Title
Amend City Council’s Resolution on Boards and Commissions
Action
Action:
Adopt a revised resolution on Boards, Committees, and Commissions to amend the attendance policy for members of certain boards, committees, and commissions of the City of Charlotte consistent with the Budget, Governance and Intergovernmental Relations Committee’s recommendation.
Body
Committee Chair:
Dimple Ajmera, Budget, Governance, and Intergovernmental Relations
Staff Resource(s):
Stephanie Kelly, City Clerk’s Office
Kirk McSwain, City Clerk’s Office
Explanation
§ Appointees to boards and commissions are subject to the attendance policy and related requirements of City Council’s Resolution for Boards and Commissions, first adopted in 1997 and most recently revised in 2023.
§ On March 3, 2023, during the Council Committee Discussions meeting, City Council discussed the need to revise the attendance policy for boards and commissions to align with current meeting practices and participation expectations of community members. The Mayor referred the topic to the Budget, Governance and Intergovernmental Relations Committee (BGIR) Council Committee for review.
§ On March 13, 2023, based on input from earlier Council discussions and recommendations on all board and commission roles and functions, Council adopted revisions to the Resolution for boards and commissions and established a remote participation provision for board members, except when acting in a quasi-judicial capacity or engaging in final-decision-making.
§ On June 5, 2023, the BGIR Committee Chair Ajmera briefed Mayor and City Council on proposed revisions to the attendance policy for boards and commissions.
§ Under the proposed revisions, excused absences shall not count toward the 65 percent attendance requirement and the requirement will only apply to a board’s or commission’s regular and special meetings.
§ Board members shall be permitted up to three excused absences per calendar year in the following circumstances:
− Illness or medical-related absences,
− Funerals and/or bereavement,
− The birth or adoption of the board member's child, for 90 days after the birth or adoption, or
− Military service.
§ Excused absence requests should be made via email to both City Clerk and the board’s staff advisor within one week of the date of the missed meeting.
§ Excused absences shall not apply to meetings of boards, committees, or commissions that serve quasi-judicial functions (Civil Service Board, Citizens Review Board, Housing Appeals Board or UDO Board) or engage in final decision-making (Arts and Culture Board or CRVA); excused absences primarily apply to advisory boards.
§ The attached table of boards, committees and commissions identifies which boards may allow excused absences for its members based on the function of the board and the role of its members.
§ If adopted, the proposed policy revisions would go into effect January 1, 2024, to align with future reporting requirements.
Committee Discussion
§ On June 5, 2023, the BGIR Committee received an overview of the attendance policy for advisory boards and commissions and benchmarking information from other North Carolina municipalities. The committee voted to recommend the attendance policy revisions allowing for excused absences to the full Council (Council members Ajmera, Mayfield, and Mitchell voted in favor; Council members Anderson and Bokhari were absent).
§ At the August 7, 2023, BGIR Committee meeting, the committee again reviewed the updated revisions to attendance and voted to recommend it for Council’s consideration (Council members Ajmera, Anderson, and Bokhari voted in favor; Mayfield, and Mitchell were absent).
Attachments
Attachment(s)
June 5, 2023 BGIR presentation
Resolution - redline
Boards and Commissions - excused absence applicability table