Personnel and Public Employees Committee Meeting – March 21, 2023
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Personnel and Public Employees Committee Meeting – March 21, 2023
The Personnel and Public Employees (P&PE) Committee met on March 21, 2023, at 3:01 p.m. at Sacramento City Hall. The meeting covered the selection of a vice chair for 2023, a discussion of the city’s board, commission, and committee annual report process, and review of the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission’s (SCPRC) 2023 Annual Report. The committee approved the consent calendar, selected Councilmember Caity Maple as vice chair, and provided direction on both the annual report process and the SCPRC report.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the Personnel and Public Employees Committee meeting minutes from February 21, 2023 (File ID: 2023-00293) by unanimous vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Keyan Bliss (member of the Police Review Commission) expressed concern that the new annual work plan process could make the committee a “gatekeeper” before commissions could begin their work, and noted that previous ad hoc committees did not require staff support.
- Megan Fidell (Chair of the Utilities Rate Advisory Commission) stated her commission is substantially underutilized and expressed interest in generating annual reports to do more substantive work.
- Marjorie Dickinson (Measure U Advisory Committee member, speaking as an individual) urged the committee to reconsider adding a P&PE review layer for Measure U, as it could delay timely budget recommendations given the committee’s monthly meeting schedule.
- Graciela Castillo‑Krings (Chair of the SCPRC) emphasized the need for a flexible process to allow commissions to respond in real time to emerging issues, and requested clear guidance for handling emergency situations.
- Marbella Sala (Measure U representative for District 3) echoed concerns about delays, stressing that Measure U is a budget committee and that going through P&PE would slow their process; she also requested expedited approval of three subcommittees and consideration of reinstating ad hoc committees.
Discussion Items
- Selection of Vice Chair for 2023 (Item 2): Chair Kaplan nominated Councilmember Caity Maple, who accepted. The motion passed unanimously, appointing Maple as Vice Chair.
- City of Sacramento Board, Commission, and Committee Annual Report Process (Item 3): The committee discussed standardizing annual reports to include mission, vision, scope, staff time allocation, prioritized work plans, and meeting schedules. Councilmembers emphasized equity across commissions, flexibility for timely items, and the ability to call special meetings. Public comments raised concerns about additional layers slowing down Measure U’s budget work. The committee agreed to move forward with the framework and directed staff to provide further clarity.
- Sacramento Community Police Review Commission’s Annual Report (Item 4): Chair Castillo‑Krings presented the SCPRC’s 2023 Work Plan, prioritizing the Use of Force and Military Equipment (MEU) policy and SPD accountability/culture. Police Chief Kathy Lester requested time to clarify work plan details with the commission before adoption. Councilmember Loloee asked about tracking community input by district. The committee discussed the need for direct dialogue between SPD and the commission at commission meetings. The work plan was approved to move to City Council, while the 2022 recommendations were deferred for further prioritization by the commission after receiving staff feedback.
Key Outcomes
- Approved the consent calendar (minutes from February 21, 2023) unanimously.
- Motion (Kaplan/Loloee): Selected Councilmember Caity Maple as Vice Chair for 2023; passed 4‑0.
- Annual Report Process: Received and provided direction to staff to refine the process, including requiring all commissions to submit prioritized work plans and proposed meeting schedules, and to allow flexible response to emergent issues.
- SCPRC Annual Report:
- Approved the 2023 Work Plan and directed staff to forward it to the City Council for action.
- Directed staff to combine all 2022 recommendations into one document with staff feedback (from SPD, City Attorney, etc.) and have the SCPRC prioritize them before returning to P&PE for consideration of forwarding to Council.
- The committee supported ongoing collaboration between the Police Chief and the SCPRC chair to clarify work plan details.
- No public comments were made on matters not on the agenda. Meeting adjourned at 4:14 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Jacob, their job last night to measure you. That was a long meeting. All right. Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the personnel and public employee committee meeting. The meeting is now in order at three o'clock. Will the Kirk please call the roll call? Thank you, Councilmember Lelowy. Councilmember Maple. Here. Vice Chair Valenzuela. Here. Here we have a quorum. Just as a little prep for members of the public in the chambers, if you wish to speak on an item and are not an applicant, which we don't have any applicants today, please fill out a speaker slip, which can be found at the back of the room for the members of the public joining us online and you wish to speak. Raise do the raise your hand to provide public comment when the chair confirms that it is time for public comment speaking period on your desired item. Remember, online click to raise your hand on the bottom of the screen. If you're on a mobile app, you can raise your hand by tapping the raise hand option. And if you are on a telephone and calling in, uh please to raise your hand, dial star nine, then to unmute or or mute, dial star six. Speakers will be called on by the last four digits of their phone numbers. Everybody will have two minutes to speak once you're called on. And so we're now moving forward with today's agenda. Councilwoman Valenzuela, I'd like to provide it back to you to do our land acknowledgement and pledge of allegiance. Absolutely. Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands to the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains, Miwok, Putwin Winton peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the Native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather today in the active practice of acknowledgment and appreciation for Sacramento's Indigenous Peoples History, contributions, and lives. Thank you. And now please salute and pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic. One nation undergone indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you so much. Um I'm really excited for today because I feel like we're moving forward on some things we've discussed for a long time. And we've also got some commission members who have been waiting to see us move forward on some of our pro promises. So uh the first order of business today is approval of the consent calendar, which is only our minutes to I have a motion. So moved. Move by Valenzuela. Second. I think Sean was before me. Second by Mr. Councilmember Lowe. Thank you so much. Uh, do are we all in approval of eyes? Thumbs up. All right. If only life could be that easy with a with approving consent. Um and I failed. Were there any anybody to speak on consent items? Were there any public comments for consent? I have no hands raised or speaker slips for the consent calendar. Awesome. Thank you so much.
openpublica.com