Item 2- Recommendation on Allowable Methods for Board and Commission Communications — original pdf

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Austin Resource Management Commission PROPOSED RESOLUTION REVISED October 3, 2025 AMEND CITY CODE TO USE BOTH CITY AND PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR VOLUNTEER BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS Whereas members of the Resource Management Commission and other City Boards and Commissions are volunteers, and, Whereas the City of Austin policy, based on city code, is that staff liaisons for City boards and commissions must use only commissioners’ official city email addresses, and, Whereas volunteer commission and board members rely extensively on personal email addresses and have missed communications from City liaisons, other city staff, and fellow commissioners, and, Whereas expanding communication options with staff and fellow commissioners can make board and commission service more accessible and make commissioners more productive on behalf of the City of Austin, and, Whereas many volunteer commissioners find managing multiple email accounts can be a significant burden on top of their family, employment, community and other activities, and, Whereas commissioners understand that all communications about board or commission business are subject to disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act, regardless of what communication channel – including city or personal email – the commissioner uses, then, Whereas the Electric Utility Commission has recommended in Recommendation 20250609-003 that the Austin City Council amend the city code to allow volunteers serving on city commissions and boards to use a combination of personal and city email accounts. A commissioner’s official city email (BC) address should still be included on all official communications but commissioners’ personal email addresses should be cc’d on those and other communications. Be it resolved, The Resource Management Commission joins the Electric Utility Commission in asking the City Council to change the city code to allow for communications to and from City of Austin volunteer board and commission members to go to both official city email addresses and personal email addresses if the commissioner explicitly opts in to add use of their personal email address.