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4.4 SR 12-04-2023 Request for Action To Item Number Mayor and City Council 4.4 Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by Consent December 4, 2023 Cal Portner, City Administrator Item Description Reviewed by Advisory Board Policy Tina Allard, City Clerk Reviewed by Action Requested Approve, by motion, the updates to the Advisory Board and Commission Policy Background/Discussion In Work Session on November 20, 2023, the City Council reviewed and discussed changes to the Advisory Board and Commission Policy following concerns regarding attendance. The entire policy was cleaned up to remove redundancies and to clarify without changing policy. Three specific policy areas were discussed and supported by a consensus of the Council. Appointments – the following language was added: Commission members representing community organizations or agencies on the Energy City Commission and Multipurpose Facility Advisory Commission may utilize a proxy member in their absence. The proxy member’s name and position within the organization shall be provided to the staff liaison, commission chair and Office of the City Clerk in advance of attending a meeting in place of an appointed member. Special Meetings – the following language was updated: Special Meetings may be added by consensus of the commission at a regular Scheduled Meeting to complete unfinished or newly planned business of the Scheduled Meeting. Special Meetings require a 72-hour public notice in accordance with the Minnesota Open Meeting Law. Special Meetings shall not replace Scheduled Meetings. Failure to attend a Special Meeting shall result in an absence. Attendance – the language was amended to include a defined Excused Absence in which an absence may be excused if the staff liaison or Office of the City Clerk is notified by 12 p.m./noon of the day of the scheduled meeting. Further, the threshold for commission termination increases to 50% of meetings with excused absences. Financial Impact N/A Mission/Policy/Goal Elk River Mission Attachments  Strikethrough Policy  2023 Clean Policy The Elk River Vision A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity. Updated: August 2020 ADVISORY BOARD AND COMMISSION POLICY Document Purpose The City Council is responsible for the actions of its advisory boards and commissions and this policy serves to provide guidance to those bodies. The Council expectation is that this policy is clearly understood and followed. Councilmembers welcome requests for discussion or clarification of information provided in this policy. The Council goals are clear communication and impeccable service to the residents of Elk River. The terms board and commission shall be used interchangeably throughout this document. Creation of Advisory Commissions and Independent Commissions State statutes govern the creation of council advisory commissions that are authorized to exercise the duties the Council has legally assigned. They are frequently authorized to conduct investigations and make recommendations. Advisory commissions shall not make decisions on behalf of the Council. Councils routinely accept commission recommendations if the commission has done a thorough and competent job. Commissioners must understand that the Council has the independent final decision on all matters before them and is not beholden to commission recommendations. The Council creates and dissolves advisory commissions as they deem appropriate, has the power to appoint and remove members, and exercise powers of general supervision. Per Minnesota Statutes Sections 462.351-462.365, a planning commission must be established by ordinance and once established may only be dissolved by an ordinance passed by a 2/3-majority vote of the Council. There are two types of commissions, independent and advisory. Statutes establish most independent commissions and give them some discretionary powers. Advisory commissions conduct studies and investigations on behalf of the Council and submit reports and recommendations for Council consideration. Advisory commission decisions do not take effect until the Council has accepted the decision by passing an ordinance or resolution. Advisory Commissions The City of Elk River currently has five standing advisory commissions. They are:  Heritage Preservation Commission  Planning Commission  Multipurpose Facility Commission  Energy City Commission  Parks and Recreation Commission Independent Commissions The discretionary power of the following Elk River independent commissions varies per state statute.  The Economic Development Authority (EDA) is established as authorized by Minn. Stat., Sect. 469.090-469.108, to include, but not be limited to, promoting commercial and industrial growth and development in the City of Elk River.  The Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) in and for the City of Elk River was created by an act of the Legislature of the State of Minnesota entitled the “Municipal Housing and Redevelopment Act,” Minn. Stat., Sect. 469.001-469.089. The HRA may not transact any business or exercise any powers until the Council, by resolution, finds the city has substandard, slum, or blighted areas that cannot be redeveloped without government assistance; or, has a shortage of decent, safe, and sanitary Page 1 of 6 low-income dwellings.  