Garden City council creates Department of Governmental Affairs and Strategic Initiatives

Garden City — The City Council on June 1 adopted an ordinance to establish a Department of Governmental Affairs and Strategic Initiatives and to create a director position responsible for the city’s legislative and intergovernmental work.

Council members read the ordinance into the record before the city manager described the role. "This is to establish a governmental affairs and strategic initiatives department and director position," the city manager said, adding that the director "will manage the legislative and intergovernmental relations and initiatives in the city." The ordinance requires presentation of an amendment to the city's financial reports and annual budget to create a separate budget for the new department.

The council approved the ordinance on its first reading and then voted to take the first reading as the second reading at the same meeting. On the second reading the council recorded unanimous approval. The mayor announced the motion carried and the ordinance was adopted.

The ordinance text assigns the director duties over legislative and intergovernmental responsibilities and directs staff to establish operational budgeting for the department. The council did not record a mover or seconder by name in the minutes for the motions; roll-call approvals were recorded by councilmembers during each vote.

The ordinance passage starts the process for staffing the new director position and for amending the city's budget documents to show a separate departmental budget. The council adjourned at the end of the meeting.