HomeMy WebLinkAboutCharter Review Commission Final Report 2021 - PresentationMembers of the Charter Review Commission
Robin Hall, Chair
James H. Nye, Vice Chair
Kitten Brizendine
Ron Cox
Bill Provenzano
Former Mayor Dave Smith
Judy Wiggins
Met 10 times over the last 5½ months Reviewed the Charter multiple times
January 10, 2022 | 1
7/12/2021
Beginning of
Term
8/19/2021
Meeting
9/2/2021
Meeting
9/16/2021
Meeting
9/30/2021
Meeting
10/14/2021
Meeting
10/28/2021
Meeting
11/18/2021
Meeting
12/2/2021
Meeting
12/16/2021
Meeting
1/10/2022
Council
Report
1/1/2022
End of Term
Overall Comments
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•The Commission’s goals were:
•to streamline processes,
•to ensure transparency, and
•to keep up with technological advancements.
•The recommendations contained in this report passed
unanimously by the Commission and are divided as follows:
•Tier 1 Recommendations and
•Tier 2 Recommendations
Considerations in Making Recommendations
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Does the proposal
institutionalize a
process promoting good
government practice?
Does the proposal
correct an omission?
Does the proposal
create more openness
or responsiveness in
government?
Does the proposal
create more efficiency
or effectiveness in
government?
Does the proposal
clarify terms of the
Charter?
Is the proposal easily
understood?
Is the proposal just and
fair?
Does the proposal
attempt to address
something substantive?
Classification and Ranking System
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Classification System
•No Change
•if the Commission does not think that any change is necessary.
•Housekeeping
•if the Commission believes that the change is just a clean-up.
•Efficiency
•if the change is trying to do something that will make the City’s operations more efficient.
•Conformance to law
•if the item is not in conformance to the law and it needs to change.
•Substantive change
•if there is a substantive change, i.e., supervision of City Secretary.
Ranking System
1 –Most important
2
3
4
5 –Least important
Tier 1 Recommendations
No.Section and Title Brief Description
1 Sec. 3.04. Compensation
Amendment to compensate the members of the City Council monthly starting in 2030
as follows, subject to an annual CPI-W increase:
Mayor $1000
Councilmember $ 500
2 Sec. 3.09. Meetings of the City Council Amendment to conform meetings of the City Council to the requirements of state law.
3 Sec. 3.11. Ordinances in General Amendment to require only the caption of ordinances prescribing a penalty, fine, or
forfeiture to be published.
4 Sec. 3.11. Ordinances in General Amendment to require only one reading of ordinances which require at least one
public hearing or more notice than required under the Open Meetings Act.
5 Sec. 4.03. City Attorney Amendment to allow the City Manager to appoint and supervise the City Attorney.
6 Sec. 4.04. City Secretary Amendment to allow the City Manager to appoint and supervise the City Secretary.
7 Sec. 5.06. Action on Petitions
Amendment to require a proposed or referred ordinance be posted on the City’s
website instead of being posted at each polling location and on the City’s notice
boards.
8 Sec. 8.03. Annual Budget Amendment to conform budget matters related to content and hearings to state law.
9 Sec. 8.05. Borrowing for Capital
Improvements
Amendment to authorize Council to issue debt only to the extent allowed by law but
require voter approval prior to the issuance of certificates of obligation.
January 10, 2022 | 5
Recommendation No. 1
•Section
•3.04. Compensation
•Classification/Rank
•Substantive Change -1
•Change
•Amendment to compensate the members of the City Council
monthly starting in 2030 as follows, subject to an annual CPI-W
increase:
Mayor $1000
Councilmember $ 500
January 10, 2022 | 6
Recommendation No. 2
•Section
•3.09. Meetings of the City Council
•Classification/Rank
•Efficiency -2
•Change
•Amendment to conform meetings of the City Council to the
requirements of state law.
January 10, 2022 | 7
Recommendation No. 3
•Section
•3.11 Ordinances in General
•Classification/Rank
•Substantive Change -1
•Change
•Amendment to require only the caption of ordinances prescribing a
penalty, fine, or forfeiture to be published.
