Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: President Warren Slocum, District 4
Subject: Adding language to the Standing Rules for County Boards, Commissions, Committees and Councils
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution amending the Standing Rules for the County’s boards, commissions, committees, and councils to define the process for submitting a recommendation that the Board of Supervisors support or oppose pending legislation and aligning it with existing Board policy on legislative coordination and advocacy.
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BACKGROUND:
The Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution in March 1999 describing the standing rules for all County Boards, Commissions, and Advisory Committees. These rules provide guidance on how the work of such boards, commissions, and advisory committees is conducted. The rules, created by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors and remaining in force until repealed or annulled by a majority vote, have been restated and amended over the years, most recently with Resolution No. 069276 in February 2008.
On June 4, 2019, the Board of Supervisors adopted a Legislative Coordination and Advocacy Policy to establish a coordinated process for conveying official Board positions on federal and state legislative matters, including County advisory boards, commissions, committees, and councils.
DISCUSSION:
In recent years, many of these County advisory bodies have become more actively engaged in policy matters. However, only the Board of Supervisors has the authority to express the official views of the County of San Mateo on pending legislation, so their actions are advisory in nature. Although the 2019 Legislative Coordination Advocacy Policy set forth a specific process for receiving the advice of its boards, commissions, committees, and councils, and Executive Office staff have worked to make the County’s advisory bodies aware of the process through the San Mateo County Boards and Commissions Handbook and other communication, staff had not updated the County’s Standing Rules for County Boards, Commissions, Committees, and Councils to reflect this change. In addition, the County has a legislative program adopted annually by approval of the Board of Supervisors, setting forth the County’s priorities regarding new legislation.
To avoid communicating conflicting policy interests to the public and our legislative delegation regarding pending legislative matters, advisory bodies' actions should be harmonized with the stated interests of the Board whenever possible. The County’s Intergovernmental and Public Affairs unit has developed a step-by-step guide on the procedure for advisory bodies to follow regarding legislative advocacy, which will be shared broadly with all County advisory bodies in addition to hosting annual training sessions. Adding the following language to the Standing Rules will help direct the County’s advisory boards, commissions, committees, and councils on how to make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors regarding pending legislation:
To facilitate consistent and coordinated Board of Supervisors-approved support or opposition to any pending federal, state, and local legislation, budget proposal, or other policy on behalf of the County of San Mateo, all County Board and Commission members shall follow the San Mateo County Legislative Coordination and Advocacy Policy, which begins with presenting a request to the Intergovernmental and Public Affairs Unit in the County Executive’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None