Attachment F - DRAFT Intergovernmental Affairs Committee Charter

DRAFT City of Boulder Council Committee Charter Intergovernmental Affairs Committee Purpose Statement The Intergovernmental Affairs Committee advises city staff, primarily the city’s Intergovernmental Affairs Officer, on governmental and policy advocacy matters that impact the city and its regional, state, and federal partners. The committee’s primary focus is providing guidance on legislative matters that may be considered by the Colorado General Assembly each year, though it is not limited exclusively to consideration of these matters.

Committee Membership There are several existing internal city council committees that help guide policy and decision making in key areas in partnership with city staff. Council members vote amongst themselves annually to appoint members to the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and all other council committees. Council Participation -

As many as four members of city council are appointed to serve on the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. 1. While most council committees have two council member representatives, the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee comprises up to four members. The city council has historically appointed four members to achieve greater representation of the diverse viewpoints that exist among the entire council. 2. The maximum number of committee members is four, as a fifth member would constitute a quorum of the full city council, which is prohibited under the Boulder City Charter, Sec. 9.

Staff Support

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The City Manager’s Office, City Attorney’s Office and the city’s state lobbyists provide regular support for the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, with the Intergovernmental Affairs Officer serving as the lead. As needed, staff experts from various city departments may also be available to the committee, as coordinated by the Intergovernmental Affairs Officer.

Responsibilities The Intergovernmental Affairs Committee is responsible for the following on an annual basis:

Late Summer and Early Fall -

Review the city’s Policy Statement on Regional, State and Federal Policy Issues for the upcoming state legislative session, with attention to providing committeerecommended revisions and a review of revisions recommended by city staff. In arriving at these recommendations, the committee will consider several factors, including passage of legislation in the most recent session, expected changes in the policy environment and existing or anticipated advocacy efforts.

Late Fall -

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Support the Intergovernmental Affairs Officer’s presentation of the proposed Policy Statement to the full council, especially with regard to speaking toward committee-initiated recommendations. Participate in the city’s annual legislative breakfast with members of Boulder’s state delegation to make the case for why legislators should support council’s state policy priorities in the upcoming session.

January – May -

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The Intergovernmental Affairs Officer will review state bills and other proposed policy changes at the regional, state and federal level, and consult with city staff and the City Attorney’s Office, where appropriate. The Intergovernmental Affairs Officer will then adopt positions on such bills/proposals if they determine that the Policy Statement provides clear direction for doing so and will then coordinate all advocacy efforts to further such position. In the following two circumstances, the Intergovernmental Officer may convene the committee: 1. When the Intergovernmental Officer needs council member support in developing a strategy to advance or defeat a proposed policy that is clearly addressed by the city’s Policy Statement or other council-approved policy documents. This may include committee members coordinating with the city’s Intergovernmental Affairs Officer to represent the city at

committee hearings of the General Assembly. Council members who do not serve on the committee may also testify at committee hearings on behalf of the city and when doing so should always coordinate with the Intergovernmental Affairs Officer. ▪ Council members may also represent themselves (rather than the city) if desired but when doing so should always make clear within their testimony that they are not speaking on behalf of the city. Members of council must alert the Intergovernmental Affairs Officer when they plan to do this. 2. When there is a decision pending at the regional, state or federal level which may have an important impact to the city, yet where the issue was not directly addressed in the Policy Statement or other council communications (i.e., the relevant Policy Statement position(s) were vague or not sufficiently specific to adopt a position). Under this limited circumstance, the committee may advise staff to adopt and advocate for a position on behalf of the city. The committee is given this authority only when there is insufficient time for staff to take the matter for consideration before the full council to receive that direction. When adopting positions, the committee members are asked to not only represent their own perspective but their understanding of the full council’s preferences. ▪ When the city adopts a position pursuant to such committee direction, the Intergovernmental Affairs Officer is expected to immediately inform the full council of the decision. This awareness ensures that council may subsequently revisit the committee’s decision, should they choose to do so.

Authority The Intergovernmental Affairs Committee is vested with the authority to adopt positions on intergovernmental policy matters when the Intergovernmental Affairs Officer seeks such direction. The committee may advise that the city adopt an official position of oppose, support, or amend or, alternatively, it may advise the city to refrain from adopting any position. When adopting positions, the committee members are asked to not only represent their own perspective but their understanding of the full council’s preferences.

Escalation from Committee to Full Council Generally, any committee-initiated action or recommendation that would substantially impact the staff or council workplan would be subject to a nod of five from the full council.

Allowing the committee to make recommendations on behalf of the full council regarding legislative positions, after receipt and direction of a staff analysis, creates efficiencies that can reduce the amount of council meeting time spent discussing the matter. However, when there is no Policy Statement direction to inform a committee decision, or when the decision is of particularly high political interest, the Committee may provide a recommendation for the full council’s consideration. When the committee determines a full council discussion on a given policy matter is warranted, a committee member may be asked to submit a request on behalf of the committee to CAC asking that the matter be scheduled at an upcoming council meeting. Council members who do not serve on the committee may also submit a request to CAC for the full council to consider a policy matter and in doing so would follow general CAC submission guidelines and procedures. CAC will then decide whether and when to schedule a discussion for full council consideration.

Out of Scope The Committee serves in an advisory capacity only and shall not make decisions related to intergovernmental affairs or exercise administrative functions unless expressly authorized in the Boulder Charter and Boulder Revised Code, as such functions are reserved to the City Manager. The scope of the committee’s conversations, recommendations and decisions does not extend to policy matters that are solely intra-jurisdictional, where the final decision maker is the city council itself.

Committee Meetings -

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The Intergovernmental Affairs Committee meets on an ad hoc basis. Generally, the committee meets at least once per month during the state legislative session (January – May), and a few times in the fall before the start of the session to discuss revisions to the city’s Policy Statement. Committee meetings are generally scheduled for 90 minutes. The committee generally meets in-person and limits public viewing of meetings to the in-person meeting room. Committee members, city staff, and the city’s lobbyists may join committee meetings virtually on occasion, though in-person participation is preferred. Committee agendas are sent to members of the committee by the Intergovernmental Affairs Officer in advance of each scheduled meeting and will be made available to the public by electronic copy. The Intergovernmental Affairs Officer will prepare the agenda based on the guidance and direction needed by city staff on specific policy and legislative matters, and committee members may request that additional topics be added to the agenda.

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A committee quorum requires attendance by at least three out of four committee members. Meetings of the Committee, like all council committee meetings, are not video or audio recorded.

City of Boulder Charter References to Council Committees Excerpt from Charter Article II. The Legislative Body: Its Powers and Duties, Sec. 9. Meetings of council. -

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Except as provided in Charter Sec. 21A., all meetings of the council or committees thereof shall be public. The council shall have the authority to appoint council committees. Such committees shall generally consist of no more than two council members and in no event shall be equal or greater than a quorum of council. Other council members may attend any council committee meeting to observe but shall not participate.

Excerpt from Charter Article II. The Legislative Body: Its Powers and Duties, Sec. 15. Powers and duties of mayor. -

The mayor shall be ex officio a member of all council committees.

Charter Approval Date: [Date] Last Revised: [Date]