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8 - Boards and Commissions Survey Survey for City of Boulder Boards and Commissions, and Relevant Staff Please return no later than March 31, 2010 On October 20, 2009 the Boulder City Council held a study session to discuss various aspects regarding Boards and Commissions. It was determined that the most important information would be provided through feedback from those individuals who serve on the Boards and Commissions, and the support staff for each Board or Commission. Following are questions that were asked by the Council for feedback. The survey results will be utilized in the preparation of materials provided to Council for a study session to be held July 13, 2010. Thank you in advance for your participation and your valuable insight. For more information or questions please contact City Clerk Alisa Lewis at extension 3013. Does council have any specific suggestions or direction about obtaining Board and public feedback with regard to this subject? The following questions (in Bold) were identified as additional areas for feedback from the suggested list in the packet memo from current Board and Commission members and support staff. 1) Are the roles and responsibilities of the various City boards sufficiently clear and the right ones? What are the roles and responsibilities of the various City Boards and Commissions? What kind of training does the board receive? Does the current training make their roles and responsibilities clear? Do they think they're adding value and how? Redefine the Board or Commissions mission, how has it evolved over the years? How can Boards be utilized on issues not directly related to their mission but for which there are implications. Are the descriptions of the roles and responsibilities of the Boards clear and updated? 2) Should the requirements for Board membership be revisited? What are the Boards' requirements for membership? Are the requirements and responsibilities for members clearly defined during the recruitment process? How do the requirements or limitations to board membership help and hinder board effectiveness? (diversity of board members--city elector vs. residents and non-residents) 3) Does the system of council liaisons to Boards work? Are there any modifications to the current approach that should be considered? What value is added to Boards through council liaisons? 4) What issues exist with regard to the relationship between Board members and city staff? a. Is there an obvious route for the Boards to make their views known to council - even where staff disagrees with a Board position? b. Is it clear that staff does not work for the Boards but for the city manager? c. How are conflicts between staff views and Board views dealt with? What is the Board's working relationship with city staff? Do Board members have any difficulty with the current situation? 5) Who drives the work plan of the various Boards? a. The Boards themselves? b. Staff? c. The City Council? What does the Board recommend in this situation? What are the Boards' communication needs with concern to City Council? 6) Does the selection process of Board members work? Are there any changes or improvements that might be contemplated? How does the Board think this process works? What changes could be made? Can the Boards clarify what their selection process is, especially in terms of contracts with the city and conflicts of interest? 7) Are the tenns of office for Board members appropriate? a. They are often longer than the terms of office for City Council members. Is that a good idea? b. Is the pool of applicants for Board membership restricted because of the long term commitment that a Board position requires? Do Board members feel that the term length is a barrier to the participation of qualified applicants? Now is value added to the Board by having the current length of the Board membership term? 8) Who deals with a Board member who is "out of control" in some respect? (This is a very difficult task for city staff.) What is the Board's process for removing an `out of control' Board member? What other steps are taken to address unacceptable behavior short of removal? 9) Arc applicable rules of procedure for the various Boards sufficiently clear`? Do the Board members feel that the rules of procedure are made sufficiently clear and actionable? 10) Discuss possible increase in the number of members on some Boards (ex.: Open Space, Transportation). Is the number of members on the Board ever an obstacle to doing the job? If yes, what number of members do you feel would be optimal? Does your Board have enough diversity to bring in a broader opinion? 11) Reviewing methods (meetings, memos, regular updates, etc.) to improve communications between Boards and Commissions. What communication adjustments would the Boards recommend when regularly reporting issues and concerns to the Council?