HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.b. Discuss poential development of a new Board Policy for appointing the President and President Pro Tem Page 1 of 9
Item 5.b.
CENTRAL SAN
March 16, 2021
TO: ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
FROM: KATIE YOUNG, SECRETARYOF THE DISTRICT
REVIEWED BY: KENTALM, DISTRICT COUNSEL
ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER
SUBJECT: DISCUSS POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW BOARD POLICY FOR
APPOINTING THE PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENT PRO TEM
During the Board Workshop held on January 14, 2021, facilitated by Brent Ives, the Board requested staff
compile options for the Board to consider in conjunction with potentially developing a new Board Policy
regarding the annual appointments of President and President Pro Tem. Although a great diversity of
opinion regarding this matter was voiced, the Board unanimously expressed a common interest in
eliminating politics from the process.
Staff has surveyed Central San's sister agencies and also sent requests to both the California City Clerks
Association and California Special Districts Association list serves to inquire whether they have adopted
for a policy regarding this process, particularly if the city and/or district had moved to a by-division electoral
system. Unfortunately, there was minimal response, leading to the conclusion that most have no formal
policy. I n our search, staff obtained an article from November 2016 (attached)when the City of Concord
had proposed adopting a formal policy for rotation of the Mayor and Vice Mayor positions. The Concord
City Clerk, recently confirmed that no formal policy was ever adopted. Also attached is the historical
documentation of past Presidents and President Pro Tems.
Based upon the Board's discussion at the January Workshop, the following options toward developing a
formal policy are being provided to facilitate the discussion:
1. The selection of the President and President Pro Tem will be selected by the Board as desired
(current process).
2. The current process could be modified by a commitment to consider factors such as number of years
of service on the Board or preference that all members have an opportunity to serve as president if the
member so desires.
3. Rotation by division.
Considerations
In December 2022, only two of the five Board Members will represent their respective division as part of
the by-district election system. The remaining three Board Members will continue to serve at large until
December 2024, when the three Board Members who are elected will each represent the division in which
they reside. Thus, the transition to by-district elections will not be complete until the Board Members
March 16, 2021 Special ADMIN Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 44 of 54
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elected in November 2024 are seated the following month.
a. Delay start of rotation by divisions until January 2025.
b. Select president in 2025 from Board members who have served as a Board Member prior to
2025 and set up a by division rotational system starting in 2026.
4. Rotation by seniority, unless a Board Member declines, and no Board Member may serve as
President more than once every three years.
5. Rotation alphabetically, by last name.
Pending discussion from the Board, staff will develop a proposed new Board policy for review by the
Committee.
Strategic Plan re-In
GOAL ONE: Customer and Community
Strategy 2—Maintain a positive reputation
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Nov. 2016 news article
2. Historical Documentation of Past Presidents and President Pro Tems
March 16, 2021 Special ADMIN Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 45 of 54
Will Birsan finally be vice mayor? - East Bay Times Page 3 of 9
East Bay Times I Page 1303 Monday, 28 November 2016
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Will Birsan finally be vice mayor?
Policy on how mayor, vice mayor positions rotate to be discussed
By Lisa P. White
lwl)ite@bayoreanewsat-oyp.com
CONCORD — City leaders are scheduled to consider adopting a formal policy dictating how the mostly ceremonial
positions of mayor and vice mayor rotate.
Their decision at the Nov. 29 meeting will determine whether Councilman Edi Birsan, who has never held a
leadership position during his four years in office, has a shot this year at becoming Mayor Laura Hoffineis-ter's
backup.
Concord rotates the mayor's seat every two years among the five council members, typically by promoting the
vice mayor. But this informal process of passing the gavel to the next in line has caused discord in the past.
Last year, city leaders skipped over Birsan and instead appointed Ron Leone vice mayor, a post he had held
twice before, most recentlyin 2014. The snub led Birsan to organize a campaign to place an initiative on the
November ballot to make the mayor a directly elected office, but he failed to collect enough signatures.
In July, Policy Development and Internal Operations committee members Hoffineister and Leone proposed that
the council adopt a written policy. Leone, who conceived the policy, said a formal rotation would lend consistency
and transparency to a process that, in the past, had been marred by accusations of hidden agendas and political
payback.
Under the policy, the vice mayor, who would serve for two years rather than one, automatically would be
i
promoted to mayor unless four council members vote to override the normal rotation. The person with the
highest seniority on the council who has not served as mayor before would become the vice mayor.
In the event that two or more members have been on the council for the same amount of time, the person who
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? received the most votes in his or her most recent election would become vice mayor.
Hoffmeister said she is"lukewarm"on the policy and unsure if she will support it.
Birsan, however, opposes a two-year vice mayoral term. He prefers what he describes as a"simple rotation" — if
r
only one council member wants to be mayor or vice mayor that person gets the position; if there is a
competition, the person who has gone the longest without holding the post would be appointed to it.
Leone, who maintains that Birsan would benefit from the formal rotation, is disappointed by his colleague's
criticism.
"If it comes before the council, I will withdraw my support for it based on the fact that he doesn't like it," Leone
said.
If the council adopts the policy, it goes into effect immediately and Leone likely would remain vice mayor for
another year.
If they reject it, at the Dec. 6 meeting they may reappoint Leone, select Birsan or choose council newcomer
Carlyn Obringer, who will be sworn in that night and who received the most votes in the election.
That's when things could get awkward, though, because Birsan says he will ask to be vice mayor.
! "They could say`No Edi, we're not going to make you vice mayor,"' Birsan said. "In which case they will put their
finger in my eye for the third time in a row."
