Fiscal Note
Any costs associated with implementing the recommendations will be absorbed within the existing Council budget. No appropriation required.
Title
Accepting the Final Report of the President's Work Group: Development of Alder Position Description/Role and implementing recommendations contained within the report.
Body
WHEREAS, the Common Council recognized the need to define the role of an alder in the City of Madison, what skills are needed to fulfill that role, what training and professional development is needed for those skills, how alders learn best practices from each other, and;
WHEREAS, a Council President's work group was formed by approval of the Common Council Organizational Committee on April 10, 2012, to develop an alder position description/role and members of the work group included:
· Ald. Lauren Cnare Council President, Chair, District 3
· Ald. Bridget Maniaci District 2
· Ald. Steve King District 7
· Ald. Satya Rhodes-Conway District 12
WHEREAS, the work group's discussion and recommendations on an alder job description/role focused on the following areas:
· Constituent Services
· Committee Service
· Development of City Policy
WHEREAS, working with the above identified areas, the following were determined by work group members as needing further development:
· Development of Alder Job Description/Role
· Development of Alder Best Practices
· Training Needs Analysis
WHEREAS, the members of the work group recommended that the Common Council Organizational Committee implement the following recommendations
1. Post and provide the list: The Alder's Role in the City of Madison on the clerk's Website with the filing forms for candidacy, the Common Council's Website, and provided to all newly-elected alders.
2. Establish a working group or standing subcommittee to collect and maintain the Best Practices. This may be managed by the Common Council Organizational Committee. Step 2: Who's Doing It Well? Offer guidance on initiating the Best Practices Guide.
3. Develop an initial short list of training activities, in addition to orientation, focused on new alders for 2013.
4. Establish an annual training calendar with rotating topics to address on-going learning.
5. Further formalize the role and duties of the Alder Mentor to assure that basic skills and resources that support new alder success are consistently and professionally provided. Council leadership, possible the Pro Tem should monitor and support this important function.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council accepts the Final Report of the President's Work Group: Development of Alder Position Description/Role and directs the Common Council Organizational Committee to implement the recommendations contained within the report.