The Elk River Public Library Board of Directors is established as authorized by Minn. Stat., Sect. 134.07-134.15.  The Elk River Utilities Commission (ERMU) is established as authorized by Minn. Stat., Sect. 412.321-412.391. This statute gives the Utilities Commission all discretionary authority necessary to operate the municipal utility. This policy applies to each commission as permitted by the establishing laws and ordinances. Nothing in this policy is intended to supersede any provision in state law or city code. State law shall prevail for any policy conflict between state law or city code. This policy is not intended to limit, expand, or modify the authority given to city boards and commissions by state law or city code. Commission Organization and Procedures 1. Applications All applicants, including reappointments, must complete an application and submit it to the Office of the City Clerk by the deadline. 2. Notification of Openings Except for openings filled by mayoral appointment, board and commission expirations and vacancies will be advertised through the city’s various communications tools. 3. Appointments The City Council will review all applications and interview applicants at a regular council meeting. The Council may discuss applicant qualifications at the work session of the regular meeting held the same evening. Appointments will be made at the next regular council meeting. Commission members representing community organizations or agencies on the Energy City Commission and Multipurpose Facility Advisory Commission may utilize a proxy member in their absence. The proxy member’s name and position within the organization shall be provided to the staff liaison, commission chair and Office of the City Clerk in advance of attending a meeting in place of an appointed member. 4. Vacancy Applications will be kept on file for one year for consideration for new vacancies. Vacancies are filled for the remainder of the unexpired term. 5. Terms Beginning in March Planning, Parks and Recreation, Utilities, Heritage Preservation, the Multipurpose Facility Advisory, and Energy City Commission terms run from March 1 to the last day in February. Each term of office is three years. Appointments to an unexpired term is for the balance of the term. Interviews for annual term expirations will be in January or February. 6. Terms Beginning in January HRA, EDA, and Library Board terms run from January 1 to December 31. The mayor, upon approval of the Council, shall make appointments to the HRA, EDA, and Library Board. The term of office for the HRA is five years, six years for resident members of the EDA, and three years for the Library Board. If the appointment fills an unexpired term vacancy, the appointment is for the balance of the term. The mayor can decide to advertise for these positions. Page 2 of 6 7. Residency Applicants to the Parks and Recreation Commission do not need to reside in Elk River. However, it is expected that a preference be given to city residents, but residency by itself shall not be a disqualification. (Ord. No. 03-001, 03-002, 03-003). Applicants to the Library Board are to reside within Sherburne County. Residency is not a requirement for the Energy City Commission. 8. Officers Advisory commissions shall elect officers as stated in their bylaws or in the governing ordinance. 9. Bylaws or Rules of Procedure Commissions shall adopt bylaws or rules of procedure to govern their work and review them every three years. 10. Resignation Voluntary resignations shall be communicated by letter to the mayor or Office of the City Clerk. 11. Orientation The Chair or his/her designee is responsible for providing new members with a copy of the commission’s bylaws or rules of procedure, a membership roster, minutes of three meetings, this policy, and any other information deemed necessary for orientation. A formal orientation of newly appointed members shall take place in March or April by the Office of the City Clerk. 12. Council Liaison The mayor shall appoint a councilmember as an ex-officio member without voting rights to the following commissions: Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Heritage Preservation Commission, and the Library Board. The councilmember shall serve as liaison for a determined length of time established at the time of appointment. 13. Scheduled Meetings Commissions shall meet as stated in their bylaws and governing ordinance and as necessary to fulfill their objectives. th Meetings shall be governed pursuant to the bylaws and Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised 9 Edition. All meetings are subject to the Minnesota Open Meeting Law. Dates, time, and place of meetings shall be published on the city website and posted on the city’s principal bulletin board located in the entryway of City Hall. Notice shall be published in the city’s official newspaper if stated in the governing ordinance. 14. Special Meetings Special Meetings may be added by consensus of the commission at a regular Scheduled Meeting to complete unfinished or newly planned business of the Scheduled Meeting. Special Meetings require a 72-hour public notice in accordance with the Minnesota Open Meeting Law. Special Meetings shall not replace Scheduled Meetings. Failure to attend a Special Meeting shall result in an absence. 