Birsan
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CCCSD
Board Presidents and Presidents Pro Tem
2022 President
President Pro Tem
2021 President Tad Pilecki
President Pro Tem David Williams
2020 President Mike McGill
President Pro Tem Tad Pilecki
2019 President David Williams
President Pro Tem Mike McGill
2018 President Jim Nejedly
President Pro Tem David Williams
2017 President Paul Causey
President Pro Tem Jim Nejedly
2016 President Tad Pilecki
President Pro Tem Paul Causey
2015 President Mike McGill
President Pro Tem Tad Pilecki
2014 President David Williams
President Pro Tem Mike McGill
2013 President Jim Nejedly
President Pro Tem David Williams
2012 President Jim Nejedly
President Pro Tem David Williams
2011 President Barbara Hockett
President Pro Tem Jim Nejedly
2010 President Mike McGill
President Pro Tem Barbara Hockett
2009 President Jim Nejedly
President Pro Tem Mike McGill
2008 President Jerry Lucey
President Pro Tem Barbara Hockett
March 16, 2021 Special ADMIN Committee Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 47 of 54
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2007 President Jim Nejedly
President Pro Tem Jerry Lucey
2006 President Mario Menesini (12/01/05)
President Pro Tem Jim Nejedly
2005 President Barbara Hockett (01/13/05)
President Pro Tem Mario Menesini
2004 President Jerry Lucey (01/15/04)
President Pro Tem Barbara Hockett
2003 President Jim Nejedly (01/09/03)
President Pro Tem Jerry Lucey
2002 President Mario Menesini (01/10/02)
President Pro Tem Jim Nejedly
2001 President Barbara Hockett 01/11/01)
President Pro Tem Mario Menesini
2000 President Jerry Lucey (01/06/00)
President Pro Tem Barbara Hockett
1999 President Jerry Lucey (01/07/99)
President Pro Tem Barbara Hockett
1998 President Jim Nejedly (12/18/97)
President Pro Tem Jerry Lucey
1997 President Mario Menesini (01/09/97)
President Pro Tem Sue Rainey
1996 President Mario Menesini (12/07/95)
President Pro Tem Parke Boneysteele
1995 President Barbara Hockett (01/05/95)
President Pro Tem Mario Menesini
1994 President Sue Rainey (12/02/93)
President Pro Tem William Dalton
1993 President John Clausen (12/17/92)
President Pro Tem William Dalton
1992 President Parke Boneysteele (12/05/91)
President Pro Tem William Dalton
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1991 President John Clausen (12/06/90)
President Pro Tem William Dalton
1990 President Nels Carlson (12/21/89)
President Pro Tem John Clausen
1989 President Sue Rainey (12/01/88)
President Pro Tem Parke Boneysteele
1988 President Sue Rainey (12/17/87)
President Pro Tem Parke Boneysteele
1987 President John Clausen (12/04/86)
President Pro Tem Susan McNulty
1986 President Nels Carlson (01/09/86)
President Pro Tem John Clausen
1985 President Parke Boneysteele (12/06/84)
President Pro Tem Nels Carlson
1984 President William Dalton (12/01/83)
President Pro Tem Nels Carlson
1983 President William Dalton (12/02/82)
President Pro Tem Parke Boneysteele
1982 President Alan Stanley (12/03/81)
President Pro Tem William Dalton
1981 President Campbell (12/04/80)
President Pro Tem
1980 President Nels Carlson
President Pro Tem
1979 President Nels Carlson (12/07/78)
President Pro Tem
1978 President Don Allan (12/15/77)
President Pro Tem
1977 President Parke Bonneysteele (12/02/76)
President Pro Tem
1976 President Parke Boneysteele (12/04/75)
President Pro Tem
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1975 President Parke Bonneysteele (11/14/74)
President Pro Tern
1974 President Richard Mitchell (12/06/73)
President Pro Tern
1973 President George Rustigian (12/21/72)
President Pro Tem
1972 President Don Allan (12/02/71)
President Pro Tem
1971 President Charles Gibbs
President Pro Tem
1970 President Charles Gibbs
President Pro Tem
1969 President Charles Gibbs
President Pro Tem
1968 President Charles Gibbs
President Pro Tern
1967 President Charles Gibbs
President Pro Tem
1966 President Charles Gibbs (09/15/66)
President Pro Tem
1966 President Richard Mitchell
President Pro Tem
1965 President Richard Mitchell
President Pro Tern
1964 President Richard Mitchell
President Pro Tem
1963 President Richard Mitchell
President Pro Tem
1962 President Richard Mitchell
President Pro Tem
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1961 President Richard Mitchell
President Pro Tem
1960 President Richard Mitchell (03/03/60)
President Pro Tem
1959 President Raymond Fisher
President Pro Tem
1958 President Raymond Fisher
President Pro Tem
1957 President Raymond Fisher
President Pro Tem
1956 President Raymond Fisher (09/24/56)
President Pro Tem
1956 President Irving Roemer
President Pro Tem
1955 President Irving Roemer
President Pro Tem
1954 President Irving Roemer (05/06/54)
President Pro Tem
1954 President Elliott Johnson (02/18/54 - 05/06/54)
President Pro Tem
1954 President Ernest Spiegel
President Pro Tem
1953 President Ernest Spiegel (05/07/03)
President Pro Tem
1953 President Elliott Johnson
President Pro Tem
1952 President Elliott Johnson
President Pro Tem
1951 President Elliott Johnson
President Pro Tem
1950 President Elliott Johnson (10/05/50)
President Pro Tem
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1949 President R. E. Wadsworth (11/18/48)
President Pro Tem
1948 President Elliott Johnson (10/07/48)
President Pro Tem
1948 President Lawson Weill
President Pro Tem
1947 President Lawson Weill
President Pro Tem
1946 President Lawson Weill (08/05/46)
President Pro Tem
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