Assistant city clerk: recovery boards operating well administratively but members unsure their recommendations reach council

Alex Smith, assistant city clerk, presented a one-year update on four recovery boards created in August 2025 and told the Policy, Finance & Infrastructure work session that the boards are generally “functioning well, especially at an administrative level.” He said staff completed two surveys—one of board members (31 of 44 responded) and one of staff liaisons (7 of 9 responded)—and that response rates were strong enough to form a baseline for future comparison.

Smith said survey results show board agendas align with the council’s four recovery priority areas and with city projects, and that members value the cross-disciplinary membership. But he also highlighted a persistent area of concern: “there is still a lingering sense of uncertainty regarding how these recommendations from recovery boards are making their way to city council and how they’re being incorporated into decision making.” He reported roughly half of members disagreed that council values or acts on their recommendations and said the city will re-administer the surveys in spring 2027 ahead of the boards’ June 2027 sunset to track progress.

During Q&A, council members raised operational questions about meeting cadence and timing: because many boards meet every other month, members said timing sometimes misaligns with council funding decisions and special meetings may be needed. One councilor suggested staff prepare concise one-page summaries and clear timeline notes when a board recommendation is forwarded to council to close the feedback loop. Smith said staff are working to “reflect back that feedback loop” in presentations so membership can see where recommendations go and whether council acts on them.