[Vision2020] Moscow City Council

Wed, 28 Jan 2004 08:49:00 -0800

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Hi everyone,

I would like to ask for some comments on the restructuring of Moscow’s City
Council working groups.

At a Moscow City Council Workshop that was held Monday, January 26, The
Moscow City Council voted to suspend the City Council subcommittees
(Administration and Public Works) for a trial period of about 3 months.
During this period the subcommittees would be replaced with a pair of
regularly scheduled Council Workshops that would alternate on Mondays with
normal City Council meetings. So normal City Council meetings would occur on
the first and third Mondays of each month and City Council Workshops would
occur on the second and fourth Mondays. This change requires a suspension of
City Code sections 2-2-16 and 2-2-17, which will be brought up at the next
regular City Council meeting on Tuesday February 3. (We are meeting on
Tuesday next week because of the IDWR Public Meeting on Water Issues being
held in the UI Law Court Room on Monday at 7:00 pm.) City business that once
flowed through a particular subcommittee will now go through a “committee”
of the entire City Council.

One other issue that was discussed during the workshop was the times of
these meetings. Presently City Council meetings begin at 7:00 pm and the
subcommittee meetings begin at 4:00 pm. The discussion at the workshop
appears to favor keeping these same times for the new meeting format. So
normal City Council meetings would begin at 7:00 pm and City Council
Workshops would begin at 4:00 pm. Are these times convenient for either
attending these meetings or viewing them on TV? Are different times for
these meetings helpful or confusing?

The structure of subcommittees and workshops and the times of the various
meetings will be set by a careful consideration of the needs of the public,
the Council, and the City Staff. The most important of these is the public.
What do you think of the proposed new organization? What do you think of the
times for these meetings, both normal City Council meetings and City Council
Workshops? I am very interested in your thoughts, your concerns, and your
ideas. It might be helpful for everyone if you presented your thought to
Vision2020, but you can also send any comments directly to me. Thanks.

John
--
John Dickinson
Moscow City Council
Moscow, ID 83843
208-882-7977
jdickinson@moscow.com

P.S.  Here is a bit more information about the reorganization of Council. As
a lead in to the City Council Workshop, Gary Riedner (Moscow City
Supervisor) provided the following rationale for the change to the workshop
format.

1.	How best to conduct Council business. From a review of the survey, each
of the municipalities that responded has a slightly different method of
conducting the public’s business. It is interesting to note that other than
Moscow, the only other city to have any sort of committee structure is
Rexburg, which uses its “committees” as a sort of liaison with individual
departments on a monthly, as compared to a weekly, basis. All other cities
conduct their business before the full council, either in a workshop setting
or at regularly scheduled council meetings. The intention is to insure that
the entire council gets the same information.

2.	Provide the most efficient use of Council and staff time. Is the
frequency of meetings justified as a proper use of time for both elected
officials and staff? In terms of time, elected officials are part-time
public servants who usually hold outside employment. Staff prepares agendas,
documentation and reports and must prepare for each meeting. From a
managerial perspective, staff would prefer less frequent meetings with more
opportunity to better prepare. Experience over the past decade has shown
that staff spends a substantial amount of time preparing for Council and
Committee meetings. Reports given to the Council as a body, rather than to a
Committee of only three members increases information sharing and
efficiency, ensuring that all members of the Council have the same
information.

3.	Provide the public with as much input as desired into City decision
making. At this time, all Council and Council Committee meetings are open to
the public and are televised on the City’s public, education, and government
(PEG) channel. There may be an advantage to pursuing the concept of a
workshop structure so that issues that are brought to the Council are
presented and debated to the entire Council, rather than a separate
committee. This would allow a member of the public to present input on an
issue on one occasion, rather than to present to a committee at one time and
to the Council at another time.

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<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Hi =
everyone,</span></font><font
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p>=
</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><font
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p>=
</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I would =
like to
ask for some comments on the restructuring of Moscow&#8217;s City =
Council working
groups.</span></font><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-a=
lt:
windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><font
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p>=
</span></font></p>

At a =
Moscow City
Council Workshop that was held Monday, January 26, The Moscow City =
Council
voted to suspend the City Council subcommittees (Administration and =
Public
Works) for a trial period of about 3 months. During this period the
subcommittees would be replaced with a pair of regularly scheduled =
Council
Workshops that would alternate on Mondays with normal City Council =
meetings. So
normal City Council meetings would occur on the first and third Mondays =
of each
month and City Council Workshops would occur on the second and fourth =
Mondays.
This change requires a suspension of City Code sections 2-2-16 and =
2-2-17,
which will be brought up at the next regular City Council meeting on =
Tuesday
February 3. (We are meeting on Tuesday next week because of the IDWR =
Public
Meeting on Water Issues being held in the UI Law Court Room on Monday at =
7:00
pm.) City business that once flowed through a particular subcommittee =
will now
go through a &#8220;committee&#8221; of the entire City =
Council.<o:p></o:p>=