January 10, 2022 | 8
Recommendation No. 4
•Section
•3.11 Ordinances in General
•Classification/Rank
•Substantive Change -1
•Change
•Amendment to require only one reading of ordinances which require at
least one public hearing or more notice than required under the Open
Meetings Act.
January 10, 2022 | 9
Recommendation No. 5
•Section
•4.03. City Attorney
•Classification/Rank
•Substantive Change -1
•Change
•Amendment to allow the City Manager to appoint and supervise
the City Attorney.
January 10, 2022 | 10
Recommendation No. 6
•Section
•4.04. City Secretary
•Classification/Rank
•Substantive Change -1
•Change
•Amendment to allow the City Manager to appoint and supervise
the City Secretary.
January 10, 2022 | 11
Recommendation No. 7
•Section
•5.06. Action on Petition
•Classification/Rank
•Conform to Law -1
•Change
•Amendment to require a proposed or referred ordinance be posted
on the City’s website instead of being posted at each polling
location and on the City’s notice boards.
January 10, 2022 | 12
Recommendation No. 8
•Section
•8.03. Annual Budget
•Classification/Rank
•Substantive Change -1
•Change
•Amendment to conform budget matters related to content and
hearings to state law.
January 10, 2022 | 13
Recommendation No. 9
•Section
•8.05 Borrowing for Capital Improvements
•Classification/Rank
•Conformance with Law -1
•Change
•Amendment to authorize Council to issue debt only to the extent
allowed by law but require voter approval prior to the issuance of
certificates of obligation.
January 10, 2022 | 14
Tier 2 Recommendations
January 10, 2022 | 15
No.Section and Title Brief Description
10 Sec. 2.01 General Powers Amendment to authorize the purchase of property within Galveston, Harris and
Brazoria Counties.
11 Sec. 3.02. Qualifications Amendment to remove qualifications required to file for office from this section, which
pertains to qualifications while in office.
12 Sec. 6.04. Canvassing and Election
Results
Amendment to conform the canvassing requirements to state law.
13 Sec. 9.10. Public Service Corporations
to File Annual Reports
Amendment to allow Council to determine when public service corporations are
required to file annual reports with the City.
14 Sec. 11.02. City Newspaper Amendment to require the City Council to designate a public newspaper for its
publications at least every two years.
Recommendation No. 10
•Section
•2.01. General Powers
•Classification/Rank
•Substantive Change -1
•Change
•Amendment to authorize the purchase of property within
Galveston, Harris and Brazoria Counties.
January 10, 2022 | 16
Recommendation No. 11
•Section
•3.02. Qualifications
•Classification/Rank
•Conform to Law -2
•Change
•Amendment to remove qualifications required to file for office from
this section, which pertains to qualifications while in office.
January 10, 2022 | 17
Recommendation No. 12
•Section
•6.04. Canvassing and Election Results
•Classification/Rank
•Conform to Law -2
•Change
•Amendment to conform the canvassing requirements to state law.
January 10, 2022 | 18
Recommendation No. 13
•Section
•9.10. Public Service Corporations to File Annual Reports
•Classification/Rank
•Efficiency -2
•Change
•Amendment to allow Council to determine when public service
corporations are required to file annual reports with the City.
January 10, 2022 | 19
Recommendation No. 14
•Section
•11.02. City Newspaper
•Classification/Rank
•Efficiency -1
•Change
•Amendment to require the City Council to designate a public
newspaper for its publications at least every two years.
January 10, 2022 | 20
Sections for Future Charter Commissions
January 10, 2022 | 21
Sec. 2.06 Limitation of Liability for Damages
Sec. 3.05 Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem
Sec. 3.14 Authentication and Recording
Sec. 5.01 General Authority
Sec. 5.04 Determination of Sufficiency
Sec. 5.08 Power of Recall
Sec. 6.01 City Elections
Sec. 6.02 Filing for Office
Closing
•We would like to thank the Council for
the opportunity to serve on the
Commission.
•Commissioners would like to serve on
the next Charter Review Commission in
three years to continue their work on
the additional amendments.
•Details about each of the changes that
the Commission considered are in your
report.
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Questions / Comments