Council debates role of liaisons, favors committee chairs or staff to present reports; first reading advances code changes

Tega Cay council spent significant time Jan. 21 discussing the city’s use of council liaisons to advisory committees and how committee information should be reported to full council. The discussion coincided with first-reading action to amend the municipal code governing the parks, recreation & events committee and the stormwater and environmental committee.

Several council members said serving as a liaison has personal value and signals council’s interest in committee work, but they also agreed that allowing the committee chair or staff liaison to present reports at council meetings would foster more detailed conversation. “If the chair or the staff representative came here to present to us, then we can open up that dialogue and open up that conversation,” Councilman Carter said during debate. Mayor Pro Tem Carmen Miller and Councilmembers Brian and Tom (surnames not specified in transcript) similarly favored presentations coming from chairs or staff that can answer detailed questions directly.

Council also discussed volunteer expectations in the proposed committee ordinance. The draft includes a provision that parks-and-recreation committee members “shall serve as volunteers at a minimum of three events during each year,” a change staff said aims to ensure committees help implement events rather than only proposing them to staff. Staff clarified events are typically day-of support for concerts, festivals and holiday activities and said language is intended to require modest, day-of participation rather than multi-day commitments.

The ordinance amending Article 4, Division 2 and Chapter 22 Article 1 Section 44-10 was introduced and passed first reading; staff will prepare a clean version to correct inconsistent member-count language before second reading.