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><!=
[if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

On=
e other
issue that was discussed during the workshop was the times of these =
meetings.
Presently City Council meetings begin at 7:00 pm and the subcommittee =
meetings
begin at 4:00 pm. The discussion at the workshop appears to favor =
keeping these
same times for the new meeting format. So normal City Council meetings =
would
begin at 7:00 pm and City Council Workshops would begin at 4:00 pm. Are =
these
times convenient for either attending these meetings or viewing them on =
TV? Are
different times for these meetings helpful or confusing? =
<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><!=
[if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

Th=
e
structure of subcommittees and workshops and the times of the various =
meetings
will be set by a careful consideration of the needs of the public, the =
Council,
and the City Staff. The most important of these is the public. What do you think of the proposed new =
organization?
What do you think of the times for these meetings, both normal City =
Council
meetings and City Council Workshops? I am very interested in =
your
thoughts, your concerns, and your ideas. It might be helpful for =
everyone if
you presented your thought to Vision2020, but you can also send any =
comments
directly to me. Thanks.<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><!=
[if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>John</span=
></font><font
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p>=
</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>--</span><=
/font><font
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p>=
</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>John =
Dickinson</span></font><font
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p>=
</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Moscow =
City
Council</span></font><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-a=
lt:
windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Moscow, =
ID 83843</span></font><font
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p>=
</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>208-882-79=
77</span></font><font
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p>=
</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>jdickinson=
@moscow.com</span></font><font
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p>=
</span></font></p>

<div style=3D'border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext =
.75pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid =
windowtext .75pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'><span =
class=3DEmailStyle15><font
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

</div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><!=
[if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

P.=
S.&nbsp; Here is a bit more information =
about
the reorganization of Council. As a lead in to the City Council =
Workshop, Gary
Riedner (Moscow City Supervisor) provided the following rationale for =
the
change to the workshop format.<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><!=
[if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

<ol style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0in' start=3D1 type=3D1>
 <li class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list =
.5in'><b><font
     size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
     12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;font-weight:bold'>How best to =
conduct
     Council business</span></font></b><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy =
face=3DArial><span
     =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;
     color:navy'>. From a review of the survey, each of the =
municipalities that
     responded has a slightly different method of conducting the =
public&#8217;s
     business. It is interesting to note that other than Moscow, the =
only other
     city to have any sort of committee structure is Rexburg, which uses =
its
     &#8220;committees&#8221; as a sort of liaison with individual =
departments on a
     monthly, as compared to a weekly, basis. All other cities conduct =
their
     business before the full council, either in a workshop setting or =
at regularly
     scheduled council meetings. The intention is to insure that the =
entire
     council gets the same information.</span></font><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy
     face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;
     =
font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span>=
</font></li>
</ol>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.25in'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:navy'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><font
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p>=
</span></font></p>

<ol style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0in' start=3D2 type=3D1>
 <li class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list =
.5in'><b><font
     size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
     12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;font-weight:bold'>Provide the =
most
     efficient use of Council and staff time</span></font></b><font =
size=3D2
     color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
     12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>. Is the frequency of meetings
     justified as a proper use of time for both elected officials and =
staff? In
     terms of time, elected officials are part-time public servants who =
usually
     hold outside employment. Staff prepares agendas, documentation and =
reports
     and must prepare for each meeting. From a managerial perspective, =
staff
     would prefer less frequent meetings with more opportunity to better
     prepare. Experience over the past decade has shown that staff =
spends a
     substantial amount of time preparing for Council and Committee =
meetings.
     Reports given to the Council as a body, rather than to a Committee =
of only
     three members increases information sharing and efficiency, =
ensuring that
     all members of the Council have the same =
information.</span></font><font
     size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
     =
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p>=
</span></font></li>
</ol>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><![if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]></span></font><font
size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p>=
</span></font></p>

<ol style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:0in' start=3D3 type=3D1>
 <li class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list =
.5in'><b><font
     size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
     12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;font-weight:bold'>Provide the =
public
     with as much input as desired into City decision =
making</span></font></b><font
     size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
     12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>. At this time, all Council =
and
     Council Committee meetings are open to the public and are televised =
on the
     City&#8217;s public, education, and government (PEG) channel. There =
may be an
     advantage to pursuing the concept of a workshop structure so that =
issues
     that are brought to the Council are presented and debated to the =
entire
     Council, rather than a separate committee. This would allow a =
member of
     the public to present input on an issue on one occasion, rather =
than to
     present to a committee at one time and to the Council at another =
time.</span></font><font
     size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
     =
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy;mso-color-alt:windowtext'><o:p></o:p>=
</span></font></li>
</ol>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3DEmailStyle15><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'><!=
[if =
!supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></p>

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