CC Minutes - 03/15/99 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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identify their comments as personal positions and not those held by the council, unless the councilor is there to represent the City's position. Ms. Walston noted two changes to new Section 10, Council Expenses: 1) the word "from" has been substituted for "in" in the last sentence of the first paragraph; and 2) the last paragraph is new. She explained that the new paragraph codifies the practices that the council has adopted related to travel. Mr. Kelly asked that "from" also be substituted for "in" under Local Expenses in the last paragraph of that section. In response to a question from Ms. Nathanson regarding a cap on expenses, Mr. Johnson said that if the annual travel allowance were to be allocated per councillor it would be around $2,400 per councilor, which is about two trips. He said he hesitated officially putting a cap per individual and wished to remain flexible. Some councilors who do not travel as much could be "trading" travel expenses. Addressing a question from Ms. Taylor, Mr. Johnson said the limit was not intended to apply to trips related to service on the National League of Cities. Mr. Meisner noted an inconsistency in the amount reimbursed from petty cash. Ms. Walston will amend the guideline, which reimburses expenses under $50 out of Petty Cash. In response to a question from Mr. Pap~, Mr. Johnson said staff kept track of each councilor's expenditures and those are made available on request. The council adopted new Section 10 by consensus. New Section 11, Ethics Reporting, with no proposed changes, was adopted by consensus. Ms. Walston will correct the typographic error. Ms. Walston indicated minor changes to Section XII, Seating Arrangements. Mr. Kelly pointed out an error, noting that under April, Councilor D was represented twice and Councilor C not at all. The section was adopted by general consensus. Mr. Kelly wondered if the council wanted to codify the unwritten policy of limiting staff presentations to 15 minutes, allowing for some flexibility. Mr. Johnson said a section addressing that would be added. Committees of the Council Mr. Meisner expressed concern that there seemed to be a pattern of council committees increasing in number regularly, occasionally with designated council representation, without consultation or notification to the council. He said the council needed to discuss the five committees established in 1997, although most have informally sunseted. He did not find the language in the ground rules problematic but said the council needed to discuss how they applied to creation and continuity of committees. Mr. Kelly said the council could exercise most control over internal committees and his preference was that the general presumption was not to form internal committees; that most issues, if worthy of discussion, are worthy of discussion in the full council, with the exception of a Minutes--Eugene City Council March 15, 1999 Page 3 5:30 p.m.