15. Attendance Members are expected to maintain a suitable attendance record. Attendance is vital to community board service and City Council expectations. Because attendance is important, the City Council has adopted the following attendance policy: Members shall be automatically removed for lack of attendance. Lack of attendance is defined as:  Regularly Scheduled Monthly Commissions: missing three (3) regularly scheduled meetings during a calendar year without an excused absence or missing 50% of Regular and Special Meetings with or without an excused absence during a calendar year. Page 3 of 6  All Other Commissions: missing two (2) regularly scheduled meetings during a calendar year without an excused absence or missing 50% of Regular and Special Meetings with or without an excused absence during a calendar year. An absence may be excused if the staff liaison or Office of the City Clerk are notified no later than 12 p.m. (noon) on the day of the scheduled meeting. Participation for less than three-fourths (3/4) of a meeting shall be considered an absence. Members removed pursuant to this paragraph shall not continue to serve on the board. A member may appeal termination by requesting a hearing before the City Council within 10 days of notice of termination. Staff liaisons shall use a standard commission attendance form to record attendance. The Office of the City Clerk shall forward the attendance record to the City Council each June and December for the Council review. Commission members shall notify the staff liaison of planned absences 72 hours prior to the meeting missed. 16. Removal From Office EDA and HRA - The City Council may remove an EDA or HRA commissioner when in its judgment the public welfare will be promoted by removal. Causes for removal include, but are not limited, to inefficiency, neglect of duty, or misconduct in office. The s/he must be given a copy of the charges at least 10 days prior to a hearing at which the s/he has an opportunity to be heard in person or by counsel. The Council may temporarily suspend a commissioner until the hearing process. S/he shall be immediately reinstated if the charges are not substantiated. When a commissioner is removed, a record of the proceedings shall be filed with the Office of the City Clerk (Minn. Stat. 134.09, 412.111, 469.010). All Other Commission Members - The Council may remove any commissioner when in its judgment the public welfare will be promoted by the removal. (Minn. Stat. 412.111) All commission and board members should be aware that criminal penalties may apply depending on the nature of the violation. 17. Acting as a Private Citizen A commission member testifying before the Council as a private citizen should clearly note before testimony that s/he is not representing the advisory commission on which they serve. 18. Compensation and Expenditures Commission members shall serve without pay except for members of the EDA and Utilities Commission. Commission members may be reimbursed for incurred expenses while performing duties as a commission member as stated in the governing ordinance. 19. Minutes City staff will be assigned to take minutes for advisory commissions. All minutes are matters of public record and shall be kept at City Hall. The minutes shall contain an accurate report of the sequence of events and names of citizens who appear and are heard. 20. Staff Liaison A staff liaison is provided for each commission to provide information regarding city policies and practices within its area of interest. Commission members do not have the authority to direct staff. Any commission recommendation for modification of city policies and practices should be directed to the Council. (see Commission Requests to Council) 21. Work Sessions The Council may hold an annual goal-setting work session with commissions, or joint meetings as circumstances dictate. Page 4 of 6 22. Training Commission members are allowed to voluntarily attend training courses, meetings and conferences offered by the city, state, and other governmental units and agencies subject to availability of funds. Involvement in relevant professional organizations as a member is also encouraged. Planning Commissioners must attend, within their term, at least one annual State Planning Conference and are strongly encouraged to attend other training opportunities afforded them. 23. Subcommittees The Council may appoint commission subcommittees for special purposes. A subcommittee shall report to their respective commission for deliberation before providing Council recommendations. The subcommittee report or recommendation, together with the commission’s comments, shall be submitted to the Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting. A spokesperson for the subcommittee should attend the Council meeting to present information and answer questions. The commission may appoint subcommittees of their membership as the commission desired. Council Requests to Commissions The Council may refer items to commissions for research, consideration, and recommendation. The request will be in writing from the mayor and will include a specific period to complete the study. In response, a written report from the commission should set forth the pertinent facts and its detailed recommendations. The report should be submitted to the Office of the City Clerk the Wednesday before