HomeMy WebLinkAbout101-Policy for Written Records Staff Report.pdf SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE: July 18, 2007 AGENDA ITEM: ___________________
ORIGINATING DEPT: City Attorney CITY MANAGER: _________________
Dave Anderson
PREPARED BY: Richard Taylor DEPT.HEAD: Richard Taylor
SUBJECT: Policy for Written Records of Meetings, Decisions and Actions Relating to
Contracts of $2 Million or More
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Adopt resolution setting City policy requiring written
records of meetings, decisions and actions relating to contracts for goods, services, and
property for $2 million or more.
REPORT SUMMARY:
At its meeting of June 20, 2007 the City Council authorized a response to the report of the
Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury regarding its investigation of events surrounding the
proposed sale of the North Campus. The Grand Jury recommended that the City adopt and
enforce a policy that all City staff maintain a written record of meetings, decisions, and
actions that implement policy. In response, the City Council directed staff to prepare a policy
that would implement this recommendation as to meetings, decisions and actions relating to
contracts for goods, services, and property for $2 million or more. The attached resolution
would adopt such a policy.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
Additional staff time will be required to maintain the necessary written records. The burden
is not expected to be undue, however, because most City contracts are for less than $2
million.
FOLLOW UP ACTION(S):
Distribute policy to all Department Heads for implementation.
ADVERTISING, NOTICING AND PUBLIC CONTACT:
Notice for this meeting.
RESOLUTION NO. 07-
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF SARATOGA ESTABLISHING A CITY
POLICY REGARDING WRITTEN RECORDS OF
MEETINGS, DECISIONS, AND ACTIONS RELATED
TO CONTRACTS OF $2 MILLION OR MORE
WHEREAS, State law and various provisions of the Saratoga Municipal Code
governing local government contracts provide a variety of safeguards to protect the public
interest in connection with contracts entered by the City; and
WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to supplement these protections for major
contracts by requiring that City staff maintain written records of meetings, decisions, and
actions related to any contract for goods, services, or property that staff has reason to
believe will be for $2 million or more.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of
Saratoga hereby adopts the following policy:
City staff shall maintain a written record of meetings, decisions, and actions
related to contracts for goods, services, or property (or some combination thereof)
that the staff has reason to believe will be for $2 million or more. The City
Manager or his designee may adopt supplemental policies from time to time as
s/he sees necessary in order to implement this policy.
The above Resolution was passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of
the City of Saratoga held on the 18th day of July 2007 by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
______________________________
Aileen Kao, Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________
Cathleen Boyer, City Clerk