Madison staff propose reducing and consolidating boards, commissions and committees to improve clarity and staff support

City staff and council leadership presented a multi-part proposal on Jan. 28 to streamline Madison’s boards, commissions and committees (BCCs), arguing fewer, better-supported bodies would improve operational efficiency and public clarity.

Karen Kapusta Pofalo, the Common Council chief of staff, summarized the project’s goals as "effective and efficient operations, strong accountable committees, clarity for residents on the legislative process and balancing community engagement with other opportunities for accessible, equitable engagement." She traced the work to the Task Force on Government Structure (TFOGS, 2017–19), an implementation group (2020–23) and ongoing work with the Common Council Executive Committee.

Deputy Mayor Christy Baumel described a proposed first-quarter ordinance that would combine committees with overlapping purposes, dissolve inactive committees and add limited flexibility where membership constraints have left seats vacant. Among items proposed for change in the near term: combining several community development committees into a single multi‑generational committee, exploring a combined economic development and vending oversight body, dissolving an outdated CDD conference committee and removing a Ho‑Chunk Nation coordinating committee that has not met in 12 years. Baumel said staff had consulted the Ho‑Chunk Nation and that the nation preferred other engagement avenues.

Baumel said the work is phased: the first quarter would bring ordinance language for some consolidations, later work would address quasi‑judicial functions, membership rules, onboarding, training and quality‑assurance systems for committees. "There’s a difference between doing the work and how to do the work," she said. Staff emphasized the proposal would not end substantive work on topics such as public safety, housing or parks but would instead reorganize where and how that work is handled.

Council members raised concerns about timing, membership and staff capacity. Several members asked for clearer rules on how many alder members a committee should have and for stronger, modular training for chairs and members; City Attorney’s office staff and the city’s performance management specialist said modular on‑demand training is planned. Isaac Mathias, the Common Council legislative analyst, provided supporting analysis of committee workloads and noted that Planning, Community and Economic Development divisions oversee a disproportionate share of committees.

Baumel and Kapusta Pofalo said staff aim to introduce legislation in February with potential Council action in March and to continue follow‑up work (training, onboarding and staffing) through later quarters. The proposal is informational; no ordinance was introduced during the meeting.