Memorandum                    

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

 

TO:

Thomas M. Markus, City Manager

FROM:

Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager

DATE:

November 13, 2018

CC:

Casey Toomay, Assistant City Manager

Danielle Buschkoetter, Strategic Projects Manager/Interim Finance Director

RE:

Advisory Board/Committee Strategic Plan Item Update

 

This memorandum provides a comprehensive update on the action steps identified as part of the priority initiative to inventory and evaluate the role of existing advisory boards and commissions and identify opportunities to consolidate or sunset as appropriate, and adopt consistent operating guidelines.  Action steps are divided into accomplishments and items that are ongoing or planned for the future.

Accomplishments:

·         Created a comprehensive inventory of all existing advisory boards and committees.

·         Held an August 2017 work session on the topic of advisory boards and committees.

·         City Commission adopted advisory board policy.

·         City and County eliminated the Joint Economic Development Council and merged its responsibilities into the Public Incentives Review Committee.

·         City Commission eliminated obsolete boards including the Lawrence Advisory Board on University Student Issues, the Downtown Parking Advisory Board, and the ECO2 Commission.

·         Staff developed a tool to measure the existing diversity of City advisory boards and committees.  A survey was sent to advisory board members in the spring of 2018 and a report was provided to the City Commission.  Demographic information is now being requested in a voluntary basis from all applicants for city board and commission vacancies.

·         The City Commission eliminated the Lawrence Alliance and merged its responsibilities into the Human Relations Commission.

·         City Commission dissolved the Sister Cities Advisory Board, allowing it to continue as a not-for-profit with city representation and a link to the city.

·         The City Commission amended the City code extending the Sales Tax Audit Committee into the future.

Planned:

·         Review City Code regarding the responsibilities and membership for the Airport Advisory Board

This item involves a review of bylaws and City code provisions related to the Airport Advisory Board.  It is planned to seek City Commission direction on this issue.  Work on this is anticipated in 2019. 

 

·         Review Mental Health Board

This issue was discussed at the September 2018 City-County-School District meeting.  It was stated that Mayor Boley would meet with Commissioner Gaughan regarding this board. 

·         Review Lawrence-Douglas County Advocacy Council on Aging

Mayor Boley and Vice Mayor Larsen attended the October meeting of the Lawrence-Douglas County Advocacy Council on Aging.  This Council was also discussed at the September 2018 City-County-School District meeting as it is a joint board of the City and County. 

·         Merging of various Code boards:

The proposal to merge the various codes boards was pending the work leading up to the adoption of the new international building codes.  This work is nearing an end and the code adoption is anticipated to be a 2019 item.  The consolidation of the boards will be considered at that time. 

New:

·         Engage Women’s Foundation to increase the number of women applicants for board and commission vacancies. 

The Women’s Foundation held a recent meeting in Lawrence and Mayor Boley was in attendance to share opportunities for city board/committee service. 

·         Evaluate potential software to assist with the management of advisory board and committee appointments. 

Staff is evaluating software to assist with the management of board/committee appointee terms, rosters, etc.  Currently, the process is manual. 

·         Repeal of the Homeless Issues Advisory Committee

The Homeless Issues Advisory Committee has reduced its meeting schedule over the years from monthly to quarterly.  For the past several years, the Homeless Issues Advisory Committee has received quarterly reports at its meetings from the agencies involved in serving the homeless, but the committee has not recently passed along recommendations to the City Commission nor do they have a regular function identified in the City Code.  Staff believes that this committee could be eliminated.  If, in the future, the City Commission has a specific charge, a task force could be assembled for a limited period in order to address that charge on this topic. Commission direction is sought on this topic. 

·         Return formal consideration of merging the Community Development Advisory Committee into the Affordable Housing Advisory Board.     

Staff had previously suggested the merger of the Communication Development Advisory Committee into the Social Services Funding Board.  Upon further review by staff, we suggest alignment of the Community Development Advisory Committee function, which is the review and recommendation of CDBG and HOME funds, into the responsibilities of the Affordable Housing Advisory Board.  We believe that there is a strong connection between the HOME funds and affordable housing, but also a strong connection between CDBG funds and affordable housing priorities, such as rehab, weatherization, direct capital improvements in low/moderate neighborhoods, etc.  In our research of other communities, many are utilizing their CDBG and HOME funds to align with other funding sources to address the affordable housing issues.  This enables a coordinated approach for these limited funds.  If that approach were desired, the Social Service Funding Advisory Board would continue to operate as it has been with no changes.  Commission direction is sought on this topic.