SR-106-033 (6)
hsd/share/strepts/emeritusdraft 07/04/2007 6:54 PM
Council Meeting: July 24, 2001 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Introduction for First Reading an Amendment to the City of Santa Monica
Municipal Code Section 2.48.030 and Adding Section 2.56.031 to the
Santa Monica Municipal Code Relating to Emeritus Commissioners on the
City’s Commission for Older Americans and Commission on the Status of
Women
INTRODUCTION
This report transmits for first reading an ordinance amending Section 2.48.030 and
adding Section 2.56.031 to the Santa Monica Municipal Code relating to Emeritus
Commissioners on the City’s Commission for Older Americans and Commission (COA)
on the Status of Women (COSW).
BACKGROUND
At the September 26, 2000 City Council meeting, the City Council directed staff to
coordinate with the COSW and COA to create a proposal outlining criteria for
establishing emeritus positions. During the discussion, Council considered whether
there should be a limit on the number of emeritus positions at any one time, and
whether Commissioners should be required to serve two full terms before becoming
eligible for an emeritus position. Council directed that the criteria for emeritus positions
under consideration by COSW and COA should be consistent.
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Each commission separately discussed criteria for emeritus positions last fall. In June,
staff presented proposed criteria for emeritus membership to both the COSW and COA
for their consideration, and solicited additional input.
DISCUSSION
Attachment I summarizes the positions taken by both commissions and staff’s
recommendations about criteria related to emeritus membership. The COSW opposes
three of staff’s proposed criteria including: 1) the requirement that persons serve two full
terms of regular service prior to serving as Emeritus Commissioners; 2) the prohibition
against persons (including Emeritus Commissioners) from serving on one or more City
board or commission; and 3) the requirement that Emeritus Commissioners must be
Santa Monica residents. Members of the COSW contend that criteria for Emeritus
Commissioners should be as inclusive as possible, and suggest that staff’s
recommendations serve to exclude opportunities for broad and valuable participation by
former Commissioners.
The Council approved term limits for COSW and COA membership allow members to
serve two terms. Staff supports the practice of appointing emeritus positions only to
individuals who have completed all available active service and are not currently eligible
for regular service with voting privileges. For this reason, staff proposes that
Commissioners must complete two terms of regular service prior to being eligible for
emeritus status.
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With most organizations, emeritus positions are designated for a select number of
honored persons who can no longer provide active service. Staff considers the
widespread practice of limiting the number of emeritus positions to be a practical and
efficient approach. However, because the COSW expresses a strong desire to retain
more than three Emeritus Commissioners to address their need for mentors, continuity
and historical perspective, staff supports an ordinance that would allow for no more than
one less than the number of regular, voting Commissioners. It is expected that this
limitation would meet the needs of the COSW, while ensuring that the number of
Emeritus Commissioners would not exceed that of regular Commissioners. The COA
had proposed allowing a maximum of three persons serving as Emeritus
Commissioners, and they may certainly operate accordingly.
Staff suggests that persons holding emeritus positions on one City commission should
not be eligible to serve as voting members of another City commission simultaneously.
This would ensure that Council benefits from the advice of commissioners with broad
and diverse perspectives and backgrounds. This analysis is consistent with Section 3
of Resolution 9451 which prohibits persons from serving simultaneously on more than
one board or commission.
While staff originally favored limiting the number of term renewals for Emeritus
Commissioners to two terms, the COSW argues strongly against imposing any
maximum number of renewals. COSW members stress the importance of learning and
benefiting from the input of persons who have served previously. Staff considers
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COSW’s position as having some merit, and would support an ordinance that limits the
number of possible term renewals to two consecutive terms for Emeritus
Commissioners. Limiting term renewals to two consecutive terms would allow Emeritus
Commissioners to serve up to four years before they would have to take a break for two
years. After a two year break, they could serve again. Modifying the term limitation to
two consecutive terms still allows a commission to benefit from the contributions of
emeritus members over time, without excluding the potential for contributions from other
prospective Emeritus Commissioners.
Term limits provide that “after serving the maximum number of consecutive terms
allowed, a member may not serve again on the same board or commission until four
years after the member’s final term has expired.” For term limit purposes, persons with
emeritus status are considered to be taking a break from regular service. This means
that a person with emeritus status who chooses to serve again as a voting member may
count the time served as an emeritus member as a break from regular service.
Finally, staff proposes that Emeritus Commissioners must be Santa Monica residents.
This is consistent with the residency requirement for regular commissioners.
FISCAL/BUDGETARY IMPACT
There is no fiscal/budgetary impact.
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the attached ordinance (Attachment II) be introduced for first
reading.
