Agenda — original pdf

Agenda

2018 CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION APRIL 7, 2018 at 1:00 P.M. Austin City Hall, Council Chambers 301 W. 2nd Street AUSTIN, TEXAS CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Joy Authur Roger Borgelt Martha Cotera Matt Hersh Fred Lewis Diego Martinez-Moncada Karl-Thomas Musselman Jessica Palvino Jeff Smith Tane Ward Ingrid Weigand AGENDA CALL TO ORDER Conduct a public hearing to receive feedback on the following recommendations being considered by the Charter Review Commission. The following recommendations have been adopted by the Commission: 1. City Council appoints the City Attorney rather than current law under which the City Manager appoints the City Attorney. 2. Create a City Budget and Efficiency Officer whose mission is to produce independent analyses of budgetary and fiscal issues to support the Austin City’s Council’s budget process by issuing reports and reviews of proposed and existing programs. 3. Establish a Democracy Dollars Program for public financing of campaigns to provide eligible Austin residents up to four (4) $25 Democracy Dollar Vouchers (“Democracy Dollars”) per election cycle. The Democracy Dollars may be donated to a resident’s district city council or mayoral candidate. The purpose of the Democracy Dollars program is to ensure that all of the people of Austin have equal opportunity to participate in political campaigns and are heard by candidates, to strengthen democracy, to fulfill the purposes of single-member districts, to enhance candidate competition, and prevent corruption. 4. Establish an Independent Ethics Review Commission to impartially and effectively administer and enforce all city laws relating to campaign finance, campaign disclosures, conflicts of interest, financial statement disclosure, lobbyist regulations, revolving door, disqualification of members of city boards, certain conflict of interest and ethics laws, and other responsibilities.  5. Require that a notice of intent to circulate a referendum petition be filed with the city clerk prior to collecting signatures and that the signed referendum petition be filed with the city clerk within 180 days of passage of an ordinance. 6. Require that a notice of intent to circulate a recall petition be filed with the city clerk prior to collecting signatures, that the recall petition contain the grounds on which the removal is sought, and that the recall petition be signed by at least 20% of the qualified voters of the district from which the council member is elected, or 10% citywide for the mayor. 7. Correction of clerical matters, routine harmonizing, and clarification of verbiage. The following recommendations are under Consideration by the 2018 Charter Review Commission: 1. Clarify that the timing and staggering of the Planning Commission terms are to be determined by ordinance. 2. Require a city election to approve major utility-related revenue bonds over $25 million and to approve power and water purchases whose total price for each project exceeds $50 million. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call or email Myrna Rios or Jannette Goodall with the City Clerk’s Office, (512-974-2210 or myrna.rios@austintexas.gov or jannette.goodall@austintexas.gov), for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the 2018 Charter Review Commission, please contact Jannette Goodall at 512-974-2210.