7 City Council Direction on Appointment of Parks and Recreation Commission Members.

Meeting Date: JANUARY 20, 2015

Agenda Item #7. City Council Direction on Appointment of Parks and Recreation Commission Members.

Note from TheGardeningSnail: Parts of this page may have been prepared by running a PDF Image Document through a program which converts image to text. My apologies for any Textual Gremlins that may have slipped in. Copy of the Original can be found on the City’s Website. I may also have broken up some of the longer paragraphs for ease of reading. 

STAFF REPORT

AGENDA ITEM: City Council Direction on Appointment of Parks and Recreation Commission Members.

MEETING DATE: January 20, 2015

PREPARED BY: Jacquelyn Benoit, Recreation Superintendent

REVIEWED BY: Jose Antonio Ramirez, City Manager

RECOMMENDATION:

Staff is seeking the City Council’s direction on how to proceed in appointing members to the Livingston Parks and Recreation Commission.

BACKGROUND:

In March of 2013, the City Council appointed six Commissioners and three Alternate Commissioners.

The term of the Commissioners is two years with terms to expire on January 31st of the second year of the Commissioner’s term or until their successors are appointed. The terms of the current membership expire on January 31, 2015.

DISCUSSION:

Staff has experienced a difficult time over the last 13 years finding people to apply for membership. During the last two years, staff has had to cancel 14 of the 20 scheduled meetings due to lack of a quorum, lack of agenda items, or due to a holiday.

The current members have been polled to determine their interest in continuing service on the Commission. To date, only three Commissioners have responded. Commissioner Maria Baptista has expressed interest in being re-appointed. Commissioners Clara Catzalco and David Blevins have declined. Commissioners Chris Marshall, Ricardo Soria, Michelle Torres and April Wuensche did not respond.

Staff offers the City Council the following options:

1. Re-appoint Maria Baptista to another two-year term on the Commission and advertise the remaining six vacancies and three alternate member vacancies (no alternates serving at this time) for a minimum period of 30 days.

2. Advertise to recruit seven new Commissioners and three Alternate Commissioners.

FISCAL IMPACT:

None.

ATTACHMENTS:

1. Current Parks and Recreation Ordinance.

2. Current Membership Roster.

3. 2013/2014 Attendance Record

4. Commissioner Responses