Memorandum                    

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:	Thomas M. Markus, City Manager
FROM:	Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager
DATE:	July 11, 2018
CC:	Casey Toomay, Assistant City Manager
RE:	Follow up from Work Session on Advisory Boards/Committees – July 2018 Update

On August 8, 2017, the City Commission held a Work Session to discuss advisory boards and committees, the subject of which is an initiative in the city’s strategic plan.  Following that meeting, staff provided a memorandum summarizing general direction provided at the meeting.  This memorandum provides an update to those tasks that were outlined at that time. 

Advisory Board Work Session follow-up tasks and status: (completed items are reflected with a check mark, ongoing items with a bullet and new items added since last item are flagged with a star)

ü Return the draft policy for formal consideration as submitted with the addition of  term limits for advisory boards and addressing Commissioners serving on advisory boards.

• This was completed with formal adoption of the policy in September 2017. 

ü Explore consideration of appointing alternates to boards.  Provide a staff report on this issue.

o Staff shared this memo at the March 2018 update and did not recommend proceeding.  There was no additional direction from the City Commission on this topic. 

• Proceed with work toward merging the various code appeals boards.  Note:  With the review prior to consideration of updating to the 2018 codes, staff would now recommend not proceeding with this merger until after the 2018 code review has been completed by these various boards.  That would result in the most number of individuals possible having review of the codes prior to City Commission consideration.
• No change in status- waiting until the adoption of the 2018 code updates to enable continuity for the boards reviewing these codes.

ü Examine whether the Sister Cities Advisory Board could discontinue its status as an advisory board of the City, while retaining the important link to the City and not sending the wrong message to our international partners.  A resolution was suggested as a possible alternative. 

o The Sister Cities Advisory Board was eliminated as a City board in early June 2018.  The Sister Cities organization remains active as a local non-profit and retains a tie to the City with a City appointment and support for official events with Lawrence’s Sister Cities as needed. 

• Amend the code related to the Sales Tax Audit Committee, retaining the committee in the event that the renewal of the sales taxes is passed in November 2017. 
• An ordinance retaining the Sales Tax Audit Committee and updating the dates to correspond to the new sales tax collection period will be forthcoming. 

ü Return consideration of merging the Lawrence Alliance with the Human Relations Commission.

• The City Commission eliminated the Lawrence Alliance and merged its responsibilities into the Human Relations Commission responsibilities in the spring of 2018.

ü Return consideration of merging the Joint Economic Development Council into the Public Incentives Review Committee.

• The Joint Economic Development Council (JEDC) was eliminated in the fall of 2017 and responsibilities of the JEDC were folded into the Public Incentives Review Committee (PIRC).  

• Return consideration of merging the Community Development Advisory Committee into the Social Services Funding Advisory Board.
• Staff had to wait for the updated Consolidated Plan which outlines a number of regulations the Community Development Advisory Board must adhere to. Now that the Consolidated Plan has been adopted staff will begin developing a recommendation for consolidation.

ü Return consideration of repealing the obsolete boards:  Lawrence Advisory Board on University Student Issues, the Downtown Parking Advisory Board, and the ECO2 Commission.

o These Boards and Committees were formally eliminated in the fall of 2017.

« Review City Code regarding the responsibilities and membership for the Airport Advisory Board.  Review Airport Advisory Board bylaws. 

o Schedule item for City Commission discussion and direction at future City Commission meeting. 

It should be noted that additional work has been done by advisory boards/committees to either create new bylaws or alter existing bylaws to come into conformance with the new advisory board policy.  Work on these items will be ongoing.