TITLE
Recommendation to approve a new list of City Council Standing Committees and request City Attorney to draft a resolution reflecting the changes as approved by the City Council.
DISCUSSION
The City Council has traditionally adopted a new list of City Council Standing Committees, Authorities and Memberships bi-annually. The most recent Council action was on August 21, 2018 and included Council standing committees for:
• Budget Oversight Committee
• Economic Development and Finance
• Federal Legislation Committee
• State Legislation Committee
• Public Safety Committee
• Elections Oversight Committee
• Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
• Environmental Committee
• Housing and Neighborhoods Committee
• I-710 Oversight Committee
• Personnel and Civil Service Committee
• Tidelands and Harbor Committee
• Charter Amendment Committee
• LBUSD Joint Use Committee
To promote equity, efficiency and inclusion, an updated set of standing City Council Committees is being presented for consideration. This new set:
• Renames Council Authorities, as Council Authorities and Special Committees, and transfers to this section 3 existing standing Council committees:
o Charter Amendment Committee
o LBUSD Joint Use Committee
o I-710 Oversight Committee
• Retains 5 existing standing Council committee names and functions:
o Budget Oversight Committee
o Economic Development and Finance
o Federal Legislation Committee
o State Legislation Committee
o Public Safety Committee
• And updates the names, and roles and responsibilities, while combining 4 out of 6 existing standing Council committees so that 4 Standing Council Committees remain and are named and function as described below:
The Tidelands and Harbor Committee, which has historically reviewed and provided input into policies impacting operations and projects located in the Tidelands Area including policies applicable to the Port of Long Beach, will be combined with the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to be henceforth known as the Port, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This committee shall continue to function similarly to the Tidelands and Harbor Committee and discuss and review the City’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), major street and road improvements, as well as other large infrastructure projects.
The Environmental Committee shall henceforth be known as the Climate Action and Environmental Committee. This committee shall be responsible for considering policy changes impacting climate change and environmental matters.
The Housing and Neighborhoods Committee will be renamed the Public Health and Housing Committee. This new committee will be responsible for the important work of providing guidance for developing policies that consider the social determinants to health to promote a healthy mix of housing, transportation, infrastructure that support healthy communities.
The Personnel and Civil Service Committee, which has historically been responsible for considering nominations to City Charter Commissions will be combined with the Elections Oversight Committee and shall be henceforth known as the Government, Personnel and Elections Oversight Committee. The Government, Personnel and Elections Oversight Committee shall continue to be responsible for considering City Charter Commission appointments, naming recommendations, and will undertake the responsibility of reviewing smaller settlements to be entered into by the City.
What results is a new set of 9 standing City Council committees, whereby each member of the City Council shall: chair a committee, serve as vice chair of a second committee and be a member of a third committee. With this format, each City Councilmember shall have membership on three standing committees. The newly proposed 9 standing City Council Committees are named below, with the proposed updated roles and responsibilities.
Budget Oversight Committee
Explore public policy positions, and feedback and ideas to the City Council for the purposes of developing a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which will be presented to the full City Council for consideration.
Port, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Provide input into policies impacting operations and projects located in the Tidelands Area including policies applicable to the Port of Long Beach and review the City’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), major street and road improvements, as well as other large infrastructure projects.
Economic Development and Finance
Explore public policy positions and provide feedback and ideas to the City Council with respect to strengthening the City’s tax base, and opportunities to issue bonds, revenues and financing to encourage economic development in Long Beach.
Federal Legislation Committee
Annually, provide policy direction for City Council consideration with respect to the upcoming year’s federal legislative agenda. Review the City’s progress on legislative positions adopted by the City Council.
State Legislation Committee
Annually, provide policy direction for City Council consideration with respect to the upcoming year’s state legislative agenda. Review the City’s progress on legislative positions adopted by the City Council.
Public Safety Committee
Explore public policy positions for City Council consideration with respect to public safety matters.
Climate Action and Environmental Committee
Explore public policy positions for City Council consideration with respect to climate change adaptation and matters impacting the environment.
Public Health and Housing Committee
Explore public policy positions for City Council consideration with respect to public health, housing and homelessness.
Government, Personnel and Elections Oversight Committee
Provide policy review on matters impacting key city matters, including recommending the naming of city buildings and infrastructure and reviewing smaller litigation settlements, as well as City Charter Committee appointments.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
[Timing Considerations]
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to this item other than costs saved from not having a council meeting.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
MAYOR ROBERT GARCIA