the Council meeting for inclusion on the agenda. When the report goes before the Council, a commission representative should be prepared to make a presentation and answer questions. In the event there is a dissenting opinion on the commission, a minority report may be presented in the same manner. Commission Requests to Council Commission requests or recommendations for Council action should be communicated by letter from the chair to the mayor, giving a full explanation of the matter along with the pertaining meeting minutes. The letter should be delivered to the Office of the City Clerk on the Wednesday before the Council meeting. A commission presentation should be made by a representative from the commission. A minority report may also be presented. Communications With Those Other Than the City Council The Council values the opinions and advice of its commissions however the Council has the sole responsibility and authority to adopt the decisions, policies, and recommendations on behalf of the City of Elk River. Any external communication, which purports to, or has the effect of communicating an official city position or decision, shall be submitted to the Council for prior approval. Other informational communications, which do not involve unresolved questions of city policy, may be disseminated without prior Council approval. This method of proceeding does not preclude a commission from gathering such information as may be pertinent to its activities. Commissions are free, without prior Council approval, to make inquiries and to give necessary background for such inquiries, but careful consideration must be given that these communications cannot be reasonably construed as statements of official city policy and opinion. Page 5 of 6 ELK RIVER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS Board/Commission Term Length Residency Number Other Issues Requirement of Members Mayor/Council Jan 1 – Dec 31 (4 yrs.) Elk River Resident 1 mayor 4 council Planning Commission Mar 1 – Feb 28 (3 yrs.) Elk River Resident 7 members Parks and Recreation Mar 1 – Feb 28 (3 yrs.) Preference to residents, 7 members Commission but non-residency shall not be a disqualification Utilities Commission Mar 1 – Feb 28 (3 yrs.) Elk River Resident 5 members Up to 2 Councilmembers Heritage Preservation Mar 1 – Feb 28 (3 yrs.) Elk River Resident 7 members 1 Sherburne County Commission Historical Society member if available Multipurpose Facility Mar 1 – Feb 28 (3 yrs.) Sr Center rep, 9 members 1 Sr Center Rep Advisory Commission Councilmember, at-large 2 Turf Use Assns. reps must be residents. 2 Ice Use Assns. No more than three 1 Councilmember nonresidents. 1 ISD 728 (may have proxy) 2 At-large Economic Jan 1 – Dec 31 (6 yrs.) Elk River Resident 7 members 4 Councilmembers Development Length of council term 3 Residents Authority (EDA) for Council/Mayor Housing and Jan 1 – Dec 31 (5 yrs.) Elk River Resident 5 members 1 Councilmember Redevelopment Length of council / 4 Residents Authority (HRA) mayor council term Library Board Jan 1 – Dec 31 (3 yrs.) Sherburne County 5 members 3 term maximum Resident 1 may be a councilmember Energy City Mar 1 – Feb 28 (3 yrs.) Residency is not 11 1 Council/EDA Commission necessary. members 1 ERMU member Up to 7 from energy-related School and Chamber businesses, commercial / representative may be by residential customers (with at proxy. least one city service), or non-profit organizations as determined by the Council. 1 Elk River school rep 1 Chamber of Commerce rep Advisory Board Policy History Adopted: August 2, 2004 Revised: 2011 Revised: January 19, 2016 Revised: May 1, 2017 Revised: August 6, 2018 (attendance) Revised: August 2, 2021 (appointments) Revised: December 4, 2023 (attendance/general cleanup) Page 6 of 6 Adopted by Council August 2, 2004 Revised 2023 ADVISORY BOARD AND COMMISSION POLICY Document Purpose The City Council is responsible for the actions of its advisory boards and commissions and this policy serves to provide guidance to those bodies. The Council expectation is that this policy is clearly understood and followed. Councilmembers welcome requests for discussion or clarification of information provided in this policy. The Council goals are clear communication and impeccable service to the residents of Elk River. The terms board and commission shall be used interchangeably throughout this document. Creation of Advisory Commissions and Independent Commissions State statutes govern the creation of council advisory commissions that are authorized to exercise the duties the Council has legally assigned. They are frequently authorized to conduct investigations and make recommendations. Advisory commissions shall not make decisions on behalf of the Council. Councils routinely accept commission recommendations if the commission has done a thorough and competent job. Commissioners must understand that the Council has the independent final decision on all matters before them and is not beholden to commission recommendations. The Council creates and dissolves advisory commissions as they deem appropriate, has the power to appoint and remove members, and exercise powers of general supervision. Per Minnesota Statutes Sections 462.351-462.365, a planning commission must be established by ordinance and once established may only be dissolved by an ordinance passed