Email sent to CRC - CRC Meeting This Week - Glasser 10-24-23Greetings, Mr. Chair & CRC members:
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY ALL.
Looking at this week's agenda, I thought I would remind you of the
suggestion in my outgoing November 2022 memo re: Charter Review:
"Article IV, Section 28. The City Clerk; Duties - Consider language
that the Commission may delegate supervision of some duties of the City
Clerk to the city manager."
In my personal experience, there are many duties of the City Clerk that
the Commission has little or no involvement with, e.g. lien letters,
record storage, public record requests, record destruction, supervision
of subordinates. Donna does a great job, but there was consensus by the
last Commission that she take direction from the City Manager, as
requested, in some of these areas. Because she is a Charter officer who
reports to the Commission, this is not clear. A resolution might be
enough, but this was reviewed by our previous City Attorney. I think we
concurred it should be in the Charter, as institutional memory of the
Commission is always changing.
Same with the City Attorney. We have also had issues in the past with
the extent of direction the City Attorney takes from the CM, as well.
It was more a fiscal concern in the past, because we were getting billed
hourly after the monthly minimum was met. Not sure how this is working
now. I hope Kevin will weigh in if need be.
I would also hope that the Charter officers would begin to formally
report to the Commission periodically on their workload.
Finally, my experience is more limited in these areas, but I support
clear language on the duties of the Deputy CM and the Deputy CC if the
Charter positions are vacant, or to address removal. I also support
supermajority votes for removal.
Thanks for your service! Happy to answer any questions.
Ellen G
(904) 472-6262