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7.
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| INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE |
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| Information |
| Referral History: |
In accordance with the Board of Supervisor’s policy, a Triennial Review of the Library Commission was conducted in 2015 by the County Librarian, Jessica Hudson. The review was prepared with and co-signed by the then-Chair of the Commission, Rodger Lum. The recommendations in the Triennial Report were listed, but not heard, on the Library Commission agenda in November, 2015. The topic was listed again and recommendations were presented verbally by Ms. Hudson at the Library Commission’s January 2016 meeting. The written report was provided to Library Commission members at the March 24, 2016 Library Commission meeting and the Internal Operations Committee (IOC) on March 28, 2016.
The Triennial Report recommended the IOC consider two alternatives: either sun-setting the Library Commission entirely or reauthorizing it with fewer members (by eliminating the alternate members and/or the 5 Special Representatives) and developing a renewed charge, mission and work plan.
At the March IOC meeting Supervisors determined that the Commission should continue in operation through the end of 2016, for a review of its charge, mission, proposed work, membership structure, and continuation going past 2016. In May 2016, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) extended the Commission until the end of December 2016 to allow the Commission, the Contra Costa Mayor’s Conference and staff the time needed to conduct this review.
At its May 2016 meeting, the Mayor’s Conference also approved the extension of the Library Commission through the end of 2016. The Conference established an ad hoc committee of Mayors to review the matter and make further recommendations about the Library Commission to the Board of Supervisors and the Mayors.
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| Referral Update: |
Mayor’s Conference Recommendations
Following the meeting of the Mayor’s Conference where reauthorization of the Commission occurred, the Executive Director of the Conference and a group of Mayors began their review of the Library Commission. Their report, which is attached, recommends continuation of the Library Commission and also recommends continued participation by all Cities in the County, with the exception of the City of Richmond. This change is recommended because Richmond chose, through Council Resolution, to no longer participate in the Library Commission or appoint a Commission member and alternate. This report will go to the full membership of the Mayor’s Conference before the end of 2016 and is expected to be approved with no changes.
Library Commission and County Staff Updates
Since June, the Library Commission and an appointed ad hoc Revitalization Committee made up of Library Commissioners have been reviewing such issues as the mission, charge and work of the Library Commission, the number and type of members, specifics within the Commission’s bylaws and whether or not the Commission should be reauthorized.
During these months, Library Commissioners and the ad hoc Revitalization Committee have invested a significant number of volunteer hours imagining the future of the Library Commission, developing recommendations for restructuring its membership and work products, drafting the Revitalization Report for consideration and review by the entire Library Commission and beginning to draft bylaw changes.
In addition to this work by Library Commissioners and the Mayor’s Conference, the Interim County Librarian, Library administration and staff and the CAO’s Office engaged in numerous discussions to consider the future of the Library Commission, consulted regularly with the Library Commission Chair and ad hoc Revitalization Committee members and provided staff assistance to the Library Commission and its ad hoc Revitalization Committee. Staff from the CAO’s Office and County Counsel have also assisted by researching and providing guidance on technical questions raised by the Commissioners.
The Draft Revitalization Report, Recommendations and Proposed Changes
Throughout this process, the current Library Commission Chair, Alan Smith, has provided leadership and facilitated review of the Commission’s structure and mission. He will be present at the September IOC meeting to talk about the work of the Library Commission’s appointed ad hoc Revitalization Committee, the draft Revitalization Report, and to answer questions regarding the draft recommendations and their work to this point.
In the draft Revitalization Report, the ad hoc Committee and the Library Commission is recommending that the Commission be reauthorized. This report, which is attached hereto, also envisions a number of changes (highlighted below) to the Library Commission’s voting membership structure and the Commission’s work going forward.
All recommendations contained in the draft Revitalization Report have been developed by ad hoc Revitalization Committee members and Library Commissioners and made available to the public through the open meeting process and requirements. To date, there have been five public meetings noticed on this topic since June, 2016.
In addition to developing and writing the Revitalization Report, the ad hoc Committee and Library Commission have been reviewing the Commission’s current bylaws and possible changes to them. If the decision is made to reauthorize the Library Commission, they will be ready to work with County Counsel and library staff to draft a revision that contains the proposed changes, for the Board of Supervisors review and approval.
Highlights from the Draft Revitalization Report
- The Library Commission proposes a slightly smaller voting membership structure that retains alternate members and changes most of the Special Representatives (except the Central Labor Council) to ex-officio/non-voting status. Alternates would vote only in the absence of the regular appointee. In addition, the City of Richmond passed a resolution to give up its membership on the Commission. With these changes, voting membership becomes 24, with 13 voting attendees needed for a quorum.
- Off-cycle voting for a new Chair or Vice Chair will be allowed, to ensure that both a Chair and Vice Chair will be in place if a mid-term resignation occurs.
- The agenda will be streamlined and notice and opportunities for the public to comment on issues will be made clearer and more prominent.
- The number of meetings will remain at 6 per year.
- Minutes will be streamlined and distributed electronically to members, unless requested otherwise.
- Requests for information shall be routed to designated library staff through the Chair of the Commission or an ad hoc committee chair.
- Library Commission advisory duties will be focused on planning, policy review, financial review, advocacy and funding recommendations, community outreach, support and advocacy for Library services.
- The prohibition against inquiry or investigation into personnel policies and practices and the day-to-day administrative operations of the County Library will continue in place.
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| Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s): |
We have thoroughly reviewed the draft Revitalization Report’s recommendations and proposed changes. Our assessment is that these proposals are sound and have the potential to modernize and reinvigorate the work and structure of the Library Commission.
In concert with the recommendations from the Mayor’s Conference, we support reauthorization of the Library Commission, in the structure as recommended in the Conference report.
If both the Library Commission and the IOC Supervisors agree with the structure and future work for the Commission, as outlined and recommended in the draft Revitalization Report, we recommend the Board of Supervisors reauthorize the Commission until the end of December 2019. We further recommend that 2019 be set as the year for the next Triennial Review of the Library Commission.
If the IOC and BOS agrees with these recommendations, we propose the new Librarian begin to work with the Library Commission and County Counsel to rewrite the Commission bylaws to reflect the changes as outlined, in the Mayor’s Conference report and the ad hoc Revitalization Committee report. |
| Fiscal Impact (if any): |
| None. |
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