Item A: Role of IGR Committee and Process to Establish Legislative Policy

Home Browse Search

The IGR Committee reviews the analysis of each bill and can ask staff to provide more detail on a particular aspect of the bill review. The committee then votes to agree to or modify the staff position on the bill. The next step in the process is the ratification of the recommendations of the IGR Committee by the full City Council. The minutes of the meeting are placed on the council agenda for approval. This provides direction and guidance to staff in Salem on positions on various bills. All of the analysis review and processing of the bills needs to occur within a very short turnaround time due to the pace of the work in Salem during the legislative session. At any point in the process, any member of the council can ask that the full council discuss a bill. The operating agreements of the IGR Committee have required that the full City Council pull any vote on a bill which has not received a unanimous vote at the IGR Committee for a discussion. The above-described process and procedures were discussed and affirmed at the most recent process session held on September 18, 2006 (see attachments A and B). At the IGR meeting of February 13, 2007, a discussion ensued regarding the role of the IGR Committee, the authority of the committee to direct lobbying positions and when the full City Council should be asked to review a bill. Also at that meeting, a motion, which received unanimous support, was made to have bills related to human resources come before the committee. The minutes of that meeting are attached to this summary (see Attachment C). In sum, the purpose of this work session is to clarify the role of the IGR Committee in making recommendations to the full City Council and answer the following policy questions. Are the recommendations of the IGR Committee the position of the City Council until such time that the full council approves or modifies those recommendations? Or, are the recommendations advisory until the full council has the opportunity to review the work of the IGR Committee? What is the role of the IGR Committee in the review of collective bargaining and/or personnel matters? RELATED CITY POLICIES When staff reviews bills, existing City policies and practices are considered, as well as the set of legislative policies that have been approved by the City Council. (The City Council approved the Legislative Policies for the 2007 Legislative Session on November 8, 2006.) The legislative policy document covers a number of matters of importance to the City of Eugene including home rule, taxation, youth, telecom, housing, public safety and land use. COUNCIL OPTIONS The City Council has several options with regard to this issue: . Take no action and continue the current practices. . Refine or revise the current process ground rules with regard to the IGR Committee and/or revise the role IGR Committee itself. . Repeal Resolution No. 413 9 regarding the role of the City Manager on the matters of collective bargaining and personnel matters. LICMOl2007 Council AgendaslM070411 IS070411A.doc