Title
Citizen Involvement Committee (CIC) Recommendation to Remove Chapter 2.30.060- Grievances from the Municipal Code
Body
RECOMMENDED ACTION (Motion):
Determine if the City Commission wishes to take action on the CIC recommendation to remove OCMC 2.30.060.
BACKGROUND:
At the May 7, 2018 Citizen Involvement Committee (CIC) meeting the CIC reviewed and discussed the findings from the Grievance subcommittee/study group and voted to recommend to the City Commission that the Grievance process should be removed from OCMC 2.30.060.
The CIC subcommittee/working group met on April 25, 2018 to review the discussion from the April CIC meeting on this topic. After discussing various ways the Grievance process could be improved, the group was unable to recommend any specific code changes. Rather, they found the following:
1. While we recognize the importance of allowing for members of the public to have an avenue by which they may appeal or argue against the actions of a neighborhood association or the CIC, we also believe that having a grievance process which only adds to the confusion and delays progress is not helpful.
2. The neighborhood associations do not report to the CIC, and the CIC has no authority over the neighborhood associations. Therefore, any grievance committee formed by the CIC has no authority over the neighborhood associations.
3. In the absence of authority over the neighborhood associations, no action or finding by a grievance committee has any power or any method of enforcement behind it.
Therefore, the CIC should recommend to the City Commission that Code Section 2.30.060- Grievances be removed from the code in its entirety. Citizens should be encouraged to use the public comment process, as well as mediation services provided by Clackamas County Resolution Services and other steps as allowed by law.
This Grievance review process is part of the CIC adopted 2017-2019 Goals and 2018 Prioritized Work Plan.
Work Plan #2
Goal 4: Review grievance process, code and submission requirements
*Learn history of CIC Grievance Process and purpose of adopting it as part of city code.
*Review the process, code and submission requirements to help make the process clearer for all parties
*Recommend ways the grievance process could be improved.
*CIC reviews, provides recommendation for any code amendments, and implements process recommendations-as applicable.
Goal 6: Amend the CIC code to be consistent with the election process of other City Boards and Commissions.
The following actions followed at CIC meetings:
1. March 2018 CIC Meeting- Amy Willhite shared background of Grievance process, including reading of previous code.
2. April 2018 CIC Meeting- Group discussion on goals and purpose of the grievance process
a. What do you think is the overall goal of the Grievance process and what should be CIC’s role?
b. What do you think is the benefit of processing Grievances through the CIC? How does it help further the goals and purpose of CIC?
c. Do you sill think the CIC should have a Grievance process in City Code? Has something changed your opinion?
d. Anything else you want to add that you feel is important to share?
3. April 2018 CIC Meeting- CIC requested the City Commission place a stay to a date certain on accepting new Grievances until CIC reviews existing Grievance code and processes.
4. April 2018 CIC Meeting- A subcommittee/working group was created to meet 2-3 times to go over existing code/process and recommend revisions.
5. April 18, 2018 City Commission Meeting- City Commission formally suspended OCMC 2.030.060 Grievance while the CIC completes its work plan.
6. May 2018 CIC Meeting- The CIC reviewed and discuss the findings from the Grievance subcommittee/study group and voted to recommend to the City Commission that the Grievance process should be removed from OCMC 2.30.060.
Future Meeting- Subcommittee/working group reports back to the CIC on progress and final recommendations.
Future Meeting- CIC reviews recommendations and request revisions or asks the subcommittee to reconvene to address comments.
Future Meeting- CIC approves recommend revision and shares with City Commission at a work session.
Future Meeting- City Commission adopts code changes through a noticed process.