8.
City Council Special Work Session
- Meeting Date:
- 03/22/2022
- From:
- Stacy Saltzburg, City Clerk
- Department:
Co-Submitter:
TITLE:
Discussion and Direction Regarding Filling a Council Vacancy
DESIRED OUTCOME:
Discussion and Direction
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
In preparation for the possible resignation of Vice Mayor Daggett, staff would like to discuss the vacancy process and receive direction from Council on their desired timeline and process.
The City Charter states "The Council, by a majority vote of its remaining members, shall, within thirty-one (31) days, fill the vacancies in its own membership, and in the office of Mayor, for the unexpired terms."
The 31-day time period is calculated from the effective date of the resignation. Assuming that Vice Mayor Daggett submits a letter of resignation on April 4, 2022 the City Council must appoint a new Councilmember on or before Thursday, May 5, 2022.
The City Charter states "The Council, by a majority vote of its remaining members, shall, within thirty-one (31) days, fill the vacancies in its own membership, and in the office of Mayor, for the unexpired terms."
The 31-day time period is calculated from the effective date of the resignation. Assuming that Vice Mayor Daggett submits a letter of resignation on April 4, 2022 the City Council must appoint a new Councilmember on or before Thursday, May 5, 2022.
INFORMATION:
In the past, the vacancy appointment was handled through an application and interview process. The standard Board and Commission application form was adjusted to accommodate for Council applicants (see attached). The public was given one week to submit their application, a letter of interest, and a questionnaire (the Council would meet in Executive Session to determine the questions).
When the application period closed, all applications and supporting materials were forwarded to the Council for their individual review. The Council then met in Executive Session to narrow down the list of applicants to bring forward for interviews at a public meeting. The Council also established 12 interview questions (2 per Councilmember) to ask each applicant during their interview.
Public interviews were held at a Special Council Meeting and each applicant had the opportunity to provide a 3-5 minute introduction of themselves after which Council would ask their interview questions. The order of the interviews was determined by lottery at the meeting.
Following the public interviews, Council deliberated further and either conducted final interviews or made a selection.
Staff has drafted a possible timeline for the full appointment process which is attached. We are recommending a two-week application period to ensure ample time and outreach for applicants. There are a few decision points still needed from Council and based on Council direction, the timeline will be updated and presented to the Council next week for approval.
Decision Points for Council:
When the application period closed, all applications and supporting materials were forwarded to the Council for their individual review. The Council then met in Executive Session to narrow down the list of applicants to bring forward for interviews at a public meeting. The Council also established 12 interview questions (2 per Councilmember) to ask each applicant during their interview.
Public interviews were held at a Special Council Meeting and each applicant had the opportunity to provide a 3-5 minute introduction of themselves after which Council would ask their interview questions. The order of the interviews was determined by lottery at the meeting.
Following the public interviews, Council deliberated further and either conducted final interviews or made a selection.
Staff has drafted a possible timeline for the full appointment process which is attached. We are recommending a two-week application period to ensure ample time and outreach for applicants. There are a few decision points still needed from Council and based on Council direction, the timeline will be updated and presented to the Council next week for approval.
Decision Points for Council:
- Would you like to have a formal application process?
- What will be required - resume, letter of interest, questionnaire, etc.?
- Will you accept applications from candidates who have submitted petitions to run for Council in November?
- Do you want to interview all applicants or do an initial review of applications?
- Would you like to conduct the applicant and vacancy process through Executive Sessions and Special Meetings on non-Council days (Mon, Wed, Thurs) or attempt to combine with regularly scheduled Council meetings (not recommended)?