Laserfiche WebLink
clearly made as individual opinion and not a representation of the feelings of the entire City <br />Council. <br />Limit contact with board and commission members to questions of clarification <br />It is inappropriate for a Councilmember to contact a board or commission member to lobby on <br />behalf of an individual, business, or developer, and vice versa. It is acceptable for <br />Councilmembers to contact board or commission members in order to clarify a position taken by <br />the board or commission. <br />Remember that boards and commissions serve the community, not individual Councilmembers <br />The City Council appoints individuals to serve on boards and commissions, and it is the <br />responsibility of boards and commissions to follow policy established by the Council. But board <br />and commission members do not report to individual Councilmembers, nor should <br />Councilmembers feel they have the power or right to threaten board and commission members <br />with removal if they disagree about an issue. Appointment and re-appointment to a board or <br />commission should be based on such criteria as expertise, ability to work with staff and the <br />public, and commitment to fulfilling official duties. A board or commission appointment should not <br />be used as a political "reward." <br />Be respectful of diverse opinions <br />A primary role of boards and commissions is to represent many points of view in the community <br />and to provide the Council with advice based on a full spectrum of concerns and perspectives. <br />Councilmembers may have a closer working relationship with some individuals serving on boards <br />and commissions, but must be fair and respectful of all citizens serving on boards and <br />commissions. <br />Keep political support away from public forums <br />Board and commission members may offer political support to a Councilmember, but not in a <br />public forum while conducting official duties. Conversely, Councilmembers may support board <br />and commission members who are running for office, but not in an official forum in their capacity <br />as a Councilmember. <br />6. Conduct with the Media <br />"Keep them well fed and never let them know that all you've got is a chair and a whip. " <br />Lion Tamer School <br />Board and commission members are not authorized to represent the City outside of official <br />board/commission meetings unless specifically authorized to do so. <br />Councilmembers are frequently contacted by the media for background and quotes. <br />The best advice for dealing with the media is to never go "off the record" <br />Most members of the media represent the highest levels of journalistic integrity and ethics, and <br />can be trusted to keep their word. But one bad experience can be catastrophic. Words that are <br />not said cannot be quoted. <br />The Mayor is the official spokesperson for the City on City positions. <br />The Mayor is the designated representative of the Council to present and speak on the official <br />City position. If an individual Councilmember is contacted by the media, the Councilmember <br />should be clear about whether their comments represent the official City position or a personal <br />viewpoint. <br />Choose words carefully and cautiously <br />Comments taken out of context can cause problems. Be especially cautious about humor, <br />sardonic asides, sarcasm, or word play. It is never appropriate to use personal slurs or swear <br />