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Board and Commission Term Limit Discussion
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Summary and Background Information:
In January 2021, a member of the Parks, Recreation & Golf Committee had their term expire and were interested in continuing to serve. However, the founding resolution of the Committee states non-Council members shall serve no more than two consecutive terms. As this was the only board or commission to have a term limit on their membership, the City Clerk's Office engaged with the City Council Boards and Commissions Subcommittee to discuss removing the term limit on the Committee so as to be consistent with all other boards and commissions. At the March 15, 2021 Subcommittee meeting, the Subcommittee members desired to get feedback from currently serving boards and commission members on the idea of term limits.
The Deputy City Clerk designed and distributed a survey to board and commission members in March with a deadline of June 30th. The Deputy City Clerk presented the results of the survey to the Subcommittee on October 18.
Key findings of the survey:
- a majority of the members felt that term limits would not hinder public participation on boards and commissions
- an overwhelming majority of members felt that there should be term limits for officers (chair, vice chair, treasurer, etc) of boards and commissions
- Most board and commission members believed a term should last 3 years and members should be able to serve no more than 2 terms
Upon conclusion of discussion, the subcommittee desired to bring the concept of implementing 3 year terms, and no more than 2 consecutive term limits for all boards and commission to the full City Council for discussion and direction to staff.
Important Considerations:
- There are already "term limits" for board and commission members. Nothing in the City's Charter, Municipal Code, board and commission founding documents, or Council Policy 3 requires Council to re-appoint members. Council may choose not to re-appoint someone and limit them to only 1 term.
- Term limits limit participation from engaged and active members and boards and commissions lose institutional knowledge when long-serving members are termed out.
- Term limits for officers of boards and commissions are set by the boards and commissions themselves (per Charter). Boards and Commissions may institute their own term limits for their officers at any time.
- In the last 4 years, the boards and commissions program has never received more applications than we have vacancies.
- Council cannot modify the terms and term limits for the Cultural Council, Planning Commission, Quality Community Foundation, or the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Those terms are set either by their by-laws, articles of incorporation, or the Charter.
- Term limits may create a large amount of vacancies in 3-6 years and result in some or most boards and commissions unable to meet quorum which will impact their ability to do business.
If Council wishes to proceed with implementing term limits, the City Clerk has drafted an ordinance and resolutions for review and can be placed for consideration on the June 20th agenda.
Staff Responsible (Department Head): Dylan Gibson, City Clerk
Staff Member Presenting: Jordan Roberts, Deputy City Clerk
Staff Recommendation: Not to implement term limits until the program begins to receive more applications than we have vacancies.