Loading...
R-3003-4-11RESOLUTION NO. 3003-4-11(R) ' A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ALLEN, COLLIN COUNTY, TEXAS, ESTABLISHING A BOARD APPOINTMENT POLICY; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. 1 WHEREAS, the Allen City Council has established boards which offers citizens an extraordinary opportunity to participate in a city's governmental affairs. Their activities have helped to shape or influence public policy in many areas; and, WHEREAS, the Allen City Council has detemtined that an appointment process for boards will assist the City Council and staff involved in the appointment process with consistent procedures and standards. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ALLEN, COLLIN COUNTY, TEXAS, THAT: SECTION 1. The Allen City Council hereby adopts the Board Appointment Policy attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and made a part hereof for all purposes. SECTION 2. This resolution shall take affect upon its adoption. DULY PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ALLEN, COLLIN COUNTY, TEXAS, ON TIUS THE 12r"DAY OF APRIL, 2011. ATTEST: S elley B. Geo SECRETA&Y APPROVED: g6Q =Qq Stephe errell, MAYOR City of Allen Board Appointment Guidelines ' Introduction. Boards are an established feature of municipal government which offers citizens an extraordinary opportunity to participate in a city's governmental affairs. Their activities have helped to shape or influence public policy in many areas. Thus, Allen City Council has established boards, commissions, committees, and corporations that endeavor to reflect the varied interests of Allen's citizenry. Purpose. The purpose of this policy is to establish a framework aimed at ensuring that the most suitable candidates are recruited and appointed for service as City of Allen board members. This policy seeks to assist Council and staff involved in the appointment process with consistent procedures and standards. Applicability. This policy applies to citizens appointed to boards appointed by the Mayor and Allen City Council. This policy does not apply to appointments of Councilmembers made by the Mayor nor to appointments made by the City Council to external boards. Definitions. Advisory Boards advise the City Council on the delivery of a service or program. Board and Board members includes members of all City appointed boards, commissions, ' committees, and corporations. Citizen is used to refer to Allen residents who are not members of the City Council or staff and who meet the minimum qualifications to serve as a City of Allen board member. Committee is the Council Nominating Committee. Corporations are boards that are established in accordance with the Texas Development Corporation Act of 1979. Members should study and fund permissible projects prescribed in the Act. Quasi -Judicial Boards have rule-making authority. Vacant position is a position considered for appointment including those with board members requesting another term. Recruitment. Advertising of scheduled vacancies for terms expiring in September will occur during the annual recruitment process beginning in June of each year. The period for recruitment will end the first Friday in August to ensure adequate time for the Committee to review, select and interview qualified candidates. Citizen involvement may be solicited in a variety of ways including but not limited to: ' • Posting of Notice on Official Bulletin Board • Utility Billing Inserts • Website Advertisements Exhibit "A" Resolution No. 3003-4-1 I(R) Page 2 • ACTV Public Service Announcements • Press Releases • Social Media Resources • City E -News • Nomination by Invitation All recruitment efforts will highlight the deadlines for application receipt, scheduled dates of interviews, and expected date of action on appointments by City Council. Application Process. Application forms shall be made available online at www.cittvofallen.org, and in the City Secretary's Office. The application shall solicit information about the applicant's background, including current and past occupations and involvement in and knowledge of issues related to the subject of the board to which they are applying. hi addition to the completed application, applicants are encouraged to submit a short bio or resume. Applicants may apply for more than one board; however, they are limited to making two board selections. Incumbents who are eligible and wish to seek another term must reapply in the same manner as other applicants. Applications are considered current for one year from submittal date, after which the application will be removed from consideration In order to be considered in the next recruitment period, the applicant is required to submit a new application. ' Eligibility. Ordinance No. 21554-03 established that each person, at the time of appointment to a board, shall be a current resident of the City of Allen, a registered voter, and shall have been a resident of the City of Allen for a period of at least one year. A person appointed to the board of directors of the Allen Economic Development Corporation shall at the time of appointment, be a registered voter and shall be a current resident who has resided in the City of Allen for a period of at least one year, or be currently employed in a management position (and have been in such role for at least one year) by a business or company located in the City