REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on a Council Written Request (Council Policy 030) Submitted by Councilmember Jain Requesting to Place an Agenda Item at a Future Council Meeting to Consider a Neighborhood Stadium Relations Committee
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency
BACKGROUND
Council Policy 030 - Adding an Item on the Agenda (Attachment 1) sets forth the procedure for written petitions. Any member of the public or Council may submit a written request raising any issue or item within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Council. Per the policy, the written request will be submitted on the agenda, in the form substantially provided by the requestor, without any staff analysis, including fiscal review, legal review and policy review. If a simple majority of the City Council supports further study of the request, then a full staff analysis shall be prepared within thirty (30) days, unless otherwise directed by the City Council.
DISCUSSION
The City Clerk’s Office received a Council Written Request on November 24, 2021 requesting to place an agenda item at a future council meeting to consider a Neighborhood Stadium Relations Committee (Attachment 2).
As already mentioned on several occasions, staff capacity is much less than the existing workload and has grown over the past year even with approximately 26% less capacity citywide. While making no judgement on the merits of such request by Councilmember Jain, it is time for the Council to consider all of the legislative bodies that the City currently supports and recently added legislative bodies without additional staff resources. Capacity is finite and each additional legislative body requires significant workload. Accordingly, Attachment 3 provides a list of the City’s 32 current Board, Commissions, Committees, Taskforces and Ad-Hoc bodies, many have been created over the past few years which include, but are not limited to:
1. Downtown Taskforce
2. Independent Exchange Commission
3. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task force
4. Independent Redistricting Commission
5. Housing Commission
6. Ad-Hoc Homeless Taskforce
7. Ad-Hoc CVRA Apology Letter Committee
Given the reduced resources, as items are added to the workload, staff will need to address them as capacity becomes available, unless other Council-directed work priorities are removed or delayed. It is important to note that while resources were reduced, no City services, Council initiatives and/or workload was reduced/removed which further compounds the challenge of staff absorbing more directives.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with considering the request to be placed on a future agenda except for staff time.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project" within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment.
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 report to Council may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov>.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Set a future Council meeting date to take action on the Written Petition received.
2. Take no action.
3. Any other City Council Action, as determined by the City Council.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff makes no recommendation.
Staff
Reviewed by: Nora Pimentel, Assistant City Clerk
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Policy and Procedure 030 - Adding an Item on the Agenda
2. Council Written Request dated November 24, 2021 submitted by Councilmember Jain
3. List of Board, Commissions and Committees