04/22/2010 Special Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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to give a brief overview of City policy and to refer to City staff for further i inappropriate to overtly or implicitly promise Council or board/commission actio City staff will do something specific (fix a pothole, remove a library book, plant n median, etc.). or to Make no personal comments about other members It is acceptable to publicly disagree about an issue, but it is unacceptable to ake comments about other members, their opinions and actions. Remember that despite its impressive population figures, Sunnyvale is a sm ll town Members are constantly being observed by the community every day that the serve i Their behaviors and comments serve as models for proper deportment in the Ci y of Su Honesty and respect for the dignity of each individual should be reflected in very w action taken by members, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is a serious and co responsibility. 4. Council Conduct with Other Public Aqencies "Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the Mark Twain Be clear about representing the City or personal interests When representing the City, the Councilmember must support and advocate the offic position on an issue, not a personal viewpoint. Outside of official board or comm ssion m board and commission members are not authorized to represent the City o their b commission unless specifically designated by the Council or the board or commi ion to c a particular purpose. It is in the heart office. ,d and inuous I City 1ings, ird or so for When representing another organization whose position is different from the C y, the Councilmember should withdraw from voting on the issue if it significantl impac or is detrimental to the City's interest. Councilmembers should be clear about which or anizati s they represent and inform the Mayor and Council of their involvement. Correspondence also should be equally clear about representation City letterhead may be used when the Councilmember is representing the Cit and th City's official position. A copy of official correspondence should be given to the C uncil E cutive Assistant to be filed in the Council Office as part of the permanent public record. City letterhead should not be used for non-City business nor for correspondenc repres nting a dissenting point of view from an official Council position. 5. Council Conduct with Boards and Commissions "We rarely find that people have good sense unless they agree with s. " --Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld The City has established several boards and commissions as a means of gatherin more community input. Citizens who serve on boards and commissions become ore inv Ived in government and serve as advisors to the City Council. They are a valuable reso rce to t City's leadership and should be treated with appreciation and respect. If attending a board or commission meeting, be careful to only express personal inions Councilmembers may attend any board or commission meeting, which are alw ys ope to any member of the public. However, they should be sensitive to the way their partici ation e ecially if it is on behalf of an individual, business or developer could be viewed as unf irly affe ing the process. Any public comments by a Councilmember at a board or commission m eting s uld be ~Sr