HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-01-02 Special MinutesOFFICIALS
TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL
January 2, 2008 6:00 p.m.
Tukwila City Hall Conference Room #3
Special Meeting
Present were Verna Griffin, Council President; Councilmembers Joe Duffle, Joan Hernandez,
Pam Linder, Dennis Robertson; Mayor -Elect Jim Haggerton
ATTENDANCE
Rhonda Berry, City Administrator; Shelley Kerslake, City Attorney
SPECIAL ISSUES
The position of the Council's Legislative Analyst was discussed. The Council has now had eight
months to work with this position and they thought it was time to analyze the function of the
position and clarify roles and responsibilities.
Councilmember Robertson indicated that they had upgraded the position to a professional,
exempt position as they were concerned about overtime issues and they wanted someone who
would be able to manage their time wisely and have the flexibility to leave early /come in late to
accommodate the many late evenings that are required of the position. The general pattern has
been that the person in this position comes in at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and leaves at 3:00 p.m.
on Fridays. There was general discussion that this schedule was fine or could be adjusted at the
discretion of the employee, depending on the workload.
Councilmember Linder wanted to discuss what this position is not responsible for. There was
general discussion that this position was not secretarial in nature and it is not the employee's
responsibility to make sure the Councilmembers attend meetings they are scheduled to attend.
Every Councilmember is responsible for their own appointments and remembering when those
appointments are scheduled. All Councilmembers agreed with this proposition.
There was agreement by all Councilmembers present that the Legislative Analyst works for all of
the Councilmembers equally and not just the Council President.
There was general discussion regarding work priorities for the Analyst in 2008. The discussion
focused on the institution of a tracking system, the 2008 legislative agenda and records
management for the Council.
Councilmember Griffin asked what the role of the City Clerk's Office was vis a vis the
Legislative Analyst. There was general discussion regarding the fact that the Legislative Analyst
can facilitate getting additional information that the Council might want for items on the agenda,
but doesn't have a large role in the agenda process.
Regarding "supervision" of the Analyst: there was discussion that if the Legislative Analyst puts
in a request for time off, that is approved by the Council President. But other time off, such as
when lunch and breaks are taken, the Council President is not involved in those decisions.
Councilmember Duffie indicated that "supervisor" isn't really the correct term, as the Council
President doesn't have any more rights than any other Councilmember relative to the Analyst.
He further stated that Councilmembers as individuals don't have any power; that power only
comes from collective acts.
There was general discussion that some employees might not feel comfortable telling a
Councilmember that they can't do something for them so it is important for Councilmembers
to be mindful of that and not ask the Analyst to do anything of a personal nature.
The role of the Council President was also discussed. Regarding the retreat there was agreement
that the whole Council needs to be involved in creating the retreat agenda not just the Council
President. There was also consensus that the Council President's role is one of a facilitator, not a
dictator. The Council President facilitates discussion among the Councilmembers and Mr. Duffle
added that the Council President works for the Council.
There was consensus among those members present that the role of the Council President is to
act as a liaison between the administration and the Council. The President works for the Council
but is not a mouthpiece for the Council. The Council can authorize the Council President to
speak on their behalf, but it must be decided by a majority of Councilmembers. The Council
President can give his or her opinion, but must clearly state that it is not the opinion of the
Council. Professionalism is the key to a successful Council President.
The meeting adjourned at 7:26 p.m.
Minutes prepared by Shelley Kerslake, City Attorney,
Approved by Verna Griffin, Council President