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INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE

Meeting Date:	02/10/2020
Subject: Commission for Women Follow-up
Submitted For:	David Twa
Department:	County Administrator
Referral No.:
Referral Name:
Presenter:	Julie DiMaggio Enea	Contact:	Julie DiMaggio Enea (925) 335-1077

Information

Referral History:

Phase I of the Triennial Review noted several areas of non-compliance with County policies. Over the course of several meetings with the Internal Operations Committee, additional issues were discussed, and instructions were provided to the Commission.

All advisory body members serve at the pleasure of the Board of Supervisors, and it is the responsibility of appointees to ensure that they comply with County polices. An advisory body Handbook, available online, includes the policies described below, and contact information for the Clerk of the Board’s office is included as a resource whenever staff, members, or the public have questions.

Over the course of the last two years, directions given to the Commission for Women in the Internal Operations meetings have included:

Address potential and actual conflicts of interest by requiring Commissioners who also have membership in an organization that provides funding to the Commission recuse themselves from any discussion and/or vote pertaining to the use of those funds.
Take down the non-County website (https://www.womenandgirlscommission.com/), or ensure that the following issues are clearly addressed:
- Agendas need to be current (or can link to the County’s Public Meetings Agenda Center).
- References to funds or fundraising need to include an explanation of how funds will be used.
- Potential applicants should be directed to the official County application materials and instructed to submit their applications to the Clerk of the Board.

Complete remedial Brown Act/Better Government Ordinance Training with the Clerk of the Board’s Office
Send agendas directly to the Clerk of the Board’s office, at least 5 days ahead of the meeting to ensure positing 96-hours ahead of scheduled meetings

Referral Update:

The Chart below indicates some of the Actions that the Commission has been asked to take, along with the general status. Items in green are thought to be in compliance or have made substantial progress towards compliance. Items in yellow or red are out of compliance, or appear to be out of compliance with County policies. Additionally, the advisory role of the Commission is still unclear, as the Commission has not provided the Supervisors with any formal update on its advisory activities. This formal update often takes shape as an Annual Report, as required by Resolution No. 2011/497 and its successor Resolution No. 2020/1; informally, it might be evidenced by recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on pending legislation or County initiatives.

Additionally, the website has a couple of other functional problems that should be addressed:

211 Contra Costa Link: Is not functional.
Speaker's Bureau: The website offers speakers on women's topics at various public events. However, clicking the Book Now button takes you nowhere else but back to the top of the current page. Since there is no other information on the website, it is unclear if speakers are available on a volunteer basis or whether honoraria is expected.

Action	Status	Notes
Send agendas to Clerk of the Board at least 5 days ahead of meetings	In Compliance (on-going)	Current Chair Kirsten Upshaw has been proactive and timely about sending agendas to the Clerk of the Board for posting. This is an ongoing item, as each meeting must comply with the County’s posting requirements.
Complete remedial Brown Act Training/Better Government Ordinance Training	In Compliance	An in-person refresher training was conducted at the September 2019 meeting. This is an ongoing challenge because in addition to attending a training, appointees must know and be able to apply the policies. While attending a training is a great step towards compliance, simply attending a training is not enough on its own to ensure compliance. Members are encouraged to actively learn about, and ask questions, about County policies.
Website - Agendas	Appears to be in compliance	The Agendas Link was updated recently and prior to January 2020 was not compliant. The Commission’s website now links to the County’s Agenda Center: https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/AgendaCenter/Commission-For-Women-102/
Bylaw updates	Completed May 2019	The Board approved the Commission’s bylaws, as recommended by the IOC, in May 2019.
Fund Management	Appears to be not in Compliance	Website indicates that the Commission will be fundraising through the Hall of Fame event. There is no further information on how the funds will be used. (See screenshot A.) CAO has received no funds from the Commission for deposit. Meeting minutes reflect neither election of a treasurer nor recusals from discussion or voting; it is unclear if recusals were necessary (see attached minutes). The extent to which the Commission manages funds, and dual membership on the Commission and Friends group needs to be verified.
Website – Application Materials	Not in Compliance	When visitors click “Become a Commissioner”, they are directed to the Contact Us page rather than to the County’s application. (See screenshot B)
Annual Report to the Board of Supervisors	Not in Compliance	Advisory bodies are required to submit annual reports to the Board of Supervisors (Resolution 2011/497 and successor 2020/1). Reminders were sent to all advisory body liaisons, including the Chair, on 11/8/2019.

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):

Given the longevity and repetition of these compliance issues, staff recommends that the Commission be given a hard and fast deadline to address these issues to the satisfaction of the IOC, with consideration for dissolution of the Commission as a County advisory body should there be a failure to do so.

Fiscal Impact (if any):

No fiscal impact.

Attachments
Commission for Women ByLaws_May 2019
Screenshots from Commission Website
Commission for Women December 2019 Minutes