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to give a brief overview of City policy and to refer to City staff for further information. It is <br />inappropriate to overtly or implicitly promise Council or board/commission action, or to promise <br />City staff will do something specific (fix a pothole, remove a library book, plant new flowers in the <br />median, etc.). <br />Make no personal comments about other members <br />It is acceptable to publicly disagree about an issue, but it is unacceptable to make derogatory <br />comments about other members, their opinions and actions. <br />Remember that despite its impressive population figures, Sunnyvale is a small town at heart <br />Members are constantly being observed by the community every day that they serve in office. <br />Their behaviors and comments serve as models for proper deportment in the City of Sunnyvale. <br />Honesty and respect for the dignity of each individual should be reflected in every word and <br />action taken by members, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is a serious and continuous <br />responsibility. <br />4 Council Conduct with Other Public Aqencies <br />"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. " <br />Mark Twain <br />Be clear about representing the City or personal interests <br />When representing the City, the Councilmember must support and advocate the official City <br />position on an issue, not a personal viewpoint. Outside of official board or commission meetings, <br />board and commission members are not authorized to represent the City or their board or <br />commission unless specifically designated by the Council or the board or commission to do so for <br />a particular purpose. <br />When representing another organization whose position is different from the City, the <br />Councilmember should withdraw from voting on the issue if it significantly impacts or is <br />detrimental to the City's interest. Councilmembers should be clear about which organizations they <br />represent and inform the Mayor and Council of their involvement. <br />Correspondence also should be equally clear about representation <br />City letterhead may be used when the Councilmember is representing the City and the City's <br />official position. A copy of official correspondence should be given to the Council Executive <br />Assistant to be filed in the Council Office as part of the permanent public record. <br />City letterhead should not be used for non-City business nor for correspondence representing a <br />dissenting point of view from an official Council position. <br />5. Council Conduct with Boards and Commissions <br />"We rarely find that people have good sense unless they agree with us. " <br />--Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld <br />The City has established several boards and commissions as a means of gathering more <br />community input. Citizens who serve on boards and commissions become more involved in <br />government and serve as advisors to the City Council. They are a valuable resource to the City's <br />leadership and should be treated with appreciation and respect. <br />If attending a board or commission meeting, be careful to only express personal opinions <br />Councilmembers may attend any board or commission meeting, which are always open to any <br />member of the public. However, they should be sensitive to the way their participation especially <br />if it is on behalf of an individual, business or developer could be viewed as unfairly affecting the <br />process. Any public comments by a Councilmember at a board or commission meeting should be <br />~f, n~~", <br />