4.01a EMRUSR 11-12-2024Eli River
Municipal tilities
COMMISSION POLICY
Section:
Governance
Category:
Commission — Management Connection Policies
Policy Reference:
Policy Title:
G.3a
Controlling Authority
PURPOSE:
With this policy, the Commission affirms that its authority to direct the General Manager resides
only in an official action supported by the affirmative vote of a majority of a quorum of the
Commission members during either a regular or a called special meeting of the Commission.
POLICY:
Only decisions of the Commission acting as a legally authorized decision -making body are
binding. Consistent with this general statement:
1. An individual Commission member or Commission committee cannot make decisions or
recommendations, nor issue directives that are binding except in unusual instances when the
Commission has acted to specifically authorize an individual Commission member or
Commission committee to exercise such authority. This applies both during and outside of
called meetings of the Commission.
2. When individual Commission members or Commission committees request information or
assistance from management without first obtaining Commission authorization to do so, the
General Manager may:
a. Respond as requested, notifying all other Commission members of the request and the
response provided. The General Manager may, at his or her sole discretion, provide
copies to all other Commission members of any documents provided in the response.
(Note: Other Commission members may request copies of any documents provided in the
response and the General Manager is expected to provide them promptly).
b. Refer the request to the Commission for consideration and direction before taking any
action. The General Manager is not required to explain the basis for referring a request,
but such basis could include a determination that the request may be sensitive or
disruptive, or that it would require the expenditure of a material amount of staff time or
funds that were not previously budgeted and scheduled for that purpose. (Note: the
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ERMU Commission Policy — G.3a Controlling Authority
Commission member making a request for information may also refer it to the
Commission for consideration and direction, if the General Manager did not respond to
the satisfaction of the Commission member.)
POLICY HISTORY:
Adopted May 9, 2017
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