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Draft guidance would limit council liaisons to a nonvoting, advisory contact role
Summary
Staff proposed council-liaison guidelines that define liaisons as a primary, informal two-way channel between council and advisory boards, restrict regular attendance, and recommend when council members should engage with boards; committee asked clarifying language on liaison training and onboarding.
City staff presented draft guidance to the special committee Wednesday that defines the expected role and attendance of council liaisons to advisory boards and commissions.
The draft guidance, which staff reviewed after researching practices in other municipalities, would allow the mayor to designate a council liaison at the organizational meeting following a council election and describe the liaison’s role as “a primary two-way channel between the board or commission” and “a primary informal contact for the board or commission,” rather than an advocate or an ex officio voting member.
The draft also clarifies attendance expectations: “Council liaisons do not normally attend monthly meetings,” staff said, but liaisons may be informed through agendas, minutes, work plans and annual reports and may “attend a meeting due to interest in a specific item” or “pop in and observe.”
Committee members expressed concern about assigning liaison responsibilities—particularly training or onboarding of new board members—to newly elected councilmembers who may themselves be unfamiliar with boards’ work. A committee member suggested softer language to preserve staff responsibility: rather than obligating liaisons to lead onboarding, the guidance could say liaisons “may provide suggestions to staff related to training.”
Staff indicated they would revise the guidance accordingly and bring the revised language back to the committee. The committee signaled willingness to advance liaison guidance to the full council after that revision.
The draft also states that a staff liaison or a board member may request a councilmember attend a meeting on a specific item, underscoring that council attendance should be item-specific rather than routine.
