Ordinances making technical corrections to city ordinances establishing boards and commissions

Sarissa Seracki, Senior Management Coordinator

Erik Nilsson, City Attorney

Moranda Dammann, Assistant City Manager

Mike Funk, City Manager

The proposed ordinances update the city code provisions governing the City's boards and commissions by making technical corrections, clarifying roles and procedures, improving consistency among board and commission ordinances, and reflecting current administrative practices.

Motion to adopt the ordinances.

The City has established several boards and commissions to provide advice and recommendations to city council on matters related to their respective areas of responsibility. The boards and commissions are established through individual provisions of the City Code, which outline their membership, terms, responsibilities, meeting requirements, and other applicable procedures.

As part of the City's ongoing review of its boards and commissions, city staff reviewed the existing ordinances to identify opportunities to improve consistency, establish uniformity, clarify language, and align the ordinances with current practices.

The review process included multiple discussions with staff who support the City's boards and commissions. City staff first met with each staff liaison, the city attorney and other necessary staff, to review the details of the ordinance and identify potential changes. Following this initial review, staff met with the city manager to discuss the recommended changes and establish consistent language to be used across the City's boards and commissions. Following the city manager's review, city staff, along with the city manager and city attorney, met with each staff liaison and other necessary staff for a final review of the proposed changes. These discussions provided an opportunity to confirm the recommended amendments, address board and commission specific considerations, and finalize the proposed ordinance language. General language was also added to each board and commission which included language for:

• total number of voting members
• age requirements for youth or young adult members
• appointments, terms, reappointments, and removal
• annual report and meeting frequency
• selection of chairperson and vice-chairperson
• bylaws and ad hoc committees
• open meeting law, compensation, and staff liaison
  
  

No current member on any board or commission will be removed due to change in membership numbers. Positions will be removed as members reach term limits or decide to not be reappointed.

The proposed ordinances incorporate the recommended updates and make corresponding technical and procedural amendments to the ordinances establishing the City's boards and commissions. The amendments are intended to improve clarity and consistency, create uniformity, reflect current administrative practices, and support the effective administration of the City's boards and commissions.

The planning commission ordinance was not part of this review due to the ordinance being reviewed with the zoning code rewrite.

On Aug. 31, 2026, the ordinances were introduced to city council during a regular council meeting. City council had no changes to the proposed ordinances.