Fiscal Note
No appropriation is required.
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SECOND SUBSTITUTE - Creating Section 33.27 of the Madison General Ordinances to establish rules for staff committees and to codify the existence of the Minority Affairs Committee and the Women's Issues Committee.
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DRAFTER'S ANALYSIS: This ordinance establishes rules for staff committees and codifies the existence of two committees of City employees called the Minority Affairs Committee (MAC) and Women's Issues Committee (WIC). The MAC and WIC have existed for some years, but the legal nature of the committees is unclear. A Common Council Resolution in 1994 (Reso. # 51,464) abolished the MAC and WIC and re-established them as subcommittees of the Madison Employees Committee on Affirmative Action (MECAA). However, the MECAA has not met in years and is, as a practical matter, defunct. On the other hand, the MAC and WIC have been active committees without a clear legal mandate. This ordinance establishes that mandate and continues the current practice that the Mayor appoints the members of MAC and WIC without the necessity of Council approval.***********************************************************************************
Section 33.27 entitled "Staff Committees" of the Madison General Ordinances is created to read as follows:
"33.27 STAFF COMMITTEES.
(1) General. On rare occasions, the City may establish formal committees of City staff. When such a committee is established, the following rules that apply to other committees will not apply to staff committees: term limits on members, attendance reports, filing of statements of interests, allowing Common Council members to participate in meetings, and the referral of legislative items to the staff committee. If input of a staff committee is denied, the matter should be referred to the department or division head related to the staff committee. Formal staff committees are subject to open meeting law requirements, quorum, terms for members, limits on meeting dates, public comment and the filing of minutes.
(2) Minority Affairs Committee. There is hereby established a Minority Affairs Committee (MAC) composed of employees of the City of Madison and charged with addressing issues of concern to racial and ethnic minorities employed by the City. Members of the MAC shall be appointed by the Mayor upon recommendation of the Director of the Department of Civil Rights, and are not subject to Common Council approval. The MAC may adopt such other rules or bylaws to govern its operation, including establishing the number of members of the Committee, not inconsistent with these ordinances.
(3) Women's Issues Committee. There is hereby established a Women's Issues Committee (WIC) composed of employees of the City of Madison and charged with addressing issues of concern to women employed by the City. Members of the WIC shall be appointed by the Mayor upon recommendation of the Director of the Department of Civil Rights, and are not subject to Common Council approval. The WIC may adopt such other rules or bylaws to govern its operation, including establishing the number of members of the Committee, not inconsistent with these ordinances."