by a 2/3-majority vote of the Council. There are two types of commissions, independent and advisory. Statutes establish most independent commissions and give them some discretionary powers. Advisory commissions conduct studies and investigations on behalf of the Council and submit reports and recommendations for Council consideration. Advisory commission decisions do not take effect until the Council has accepted the decision by passing an ordinance or resolution. Advisory Commissions The City of Elk River currently has five standing advisory commissions. They are:  Heritage Preservation Commission  Planning Commission  Multipurpose Facility Commission  Energy City Commission  Parks and Recreation Commission Independent Commissions The discretionary power of the following Elk River independent commissions varies per state statute.  The Economic Development Authority (EDA) is established as authorized by Minn. Stat., Sect. 469.090-469.108, to include, but not be limited to, promoting commercial and industrial growth and development in the City of Elk River.  The Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) in and for the City of Elk River was created by an act of the Legislature of the State of Minnesota entitled the “Municipal Housing and Redevelopment Act,” Minn. Stat., Sect. 469.001-469.089. The HRA may not transact any business or exercise any Page 1 of 6 powers until the Council, by resolution, finds the city has substandard, slum, or blighted areas that cannot be redeveloped without government assistance; or, has a shortage of decent, safe, and sanitary low-income dwellings.  The Elk River Public Library Board of Directors is established as authorized by Minn. Stat., Sect. 134.07-134.15.  The Elk River Utilities Commission (ERMU) is established as authorized by Minn. Stat., Sect. 412.321-412.391. This statute gives the Utilities Commission all discretionary authority necessary to operate the municipal utility. This policy applies to each commission as permitted by the establishing laws and ordinances. Nothing in this policy is intended to supersede any provision in state law or city code. State law shall prevail for any policy conflict between state law or city code. This policy is not intended to limit, expand, or modify the authority given to city boards and commissions by state law or city code. Commission Organization and Procedures 1. Applications All applicants, including reappointments, must complete an Application for Appointment to City Board or Commission and submit the application to the Office of the City Clerk by the deadline. 2. Notification of Openings Except for openings filled by mayoral appointment, board and commission expirations and vacancies will be advertised in the Elk River Star News, ERtV 12, social media, and the city website. 3. Appointments The City Council will review all applications and interview applicants at a regular council meeting. The Council may discuss applicant qualifications at the work session of the regular meeting held the same evening. Appointments will be made at the next regular council meeting. Commission members representing community organizations or agencies on the Energy City Commission and Multipurpose Facility Advisory Commission may utilize a proxy member in their absence. The proxy member’s name and position within the organization shall be provided to the staff liaison, commission chair and Office of the City Clerk in advance of attending a meeting in place of an appointed member. 4. Vacancy Applications will be kept on file for one year for consideration for new vacancies. Vacancies are filled for the remainder of the unexpired term. 5. Terms Beginning in March Planning, Parks and Recreation, Utilities, Heritage Preservation, the Multipurpose Facility Advisory, and Energy City Commission terms run from March 1 to the last day in February. Each term of office is three years. Appointments to an unexpired term is for the balance of the term. Interviews for annual term expirations will be in January or February. 6. Terms Beginning in January HRA, EDA, and Library Board terms run from January 1 to December 31. The mayor, upon approval of the Council, shall make appointments to the HRA, EDA, and Library Board. The term of office for the HRA is five years, six years for resident members of the EDA, and three years for the Library Board. If the appointment fills an unexpired term vacancy, the appointment is for the balance of the term. The mayor can decide to advertise for these positions. Page 2 of 6 7. Residency Applicants to the Parks and Recreation Commission do not need to reside in Elk River. However, it is expected that a preference be given to city residents, but residency by itself shall not be a disqualification. (Ord. No. 03-001, 03-002, 03-003). Applicants to the Library Board are to reside within Sherburne County. Residency is not a requirement for the Energy City Commission. 8. Officers Advisory commissions shall elect officers as stated in their bylaws or in the governing ordinance. 9. Bylaws or Rules of Procedure Commissions shall adopt bylaws or rules of procedure to govern their work and review them every three years. 10. Resignation Voluntary resignations shall be communicated by letter to the mayor or Office of the City Clerk. 