive Staff to be intentional about the values and expectations that will serve as a foundation of how the Council governs, as well as how the organization will react to the changed governance structure. This session also provides an opportunity for discussions around developing a common understanding around priorities and to stress the importance of a shared vision of what success looks like. This session will assist the Council and staff in navigating potential issues, mitigating unintended consequences, and promoting the desired outcomes.
Therefore, this session will provide the opportunity for the Council to:
• Create a shared understanding of high performance governance and what it means for the City of Santa Clara
• Establish a consensus on how governance within the new district election system will look and acknowledge the “unknowns,” e.g., current lawsuit and advisory vote
• Begin discussion with the new Council and staff to discuss key guiding principles and processes around the new governance system
• Identify Council values, i.e. what is maintained, what is prevented, which areas serve to better Santa Clara, and what operational structure best supports this transition.
The City’s executive and management teams have also begun work in this area. In late October, two meetings were held to prepare the organization for potential changes as a result of the new governance system. A summary of those two sessions will be provided at the December 13 meeting.
Facilitators
The City is working with two highly-qualified facilitators for this session:
• Dr. John Nalbandian is a professor at the University of Kansas and also a former Mayor. He has made many presentations to city councils throughout California, including at League of California Cities conferences, and has recently facilitated discussions with both the City’s management and executive leadership teams.
• Jan Perkins is a former city manager and Senior Partner with Management Partners, the firm which assisted the City during the council districting process. Jan facilitates many city council workshops throughout the state as well as consults on other issues.
Both facilitators are quite familiar with cities whose councilmembers are elected by district and at-large and they will be bringing those experiences to this workshop.
To assist with these discussions, the following documents are attached:
1. Attributes of Exceptional Councils: issued by the Institute for Local Government, this resource provides insight into the attributes that help make Councils highly effective, as well as practical tips in developing those traits.
2. Public Service Values and Everyday Examples: this list of public service values and examples serves to illustrate the priorities involved with making decisions in public service.
3. Santa Clara’s Code of Ethics and Values: this code was adopted by the City Council in March of 2000 (and modified in August 2001) to provide clear, positive statements of ethical behavior reflecting the core values of the community and serves as a touchstone for members of boards, commissions, and committees in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities.
4. Santa Clara Statement of Values: this statement is read before each City Council meeting and reflects the values and priorities of the Council and their service.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council 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.
Staff
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Attributes of Exceptional Councils
2. Public Sector Values and Everyday Examples
3. Santa Clara’s Code of Ethics and Values
4. Santa Clara Statement of Values