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HomeMy WebLinkAboutP-0125 - Commissioner Requests for Information from County Staff 03-06-2002~. • POLICY FOR INSERTION INTO THE POLICY MANUAL MEETING DATE: March 6, 2002 NUMBER: P0125 EFFECTIVE DATE: March 6, 2002 REVISIONS: POLICY: Commissioner Requests for Information from County Staff APPROVED Orange County Board of Commissioners Proposed Guidelines for Commissioner Requests for Information from County Staff Purpose: To establish guidelines for Commissioners and staff for addressing individual • Commissioner's requests for information, reports, memoranda, or similar information from County staff. The Board of Commissioners' interests in establishing these guidelines are as follows: To clarify for Commissioners and staff when requests should be addressed to the Manager or department head or when the request may require the full Board's consideration. On behalf of the full Board, to assure there is an opportunity to consider as a Board, Commissioner requests that will involve significant staff time and impact existing goals and priorities. While acknowledging the Manager and staff's willingness to respond to Commissioners requests, to assure that there is opportunity in the process for appropriate consideration - by the Manager or, as necessary, by the Board - of priorities and any need for re- prioritization. Note: In the instance of Commissioners' requests to the Clerk to the Board, the Board has in place protocols for working with the Clerk. This procedure does not apply to requests to the Clerk to the Board except as such requests involve the Clerk obtaining information from County departments. In such case the Clerk addresses the request to the Manager. • • Guidelines A. Requests Outside of Board of Commissioners' Meetings Copies of Existing Information If a County Commissioner wants copies of existing information, reports, agenda abstract or similar information, the Commissioner may request the information from the Manager or directly from the department head involved. The Manager or department head involved responds directly to the request as soon as possible. In this instance, it is not necessary to provide the information to any Commissioner other than the requesting Commissioner. Additional Information Requiring Limited Staff Work (Less than Two Hours) When a County Commissioner requests additional information that may require • limited additional work such as two hours or less, the Commissioner may direct the request to the department head or the Manager. The Manager or department head involved responds directly to the request as soon as possible. If the department head is contacted directly he or she advises the Manager of the request. In this instance, the additional information generated is provided to all Commissioners. Additional Information Re uq firing Significant Staff Work (More than Two Hours) When a County Commissioner requests additional information that may require significant additional staff work such as a new report or amendments to an existing report, the Commissioner makes the request to the Manager. If a department head receives such a request directly and, after examining it, determines the request will require significant additional staff work, he or she refers the request to the Manager for the Manager's review. If in the Manager's opinion the request will require significant work, the Manager reviews the request with the Board Chair. The Manager and the Board Chair discuss how the request relates to the Board's goals and priorities. As necessary, the Board Chair discusses the request with the involved County Commissioner or all Commissioners to reach a decision on whether to-have staff provide the requested information. • B. Requests During Board of Commissioners' Meetings (Follow Up Items) During Commissioners' comments or in the course of discussion of a particular Board meeting item, a Commissioner may make a request for additional information. If based on the experience of the Board Chair, another Commissioner who has knowledge of the subject, or the Manager such request would seem to involve significant time (more than several hours), it is the responsibility of the Board Chair, other Commissioner or Manager to bring this to the attention of the Board. In this way, the Board may decide whether it wishes to pursue the staff time investment required by the request. Also in this way the Board will understand that the request will require more time, that it may not be possible to bring the information back by the next meeting agenda and that it may impact other work priorities. For example, the Public Safety Study arose as a follow up item to the Board's Comments. The decision was to pursue the study as an important objective for the Board. This did require significant additional time and did impact other work priorities. If, as in most cases, the item does not require the above level of consideration, the • Manager will address the request and report back to the Board. Approved by the Board of County Commissioners on March 6, 2002 • ~~~~ ~~ ~~ 1 b. Proposed Guidelines for Commissioner Requests for Information from County Staff 2 The Board considered proposed Guidelines for Commissioner Requests for Information from County Staff. John Link summarized the information in the agenda abstract. He made reference to page three, item three, which is in the case when the information requested requires more than two 5 hours of staff work. In this case, the Manager will have a discussion with the Chair to decide how to 6 respond. ~ Commissioner Gordon asked about the word "significant" and how much time this involves - g two hours or several days. John Link said that staff would try to respond right away. However, we may 9 not know how long it will take until sometime after the meeting. If the item takes longer than planned, 1o then John Link would talk with the Chair and discuss where it would fit into the priorities. 1 i Chair Jacobs suggested changing the language in item B-1 on page three to "(more than 12 several hours)" to be consistent with item three, "Additional Information Requesting Significant Staff 13 Work (More than Two Hours)." 14 A motion was made by Commissioner Halkiotis, seconded by Commissioner Carey to 15 approve the Guidelines for Commissioner Requests for Information from County Staff with the change 16 as suggested above by Chair Jacobs. 17 Commissioner Gordon said that there are other things that the County Commissioners do 18 that take staff time, such as meetings. John Link said that at this stage the number of project 19 committees or work groups is reasonable and is not encroaching on staff time. zo • ` ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS . ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: March 6, 2002 Action Age d Item No. SUBJECT: Proposed Guidelines for Commissioner Requests for Information from County Staff DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No County Commissioners ATTACHMENT(S): Draft Proposed Guidelines INFORMATION CONTACT: Barry Jacobs, Chair John Link, ext. 2300 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To review and consider Proposed Guidelines for Commissioner Requests for Information from County Staff. BACKGROUND: In response to a BOCC request, staff developed a draft procedure that the Board may wish to use as a basis for discussion for improving communications, insofar as that relates to responses to Commissioner requests for information. This draft was previously provided to the BOCC, and a copy is also attached to this abstract. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with consideration of the proposed guidelines. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board review and discuss the proposed guidelines, make any necessary modifications, and approve the guidelines as revised. -- 3 When a County Commissioner requests additional information that may require limited additional work such as two hours or less, the Commissioner may direct the request to the department head or the Manager. The Manager or department head involved responds directly to the request as soon as possible. If the department head is contacted directly he or she advises the Manager of the request. In this instance, the additional. information generated is provided to all Commissioners. 3. Additional Information Requiring Significant Staff Work (More than Two Hours) When a County Commissioner requests additional information that may require significant additional staff work such as a new report or amendments to an existing report, the Commissioner makes the request to the Manager. If a department head receives such a request directly and, after examining it, determines the request will require significant additional staff work, he or she refers the request to the Manager for the Manager's review. If in the Manager's opinion the request will require significant work, the Manager reviews the request with the Board Chair. The Manager and the Board Chair discuss how the request relates to the Board's goals and priorities. As necessary, the Board Chair discusses the request with the involved County Commissioner or all Commissioners to reach a decision on whether to have staff provide the requested information. B. Requests During Board of Commissioners' Meetings (Follow Up Items) During Commissioners' comments or in the course of discussion of a particular Board. meeting item, a Commissioner may make a request for additional information. 1. If based on the experience of the Board Chair, another Commissioner who has knowledge of the subject, or the Manager such request would seem to involve significant time (more than several days), it is the responsibility of the Board Chair, other Commissioner or Manager to bring this to the attention of the Board. In this way, the Board may decide whether it wishes to pursue the staff time investment required by the request. Also in this way the Board wi11 understand that the request will require more time, that it may not be possible to bring the information back by the next meeting agenda and that it may impact other work priorities. For example, the Public Safety Study arose as a follow up item to the Board's Comments. The decision was to pursue the study as an important objective for the Board. This did require significant additional time and did impact other work priorities. 2. If, as in most cases, the item does not require the above level of consideration, the Manager will address the. request and report back to the Board.