Prepared by: Barbara Stinchfield, Director
Julie Rusk, Manager
Tracy Scruggs, Supervisor
Community and Cultural Services Department
Attachment I: Emeritus Membership Criteria
Attachment II: Ordinance Amending Santa Monica Municipal Code
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ATTACHMENT I
Emeritus Membership Criteria
Issue COSW COA Staff Comments
Recommendation
Length of regular One full-term Two terms Two terms Council-approved
service required with the (total of 8 years) term limits for both
prior to emeritus COSW, “full-commissions.
status term” as Allow members to
defined by the serve two terms.
City as serving Support practice of
three-fourths or appointing
more of a term emeritus positions
(Resolution only to individuals
Number 9451) who have
completed all
available regular
service. Reserve
positions for
honored persons
who can no longer
provide active
service.
Number of No limit 3 maximum No more than one Limiting the
Commissioners less the number of number of
Emeritus regular emeritus positions
positions commissioners to three may
adversely impact
COSW’s need for
continuity,
mentoring and
historical
perspective.
Appointment of By Council as By Council as By Council as
Emeritus recommended recommended recommended by
Commissioners by Commission by Commission
Commission
Length of Two year term Two year term
appointment
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Term renewals Unlimited Maximum of Maximum of two Commissions may
renewals two terms consecutive terms still benefit from
(four consecutive input from non-
years) voting
commissioners for
long periods of
time.
Voting status Non-voting Non-voting Non-voting
Representation Yes Yes Yes
at community
functions and
serve on
commission
committees
Bylaw Yes Yes Yes
compliance
Eligibility for Yes No No Council resolution
service as voting already prohibits
member of other persons from
City Commission serving on more
simultaneously than one
commission
simultaneously.
Goal is to seek
broad and diverse
contribution from
community.
SM residency No Yes Yes SM residency
required required for
regular service
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ATTACHMENT II
City Council Meeting _-_-01 Santa Monica, California
ORDINANCE NUMBER ____ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF SANTA MONICA AMENDING SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL
SECTION 2.48.030 AND ADDING SECTION 2.56.031 TO THE SANTA
MONICA MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO EMERITUS
COMMISSIONERS ON THE CITYS COMMISSION FOR OLDER
=
AMERICANS AND COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES HEREBY
ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 2.48.030 is hereby amended
to read as follows:
Section 2.48.030 Commissioner(s) Emeritus.
One or more The City Council may appoint up to eight
Commissioners Emeritus shall be appointed to who may serve
simultaneously on the Commission on Older Americans ("Commission").
by the City Council The appointments shall be based upon the
recommendations of the Commission. To be eligible for appointment to
such a position, a person must have served two full terms as a
Commissioner on the Commission and shall must be active in the Santa
Monica community an elector within the City. Each Commissioner
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Emeritus shall be a nonvoting member of the Commission, may represent
the Commission at community and other functions as directed by the
Commission, may serve on Commission committees, and shall abide by
the bylaws of the Commission. There shall be no limit to the number of
Commissioners Emeritus appointed to the Commission, each The term for
a Commissioner Emeritus of whom shall serve a two-year term as a
Commissioner Emeritus be two years, and each Commissioner Emeritus
may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. Unlimited term renewals
of Commissioners Emeritus can be made by the City Council upon the
recommendation of the Commission. A Commissioner Emeritus shall not
be eligible to serve simultaneously as a voting member on another City
Commission.
SECTION 2. Section 2.56.031 is hereby added to the Santa Monica Municipal
Code to read as follows:
Section 2.56.031 Commissioner(s) Emeritus.
The City Council may appoint up to eight Commissioners Emeritus
to serve simultaneously on the Commission on the Status of Women
("Commission"). The appointments shall be based upon the
recommendations of the Commission. To be eligible for appointment, a
person must have served two full terms as a Commissioner on the
Commission and must be an elector within the City. Each Commissioner
Emeritus shall be a nonvoting member of the Commission, may represent
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the Commission at community and other functions as directed by the
Commission, may serve on Commission committees, and shall abide by
the bylaws of the Commission. The term for a Commissioner Emeritus
shall be two years, and each Commissioner Emeritus may serve a
maximum of two consecutive terms. A Commissioner Emeritus shall not
be eligible to serve simultaneously as a voting member on another City
Commission.
SECTION 3. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices
thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such
inconsistencies and no further, is hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary
to effect the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 4. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this
Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any
court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the
remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would
have passed this Ordinance and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause,
or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion
of the ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.
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SECTION 5. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage
of this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the
official newspaper within 15 days after its adoption. This Ordinance shall become
effective 30 days from its adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________
MARSHA JONES MOUTRIE
City Attorney
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