Kennewick council reviews governance manual, narrows city manager review process

Mayor Crawford opened the March 11 Kennewick City Council workshop with an overview of a draft governance manual and related ordinance amendments that staff plan to bring back for formal adoption on March 18.

City Manager Erdman told council members the draft incorporates language to allow, in limited circumstances, action in workshop meetings and proposes several KMC (Kennewick Municipal Code) changes: amendments to KMC 2.04.47 (workshop meetings) to permit actions only under special circumstances; KMC 2.04.120 (order of business) to remove the second visitor section; KMC 2.16.70 (attendance requirements) to change allowed unexcused absences for boards and commissions from two to three; and KMC 2.16.870 to add the lodging tax advisory committee. Erdman said appendices A (travel policy directed at council) and B (city manager review process) were also redrafted and would accompany the governance manual resolution on March 18.

The council debated moving the public comment period to the beginning of meetings and whether to allow a second visitor section at the end for "hot topic" items. Council member Trumbo and others argued for keeping a path for late comments in the interest of transparency; Mayor Pro Tem Torelli, Council member Beauchamp and others said consolidating public comment at the start (with the option to suspend rules to reopen comment) was preferable to keep meetings efficient. Several council members agreed to "try it" with the ability to suspend rules for additional visitor time if needed.

Council members spent substantial time on Appendix B, the city manager review process. The appendix revises the prior KAC process to an annual review timed to the city manager's anniversary; it calls for a standardized evaluation form filled out individually by council members, consolidated by the mayor and mayor pro tem, and permits an executive-session discussion with the city manager. The appendix states that "any formal actions that would change the contract or compensation for the city manager must be done in an open public meeting." Deputy City Manager Beaton and several council members urged including executive‑staff input (anonymous and preferably facilitated by an outside consultant) as part of the evaluation; others cautioned about conflating staff sentiment with the council's contract and compensation authority. The assembly reached agreement on language requiring the council to "adopt a standardized evaluation form" and to consider executive‑staff input, with HR involvement and the option to contract for confidentiality and facilitation. Several council members favored a biennial outside review or biennial contracted confidentiality support rather than obligating annual outside consulting every cycle.

Council member McShane and others emphasized the need for a clear scope for executive‑staff feedback (focused on leadership and implementation issues, not popularity) and recommended that an initial outside consultant product be incorporated into the governance manual so future cycles reuse an agreed form. The council asked staff to draft the standardized evaluation form (HR to produce a straw man) and to return language that reflects the committee's consensus. City Manager Erdman and Deputy City Manager Beaton said staff will prepare the form and the final governance manual materials for the March 18 meeting.

Earlier in the meeting Mayor Pro Tem Torelli moved and Council member Anderson seconded a motion to excuse the absence of Council member Milbauer; the motion passed unanimously, 6-0.

The council did not take formal votes on the governance manual or the appendices at this workshop; staff will return formal ordinance and resolution language on March 18 for council consideration.

The session closed with staff confirmation that the governance manual package, the four ordinance changes and the standardized evaluation form will be presented for formal action at the next meeting.