POLICY TYPE: GOVERNANCE PROCESS
POLICY NO: GP-6
SUBJECT: COUNCIL COMMITTEE PRINCIPLES
EFFECTIVE: July 1, 2012
REVISED: August 19, 2013; April 16, 2019; June 2, 2023
POLICY: Council committees may be formed to carry out specific tasks. They have no decision-making authority except that given to them by Council motion and must not be allowed to interfere with the Council’s decision-making responsibility.
- Council committees are to help the Council do its job, not to help the staff do theirs. Committees ordinarily will assist the Council by preparing policy alternatives and implications for Council deliberation.
- Council committees must not speak or act for the Council except when formally given such authority for specific and time-limited purposes. Expectations and authority will be carefully stated.
- Council members must not exercise authority over staff. Because the Superintendent works for the full Council, the Superintendent will not be required to obtain approval of a Council committee before an executive action. In keeping with the Council’s broader focus, Council members must not normally have direct dealings with current staff operations.
- Council committees are to avoid over-identification with organizational parts rather than the whole. Therefore, a Council committee which has helped the Council create policy on an issue must not be used to monitor organizational performance on that same issue.
- This policy will apply only to committees that are formed by Council action, whether or not the committees include non-Council members. It will not apply to committees formed under the authority of the Superintendent.
MONITORING:
Method(s:) Committee Reports
Frequency: As Requested by Council