11. Orientation The Chair or his/her designee is responsible for providing new members with a copy of the commission’s bylaws or rules of procedure, a membership roster, minutes of three meetings, this policy, and any other information deemed necessary for orientation. A formal orientation of newly appointed members shall take place in March or April by the Office of the City Clerk. 12. Council Liaison The mayor shall appoint a councilmember as an ex-officio member without voting rights to the following commissions: Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Heritage Preservation Commission, and the Library Board. The councilmember shall serve as liaison for a determined length of time established at the time of appointment. 13. Scheduled Meetings Commissions shall meet as stated in their bylaws and governing ordinance and as necessary to fulfill their objectives. th Meetings shall be governed pursuant to the bylaws and Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised 9 Edition. All meetings are subject to the Minnesota Open Meeting Law. Dates, time, and place of meetings shall be published on the city website and posted on the city’s principal bulletin board located in the entryway of City Hall. Notice shall be published in the city’s official newspaper if stated in the governing ordinance. 14. Special Meetings Special Meetings may be added by consensus of the commission at a regular Scheduled Meeting to complete unfinished or newly planned business of the Scheduled Meeting. Special Meetings require a 72-hour public notice in accordance with the Minnesota Open Meeting Law. Special Meetings shall not replace Scheduled Meetings. Failure to attend a Special Meeting shall result in an absence. 15. Attendance Members are expected to maintain a suitable attendance record. Attendance is vital to community board service and City Council expectations. Because attendance is important, the City Council has adopted the following attendance policy: Members shall be automatically removed for lack of attendance. Lack of attendance is defined as:  Regularly Scheduled Monthly Commissions: missing three (3) regularly scheduled meetings during a calendar year without an excused absence or missing 50% of Regular and Special Meetings with or without an excused absence during a calendar year. Page 3 of 6  All Other Commissions: missing two (2) regularly scheduled meetings during a calendar year without an excused absence or missing 50% of Regular and Special Meetings with or without an excused absence during a calendar year. An absence may be excused if the staff liaison or Office of the City Clerk are notified no later than 12 p.m. (noon) on the day of the scheduled meeting. Participation for less than three-fourths (3/4) of a meeting shall be considered an absence. Members removed pursuant to this paragraph shall not continue to serve on the board. A member may appeal termination by requesting a hearing before the City Council within 10 days of notice of termination. Staff liaisons shall use a standard commission attendance form to record attendance. The Office of the City Clerk shall forward the attendance record to the City Council each June and December for the Council review. 16. Removal From Office EDA and HRA - The City Council may remove an EDA or HRA commissioner when in its judgment the public welfare will be promoted by removal. Causes for removal include, but are not limited, to inefficiency, neglect of duty, or misconduct in office. The s/he must be given a copy of the charges at least 10 days prior to a hearing at which the s/he has an opportunity to be heard in person or by counsel. The Council may temporarily suspend a commissioner until the hearing process. S/he shall be immediately reinstated if the charges are not substantiated. When a commissioner is removed, a record of the proceedings shall be filed with the Office of the City Clerk (Minn. Stat. 134.09, 412.111, 469.010). All Other Commission Members - The Council may remove any commissioner when in its judgment the public welfare will be promoted by the removal. (Minn. Stat. 412.111) All commission and board members should be aware that criminal penalties may apply depending on the nature of the violation. 17. Acting as a Private Citizen A commission member testifying before the Council as a private citizen should clearly note before testimony that s/he is not representing the advisory commission on which they serve. 18. Compensation and Expenditures Commission members shall serve without pay except for members of the EDA and Utilities Commission. Commission members may be reimbursed for incurred expenses while performing duties as a commission member as stated in the governing ordinance. 19. Minutes City staff will be assigned to take minutes for advisory commissions. All minutes are matters of public record and shall be kept at City Hall. The minutes shall contain an accurate report of the sequence of events and names of citizens who appear and are heard. 