of Allen. To remain eligible to serve, board members must maintain their status throughout their term of office. To encourage citizen involvement, no person shall serve concurrently on more than one City of Allen board, except that the Board of Adjustment board members serve as the Building and Standards Commission, and Sign Control Board. The Allen City Charter prohibits dual office holding. Service as a City of Allen board member is considered an office, and should a board member become a candidate for public office, then at the time of candidacy, an automatic resignation will result from the board. In addition to these eligibility criteria, the City Council shall set specific skills and experience desired for each board. Term of Office. Board members serve for a term of two years, except that Allen Economic Development Corporation board members serve for a term of three years. Terms are staggered with odd numbered places expiring in odd years and even numbered places expiring in even years. All terms expire on September 30 of the respective year. In the event that appointments are not made prior to September 30, the board member will continue to serve until appointments are made. Exhibit "A" Resolution No. 3003-4-II(R), Page 3 ' Citizens are appointed to serve on a board at the pleasure of the City Council. The City Council retains the right to replace any appointed member at any time and for any reason. Board members are appointed for a limited purpose and time, and once the assigned term of office is completed, they are excused from this appointment unless the City Council selects them for another term of service in accordance with the adopted policy for board service. Attendance Reports. Board members who miss 3 consecutive meetings or 1/3 of the regularly scheduled meetings during their term of office may not be considered for another term. Absences from emergency or special called meetings will not be recorded against the board member in calculating the percent of absences. Special exceptions on the removal of members for absences may be made by the Committee when the absences are due to health or time-limited extenuating circumstances and the absences do not affect the ability of the board to maintain a quorum. The City Secretary will provide to the Committee an attendance report documenting all board meetings held during the tens of office for each board member applying for another term. Mid-term Appointments. Occasionally a board member may be unable to finish his or her term or will be removed by the City Council prior to the term ending. In such cases the vacant position must be filled by a mid-term appointee who will serve out the remainder of the tern. Instead of soliciting applicants again, the Committee may refer to the applicant pool kept by the City Secretary's Office. ' Currently that office holds all applications for one year, and maintains a chart of interviews conducted during the past three appointment years. If the current pool is deemed too small to accommodate the vacant position(s), or the respective Committee wants to consider additional applications, a new application solicitation campaign could take place in the same manner as the typical annual recruitment process. Board Chair Evaluation. Each Board Chair / staff liaison will complete a board evaluation form every April to provide additional information on the needs of the membership. The Board Chair is encouraged to complete this form after a discussion is held with other board members during a posted meeting. The City Secretary shall make the board evaluation form available to Board Chairs and staff liaisons in April of each year. Council Nominating Committee. At the first Council meeting in June, the Committee, to consist of up to three Councilmembers, shall be recommended for appointment by the Mayor with concurrence through a motion of the full City Council. Appointment at this time will allow the Committee adequate time to consider current board members requesting another term prior to the annual recruitment from the general citizenry. The Committee is charged with screening applications, conducting interviews, and making recommendations of appointment for advisory boards and quasi-judicial boards. With the concurrence of the applicant, the Committee may consider the applicant for service on another board ' if the Committee determines that the skills and competencies of the applicant are more suited for service on that board. Exhibit "A" Resolution No. 3003-4-/1(R), Page 4 The full Council will take an active role in selecting members for the AEDC and the CDC. Before the regular process of screening, interviews, and the final recommendation, an initial screening ' process might be used that involves the Committee or the Councilmembers serving as board member to the AEDC and the CDC. The screening committee's role would be to recommend three to five individuals per position to be interviewed by the full Council, if desired. Applicant Review. The City Secretary will review the eligibility requirements and identify those applicants that we ineligible for appointment before submitting applications to the Committee for final review. The Committee will review the applications in accordance with the eligibility criteria set by the City Council for each board. Additional information available for consideration includes the board chair and/or