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Accept the annual report on the goals and accomplishments of Board appointed advisory boards pursuant to the Board’s Advisory Board Principles and Policies for the period ending September 30, 2018
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors (Board) accept the annual report on the goals and accomplishments of each of the following Board appointed advisory boards for the period ending September 30, 2018:
• Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC)
• Alcohol and Drug Advisory Board (ADAB)
• Library Advisory Council
• Nut Tree Airport Advisory Committee (NTAAC)
• Park and Recreation Commission
• Senior Coalition of Solano County (SCSC)
• Solano Commission for Women and Girls (SCWG)
• Solano County Historical Records Commission (SCHRC)
• Solano Partnership Against Violence (SPAV)
SUMMARY:
This is the twelfth annual countywide report on the status of advisory committees, commissions and boards pursuant to the Board’s Advisory Board Principles and Policies (Policies) adopted on June 7, 2005 and amended on November 9, 2010. This report was prepared to provide the Board with an annual overview of the goals and accomplishments of the various advisory boards, created by the Board to provide advice on policies or issues within their purview, as of September 30, 2018. Currently there are nine advisory boards subject to the Policies and all have submitted annual review sheets that include their goals and accomplishments.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The cost of preparing the countywide status report for the board appointed member advisory boards and committees is borne by the supporting departments, and is included in their existing budgets.
DISCUSSION:
In 2006, the Family Violence Ad Hoc Committee (including two members from the Board of Supervisors) developed and approved a review sheet to provide a format for the receipt of annual goals and accomplishments from advisory boards, committees and commissions subject to the Board adopted Advisory Board Principles and Policies (Policies). The review sheet has been revised to include additional information, such as a reference to how, why and when the advisory board was created, and the advisory board’s mission statement and work plan if one has been adopted. Each of the respective boards/commissions has also provided an attendance record, which includes each of the various appointed members’ term expiration dates. Many of the appointments have staggered terms of office to provide for ongoing consistency and stability with the function and purpose of each of the various advisory boards. This allows for some members to remain that have the ongoing history and knowledge of the advisory board while new members are appointed providing for continuity of the respective board/committee.
The Policies were created to provide general guidelines concerning the role of County advisory boards and how those advisory boards should be formed, dissolved, organized or reorganized and staffed as well as how they should operate. Appointees should have relevant expertise, interest or background to provide advice that is well reasoned, credible and/or appropriately represents opinions held by the broader community or relevant segments of the broader community. In addition, advisory board activities should be related to purposes that are consistent with County policies. The Policies also state that County staff shall provide staff support while representing their department and the County. Staff recommendation to advisory boards shall reflect the policies of the County and the respective departments.
A matrix of the advisory boards, commissions and committees (Attachment A) subject to the Policies, which require an annual report to the Board of Supervisors, is included to provide an overview on the reporting entities. The matrix reflects each of the advisory boards’ current number of member vacancies. Six of the nine advisory boards currently have member vacancies, which are also noted on each of the respective advisory board attendance sheets.
All nine Board appointed boards/committees subject to the Policies have provided a Boards and Commissions Review Sheet with their annual goals and accomplishments, attendance records and bylaws for the period October 2017 through September 2018 (Attachments B - J). A copy of the Advisory Board Principles and Policies (Attachment K) is also included.
On April 24, 2018, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution to establish the Solano Commission for Women and Girls. The appointed representatives to this Commission will work together to increase awareness of women’s issues, celebrate achievements of local deserving women, champion opportunities for women and girls and recommend legislative solutions at the city, county, state and federal issues. The Commission is in the beginning stages and has only met once on October 17, 2018. It is anticipated that the Commission will be bringing their recommended bylaws to the Board of Supervisors for approval/adoption on December 11th. Additional information is included in their submitted Advisory Board/Commission Review Sheet (Attachment H).
Additionally on November 1, 2016, the Board approved reducing membership of the Historical Records Commission from nine to five citizen members with four non-voting ex-officio representatives from three County departments (Assessor/Recorder, Treasurer/Tax Collector/County Clerk, and Library), and one state agency (California Superior Court, County of Solano). The reduction to five citizen members would be accomplished through attrition and was completed in April 2018 when current terms of four members expired on April 26, 2018.
County staff has also reminded all advisory board members that they are required to review the Brown Act requirements and receive ethics training every two years as required by the Board’s Policies.
ALTERNATIVES:
a) The Board may choose not to accept all or part of the advisory committee reports and direct staff to return with additional information.
b) The Board may choose to direct the various departments who provide support staff to prepare follow-up agenda items from any individual advisory board. However, this is not recommended as it is more labor intensive than the consolidated annual report format.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The County Administrator’s Office has worked with staff from the Agricultural Commissioner, County Counsel, Health and Social Services, District Attorney, County Library, Resource Management, Parks, General Services and the Airport to review and provide the information in this report.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION