TITLE
Recommendation to respectfully request City Attorney to draft an ordinance codifying the role of the Mayor and City Council in appointing and removing representatives to all regional districts or authorities, commissions and advisory boards consistent with language in Charter Amendment Proposition A.
DISCUSSION
The City of Long Beach belongs to regional districts and authorities throughout Southern California and has the right to appoint members to their governing boards. The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District, Metropolitan Cooperative Library System Advisory Board, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and California State University Headquarters Building Joint Powers Authority require the Mayor to appoint a representative to speak for Long Beach during their meetings. Only the appointment of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is codified in our Municipal Code under Section 2.21. The remaining districts or authorities detail roles and responsibilities in their own charter documents, but there does not appear to be any reference to them in our city articles. The same can be said for a number of our commissions and advisory boards, which are omitted in our City Charter and Municipal Code.
In addition, Municipal Code (Section 2.18.050(f)), pertaining to City commissions and advisory bodies needs to be amended as it is inconsistent with language in Charter Amendment Proposition A, approved by voters on May 1,2007.
Sound public policy dictates that we should clarify our own process for appointment and removal to these bodies and provide consistency across each section, further contributing to a transparent structure of governance embodied in our City Charter and Municipal Code.
Proposition A
Shall Proposition A which amends the Long Beach City Charter by: modifying the Mayoral veto to require a 2/3 City Council vote to override; creating a line-item Mayoral veto of the City s annual budget; modifying the Mayor/City Council authority to appoint and remove the City Manager and City Clerk, and to confirm the appointment of the Assistant City Manager; and modifying the Mayor/City Council authority to remove Commissioners, be adopted?
Municipal Code Section 2.21.010 reads as follows:
2.18.050 General Regulations.
The following regulations shall apply to all advisory bodies which are subject to this chapter:
F. The members of each body may be removed by a majority vote of all members of the city council for the following causes:
1. Absence from three consecutive meetings without official permission expressed in the official minutes, 2. Incompetence, malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, or conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude, and 3. Refusal to resign from an advisory body when no longer a resident of the city. (Ord. C-5705 § I (part), 1981: prior code § 2310.1).
2.21.010 Appointments.
The city representative to the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, as authorized by the Metropolitan Water District Act, shall be designated and appointed by the mayor with the consent and approval of the city council. (Ord. C-5709 § 4 (part), 1981: prior code § 2400(a)).
2.21.020 Term.
The term of office of the representative shall be for four years commencing on the first day of January of an odd numbered year and continuing until expiration of four years or until his successor has been appointed and qualified. (Ord. C-5709 § 4 (part), 1981: prior code § 2400(b)).
2.21.030 Incumbent.
The incumbent representative of the city on the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter shall serve until December 31, 1980, or until his successor has been appointed and qualified. (Ord. C-5709 § 4 (part), 1981: prior code § 2400(c)).
2.21.040 Removal.
No duly appointed city representative to said board of directors shall be removed from office except for cause. (Ord. C-5709 § 4 (part), 1981: prior code § 2400(d)).
2.21.050 Compensation.
The city representative shall receive compensation as may be fixed and prescribed by the city council in the salary resolution of the city. (Ord. C-6766 § 1, 1990).
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
SUJA LOWENTHAL, COUNCILMEMBER, SECOND DISTRICT