HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-26-2014arvor_ " * Council Operations Committee
February 26, 2014 - 4:00 PM
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WASHINGTON MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER
A. Roll Call
Deputy Mayor Wagner called the Council Operations Committee
meeting to order at 4:03 p.m., in the Council Conference Room at
Auburn City Hall, 25 West Main Street in Auburn.
Members in attendance included Chair Rich Wagner, Vice Chair Bill
Peloza and Member Largo Wales. Also in attendance were Mayor
Nancy Backus, City Attorney Daniel B. Heid, Human Resources and
Risk Management Interim Director Rob Roscoe and Deputy City Clerk
Shawn Campbell.
B. Announcements
There was no announcement.
C. Agenda Modifications
There was no change to the agenda.
CONSENT AGENDA
A. November 18, 2013 Special Meeting Minutes
B. December 2, 2013 Meeting Minutes
C. January 2, 2014 Special Meeting Minutes
Vice Chair Peloza moved and Member Wales seconded to approve
the November 18, 2013 Special Meeting minutes, the December 2,
2013 minutes and the January 2, 2014 Special Meeting minutes.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 3 -0
III. DISCUSSION ITEMS
A. Council Compensation
Chair Wagner provided the Committee with updated spreadsheets
regarding council compensation for neighboring jurisdictions, one with
and one without benefits. He believes a councils pay should be based
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on a city's population. The City of Auburn is below average based on
the chart with benefits and average based on the chart without
benefits.
Member Wales stated she requested this information be brought
before the Finance Committee. There are two ways a Council can
change their pay. One is for the Council itself to set a new rate of pay.
The pay rate would not be effective until each councilmembers'
current term expires. The second is to create a Council Compensation
Commission. The Council would have no say in the Commissions
decision and it would become effective for all councilmembers once
the Commission makes a determination. The Commission may
increase or decrease the Councils rate of pay. If the City wants to
attract younger councilmembers the City will need to increase the pay.
The City needs to ensure they do not fall behind neighboring
jurisdictions in council compensation.
Vice Chair Peloza stated he does not want one councilmember to be
paid more than another. He would prefer the Compensation
Commission so everyone has the same rate of pay at the same time.
It is important to be fair for all councilmembers.
Committee members discussed how a Council Compensation
Commission would be selected. The Committee would prefer to have
the authority to confirm the members one by one.
City Attorney Heid confirmed the City Council would have no role in
accepting or rejecting the decision of the Commission. If the City
Council creates a Council Compensation Commission it would be a
standing committee and their decision would be final.
Chair Wagner requested a draft ordinance be added to the next
Council Operations Committee agenda for discussion.
Council Rules and Procedures
Chair Wagner inquired if Committee members would like to review
guidelines for council committee agenda items.
Member Wales stated she would like clarification on the workflow of
each agenda item as it goes through committee review.
The procedure will need to be flexible enough to allow for urgent
matters.
Chair Wagner stated a committee chair can add any item to their
agenda for discussion. The action committee is primarily set by the
roles and responsibilities of each committee.
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IV
City Attorney Heid confirmed an item is not required to go before two
committees.
Mayor Backus stated not all items go through two committees some
items do not even go through one. She recommended the Council
not create strict rules and regulations regarding how an item is
forwarded to full Council for consideration. The process changes with
the makeup of the committees and the Council.
The Committee requested the resolution establishing the time
and date for the Council Operations Committee me amended to hold
the meeting on the fourth Monday of each month at 2:30 p.m. The
Committee also discussed the primary roles and responsibilities of
each committee. The Committee requested the 2014 Council
Committee areas of influence chart be updated an returned at the next
meeting for additional discussion.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:57 p.m.
Approved thisQ�\day of March, 2014.
Rich Wagner, Chair
Shawn Campbell, Deputy City Clerk
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