Board and Commission Staff Liaisons
Welcome, Staff Liaisons! Your role is essential in supporting our Boards, Committees, and Commissions (BCCs). You’re the key to ensuring our BCCs run smoothly and stay in line with the Brown Act. Below is a helpful guide to assist you in serving your BCC with consistency and care.
Agendas and Agenda Packets
When preparing for your BCC meeting, please remember:
- Agenda Posting: The agenda needs to be posted at the meeting location (in a spot that’s visible 24/7) and at City Hall at least 72 hours before the meeting. This step is crucial—without proper posting, the meeting can’t take place according to the Brown Act.
- Template Use: Use our agenda template as a starting point. Feel free to customize it for your BCC’s needs, but keeping a consistent format helps the public follow along more easily.
- Virtual Access: Be sure to include a webinar link so community members can tune in from home. This also allows you to record the meeting for our City’s YouTube channel.
- Agenda Packet Submission: Send PDFs of the agenda, past meeting minutes, director’s reports, and any other relevant documents to the City Clerk’s Office team by email. The Clerk’s office will take care of posting the agenda online and notifying subscribers.
Correspondence Handling
If you receive any correspondence related to an agenda item, please forward it to the City Clerk’s office and your committee members (bcc’d). Also, print hard copies for distribution at the meeting.
Minutes
Accurate meeting minutes are vital for preserving the history of our governance and keeping the public informed. Use our minutes template to ensure consistency.
- Approval Process: Minutes should be reviewed and approved by the Committee at their next regular meeting before they’re published. Once approved, send them to the City Clerk’s office for posting.
Stipend Program
We’re excited to offer stipends to our dedicated volunteers serving on BCCs! As a staff liaison, you’ll help ensure they receive their $50 per meeting.
- Getting Started: Volunteers can request stipends online. The City Clerk’s office will guide them through the necessary steps, like completing Local Ethics Training (AB1234) and submitting a W9 by email to the City Clerk's office.
- Tracking & Payments: While it’s ideal to process stipends annually, it may be easier to do so monthly, depending on your workload. At a minimum, please aim to process them twice a year.
- Account Code: 001-13-11003-927
Vacancies and Interviews
If a BCC member needs to step down, contact the City Clerk’s Office right away so we can start the recruitment process.
- Interviews: Once applications are received, the City Clerk will schedule interviews with the City Council. You’ll attend the interviews and provide any information to help the Council make an informed choice.
- Welcoming New Members: Once appointed, reach out to your new members and provide them with any necessary documents, like previous minutes, Rules and Procedures, or annual reports. Be sure to discuss the Brown Act to ensure they’re up to speed on compliance.