Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Attorney’s Office

 

TO:

Mayor and City Commission

CC:

Diane Stoddard, Interim City Manager

Casey Toomay, Assistant City Manager

FROM:

Toni R. Wheeler, City Attorney

DATE:

August 20, 2015

RE:

Resolution Establishing Advisory Committee to Assist City Commission in Reviewing and Evaluating Applications of Persons Interested in Filling the Vacancy on the City Commission and Related Documents

 

Please place Resolution No. 7138 (revised 08/21/15) on the City Commission’s agenda for consideration and approval, if appropriate.  It establishes an advisory committee to assist the governing body in reviewing and evaluating applications from persons interested in filling the vacancy on the City Commission. 

 

Background

At a special meeting of the governing body held on Friday, August 14, 2015, the City Commission accepted the resignation of Jeremy Farmer from the Lawrence City Commission.  The City Commission, pursuant to Section 1-201 of the Code of the City of Lawrence, Kansas, 2015 Ed., as amended, shall select a successor by a majority vote of the remaining commissioners.  The successor will serve on the City Commission until a newly elected commissioner is seated in January 2018 following the November 2017 election. 

 

On August 18, 2015, the City Commission directed staff to prepare a resolution establishing an advisory committee to assist the City Commission in filling the vacancy.  The proposed resolution appoints the twelve members recommended by the remaining four commissioners.  It provides the committee will be subject to the Kansas Open Meetings Act. 

 

Staff Recommendation

The resolution sets forth the duties of the advisory committee.  Those duties include:  reviewing and evaluating the submitted applications using criteria established by the City Commission, confirming the applicants meet the qualifications of a commissioner, narrowing the pool of candidates, holding one public forum, and identifying up to six persons for consideration by the City Commission. 

 

The resolution establishes a timeline for the completion of the advisory committee’s work.  The resolution calls for the advisory committee to hold its first meeting on September 3, 2015, for the purpose of planning its work. The committee will meet on Thursday, September 17th to review applications and select semi-finalists.  The committee will meet again on September 24th to hold a public forum and then select up to six names to forward to the City Commission.  On September 29th the City Commission will receive the list and identify the individuals it will interview at a Special Meeting on October 1st.  The City Commission may select the individuals it interviews and considers for filling the vacancy from the list of six people identified by the advisory committee or from the pool of applicants eligible to fill the vacancy.  The schedule in the resolution provides for the commission to elect the person to fill the vacancy at its regular meeting on Tuesday, October 6th.   The person elected would also be sworn into office on Tuesday, October 6, 2015.

 

Persons interested in filling the vacancy will need to complete an application form and the Statement of Substantial Interests for Local Office.  All documents must be received by the City Clerk’s Office by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9th. 

 

Staff prepared a Public Notice that could be published on the City’s website, distributed electronically to persons who receive the City Commission’s agenda, and published in a paid advertisement in The Lawrence Journal-World (print and electronic versions). The cost of a 1/8-page advertisement placed in the print version of the paper three times a week for two weeks is $1,222.  The cost of a medium rectangle advertisement in the electronic version of the newspaper for two weeks is $450.  The total publishing costs will be $1,672.00. 

 

Staff recommends the City Commission identify the criteria the Advisory Committee should use to evaluate the applications. 

 

Action

Adopt Resolution No. 7138 establishing the Advisory Committee on the City Commission Vacancy, approve the Lawrence City Commission Vacancy Application and the Public Notice, and authorize staff to publish the Public Notice in The Lawrence Journal World and the City’s website, if appropriate.