staff liaison board evaluation forms and board member attendance records. The Committee may take into account past applications submitted by a candidate and any past interviews for board positions, if they deem multiple applications show a spirit of public interest and dedication on the part of the applicant. Previous experience on other boards, or experience on a similar board in a previous city of residence, is another factor to consider. Interview Process. In May, the City Secretary will notify board members with expiring terms of the upcoming end of their Yarm. If the member wishes to seek another term to a board or appointment to a new board, he/she must reapply in the same manner as other applicants. The Committee will review each application from current board members and conduct interviews prior to the end of July. ' The City Secretary shall schedule and confirm interviews under the direction of the Committee. In early August, the Committee will select a number of the most promising applicants for interview. The exact number selected will vary based on the number of openings, and the number and quality of applicants. The screening committee acting on behalf of the Council in taking a first look at AEDC and CDC candidates will select three to five applicants per position for interview by the full Council, if desired. Interviews will be conducted in mid-August to ensure the Committee time for evaluation of each applicant. The City Secretary shall schedule and confirm interviews under the direction of the Committee. Applicants who fail to attend their scheduled interview forfeit the interview and will not be rescheduled. All candidates will be asked the same questions. The Committee will strive to achieve a balance of • Qualified applicants covering the range of qualifications specified for the board; • Experienced and new members; Appointment Process. The Committee shall evaluate and rank each applicant for each vacant position considered for appointment. Prior to making recommendations to the full City Council, the Committee shall notify each board member whom requested another term as to whether or not their name will be placed in nomination before the full City Council. Notification shall be done by letter. Exhibit "A" Resolution No. 3003-4-1 I(R) Page 5 The Committee shall make its recommendations to the full Council. When the entire Council is reviewing the committees' selections in the final step of the process, open meeting roles should be enforced. Corporation and quasi-judicial board appointments may be discussed in executive session, while advisory board applications must be discussed in an open session either in workshop or at the open Council Meeting. The next business day after the City Council makes appointments; the City Secretary shall prepare and mail letters to each person appointed to a board and each applicant not selected for service. Appointment letters shall state that citizens are appointed to service on a board service at the pleasure of the City Council. The City Council retains the right to replace any appointed member at any time and for any reason. Board members are appointed for a limited purpose and time, and once the assigned term of office is completed, they are excused from this appointment unless the City Council selects them for another term of service in accordance with the adopted policy for board service. Orientation. The City Attorney and City Secretary shall conduct an orientation for all board members appointed in that appointment year in order to provide information on the Open Meetings Act, Public Information Act and City of Allen Code of Conduct. The session is mandatory with board applicants being notified of such date prior to application being made during the annual recruitment process. At the end of the session, the City Secretary shall administer the oath -of -office to each appointee. Board staff support will provide board members with training that will address the bylaws, legal ' obligations, and responsibilities and duties of the board. Open Meetings. All interviews and meetings of the Committee shall be posted in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. 1 Timeline. A formal timeline is attached. Recognition. Upon completion of service, a board member shall be recognized at a designated City Council meeting in accordance with Resolution No. 2229-10-03(R). Exhibit "A" Resolution No. 3003-4-11(R), Page 6 I BOARD MEMBER SELECTION PROCESS TheIo Apll Till and ea Secretary atoll meas Ward Cary rreer ar stmt mea to eachterm a leiter and aapJl BwrO CMn and sMX board mmmberwlN a exp ring term a )alter Wall OW complete a Board aW appication recl their owl m EMWaYion tam seek amthert, n Jutta M8/9r S<I<ds af10 (`.oUflPl cane Nominating CMeaning members at a Coundl Meeting In July Applications and supplem<nat Naninaling Com-daaa mformatan are maim In the Jury interviews board mamberawiN blling cycle la four week pence) aV.nng terms for conveeralxm d another service rear Ap h-h.n submittal per in Augm AFDC IACDC Nominstirg Nominadg Commutes 11III Scraantng CommN» Committee reviews ra= app2tr. and ravvws swilambons applications of board conductsMarl am Courat liateermember Wreports-pkks 3-5 canlmum ael with candgat<s pat lull CKy CWnW J position Mr inter n' _....__......... _. Bahner tat Cattell mood" and 2nd Cvmmil maednp Exhibit "A" Resolution No. 3003-4-11(R), Page 7