Are you going to start the discussion, please?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I did pull together just a summary concerning the formation of a special committee from town code.

I thought that might help frame the discussion, and then we can talk about specific direction that staff would need from the council in order to bring you something back to create the committee if that's what the council chooses.

By the January 15th, 2025 special meeting of the town council, council expressed an interest in the creation of a committee to review current processes within certain departments.

Following the review, the committee would provide recommendations to the town council about how those processes could be improved.

That's my takeaway, our understanding of that discussion.

For a little background, town code chapter 33 talks about the specific parameters surrounding boards, committees, and commissions.

So specifically, if you're creating a committee, you should include in that resolution the number of members, the purpose for which the committee is organized, and the duties thereof.

Duties shall be determined by the council or when appropriate by state law.

The committee is only allowed to discuss or take action on items directed by the statute, town code, or the council.

Majority of the total number of regular positions shall constitute a quorum.

Minutes shall be kept, and council shall adopt a code of ethics conduct behavior, which you have already done.

A council has already done it's in council policy number four.

New members must attend open meeting law, conflict of interest, and code of conduct training.

Committee cannot incur debts, make purchases, or enter into any contracts that bind the town, and they shall not receive any funds.

Term of office for committee members shall serve until a committee has been terminated.

All voting members shall be appointed by the town council.

Council adopts the rules and procedures for the appointment of those committee members, and that is also included in existing council policy.

All appointments should bring the skill, integrity, knowledge, interest, and commitment to evaluating issues in the broad context of the public interest to the extent possible.

Appointees should be selected to represent a broad cross-section of the community relative to the purpose of the agency, in this case the town.

Clerk provides the applications and maintains the list of applicants for the council.

Each committee shall nominate a chair and vice chair.

Those nominations are subject to approval by the mayor and council.

Members of the committee shall be qualified electors of the town.

You can obviously make exceptions to this rule by uh the establishing resolution.

You have the right to remove any committee members with or without cause.

And the committee members, um, there's some specific language in there that if they miss a number have a number of absences from the meetings, then they shall be deemed to have vacated their appointment, and committee members shall serve without compensation.

All activities of each board or committee shall be conducted in compliance with Arizona's open meeting law.

Mayor may account may appoint a council liaison to the committee.

You did that at a recent meeting for all of the other boards and commissions, and then the town manager shall designate a staff advisor for each committee, and that advisor shall aid and assist the committee as needed.

So your next steps or action would be provide direction to the staff or bringing back a resolution to the council to establish the committee if that's what the council chooses.

Include in that direction how many people you think should sit on that committee, the purpose, and the duties or the processes with which you uh will be tasking that committee.

That's all I have.

Council Ferris.

I you know, the past town manager had created an ad hoc committee of their own.

Is the mayor authorized to be able to put together the same kind of committee as say the digital pacing committee was so um mayor and council member Ferris?

So there's different types of committees.

So under open meeting law, if the presiding officer, the mayor, or the council forms the committee, then that comes back to the council, right?

Recommendations come back to the council.

Um, I would say you have a more degree of control in terms of what it is you're looking for.

Now, if staff creates their own committee, like if the manager creates their own committee just to help them in their duties and what it is that you know, specific issue maybe, like like digital PASIN.

Um that's not subject to open meeting law.

Um and again, it's more just to assist the staff.

It's not necessarily coming back to council, even though of course the manager could come and give you a report, or they can give you reports, it's just a different structure.

So would we be hindering this committee if uh we formed it versus the you know the town or the you know town uh administration?

I think it's just because of the open meeting law stuff.

Um no, I mean, mayor and counsel, I mean, so it's just a matter of state law that requires it to be subject to open meeting law if it's created by council.

Um so again, I would just say that the distinction is when you have a staff-oriented committee, then it really is staff-oriented, right?

It's supposed to be kind of assisting the staff with whatever duties that that like say the manager is asking for versus a council created, which is again reporting to the council.

Maybe we need to look at purpose and the purpose of it would drive how it's instituted.

I was gonna say the same thing.

You're right.

Everybody share their vision or per what they think the purpose would be.

I don't know.

Yeah, why don't we start going down the line?

Sure.

Um, okay.

Yeah, my my vision uh for this committee would be um, you know, to to bring together a group of citizens.