20. Staff Liaison A staff liaison is provided for each commission to provide information regarding city policies and practices within its area of interest. Commission members do not have the authority to direct staff. Any commission recommendation for modification of city policies and practices should be directed to the Council. (see Commission Requests to Council) 21. Work Sessions The Council may hold an annual goal-setting work session with commissions, or joint meetings as circumstances dictate. Page 4 of 6 22. Training Commission members are allowed to voluntarily attend training courses, meetings and conferences offered by the city, state, and other governmental units and agencies subject to availability of funds. Involvement in relevant professional organizations as a member is also encouraged. Planning Commissioners must attend, within their term, at least one annual State Planning Conference and are strongly encouraged to attend other training opportunities afforded them. 23. Subcommittees The Council may appoint commission subcommittees for special purposes. A subcommittee shall report to their respective commission for deliberation before providing Council recommendations. The subcommittee report or recommendation, together with the commission’s comments, shall be submitted to the Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting. A spokesperson for the subcommittee should attend the Council meeting to present information and answer questions. The commission may appoint subcommittees of their membership as the commission desired. Council Requests to Commissions The Council may refer items to commissions for research, consideration, and recommendation. The request will be in writing from the mayor and will include a specific period to complete the study. In response, a written report from the commission should set forth the pertinent facts and its detailed recommendations. The report should be submitted to the Office of the City Clerk the Wednesday before the Council meeting for inclusion on the agenda. When the report goes before the Council, a commission representative should be prepared to make a presentation and answer questions. In the event there is a dissenting opinion on the commission, a minority report may be presented in the same manner. Commission Requests to Council Commission requests or recommendations for Council action should be communicated by letter from the chair to the mayor, giving a full explanation of the matter along with the pertaining meeting minutes. The letter should be delivered to the Office of the City Clerk on the Wednesday before the Council meeting. A commission presentation should be made by a representative from the commission. A minority report may also be presented. Communications With Those Other Than the City Council The Council values the opinions and advice of its commissions however the Council has the sole responsibility and authority to adopt the decisions, policies, and recommendations on behalf of the City of Elk River. Any external communication, which purports to, or has the effect of communicating an official city position or decision, shall be submitted to the Council for prior approval. Other informational communications, which do not involve unresolved questions of city policy, may be disseminated without prior Council approval. This method of proceeding does not preclude a commission from gathering such information as may be pertinent to its activities. Commissions are free, without prior Council approval, to make inquiries and to give necessary background for such inquiries, but careful consideration must be given that these communications cannot be reasonably construed as statements of official city policy and opinion. Page 5 of 6 ELK RIVER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS Board/Commission Term Length Residency Number Other Issues Requirement of Members Mayor/Council Jan 1 – Dec 31 (4 yrs.) Elk River Resident 1 mayor 4 council Planning Commission Mar 1 – Feb 28 (3 yrs.) Elk River Resident 7 members Parks and Recreation Mar 1 – Feb 28 (3 yrs.) Preference to residents, 7 members Commission but non-residency shall not be a disqualification Utilities Commission Mar 1 – Feb 28 (3 yrs.) Elk River Resident 5 members Up to 2 Councilmembers Heritage Preservation Mar 1 – Feb 28 (3 yrs.) Elk River Resident 7 members 1 Sherburne County Commission Historical Society member if available Multipurpose Facility Mar 1 – Feb 28 (3 yrs.) Sr Center rep, 9 members 1 Sr Center Rep Advisory Commission Councilmember, at-large 2 Turf Use Assns. reps must be residents. 2 Ice Use Assns. No more than three 1 Councilmember nonresidents. 1 ISD 728 (may have proxy) 2 At-large Economic Jan 1 – Dec 31 (6 yrs.) Elk River Resident 7 members 4 Councilmembers Development Length of council term 3 Residents Authority (EDA) for Council/Mayor Housing and Jan 1 – Dec 31 (5 yrs.) Elk River Resident 5 members 1 Councilmember Redevelopment Length of council / 4 Residents Authority (HRA) mayor council term Library Board Jan 1 – Dec 31 (3 yrs.) Sherburne County 5 members 3 term maximum Resident 1 may be a councilmember Energy City Mar 1 – Feb 28 (3 yrs.) Residency is not 11 1 Council/EDA Commission necessary. members 1 ERMU member Up to 7 from energy-related School and Chamber businesses, commercial / representative may be by residential customers (with at proxy. least one city service), or non-profit organizations as determined by the Council. 1 Elk River school rep 1 Chamber of Commerce rep Advisory Board Policy History Adopted: August 2, 2004 Revised: 2011 Revised: January 19, 2016 Revised: May 1, 2017 Revised: August 6, 2018 (attendance) Revised: August 2, 2021 (appointments) Revised: December 4, 2023 (attendance/general cleanup) Page 6 of 6