CITY OF CARPINTERIA
RESPONSE TO 1996-97 GRAND JURY REPORT
RECOMMENDATION NOS. 6 & 7
RESPONDANT: SAMANTHA ORDUNO, CITY MANAGER

RECOMMENDATION NO. 6

"The County and the cities should develop a method for boards and commissions to report their activities to governing bodies and the community."

The City of Carpinteria is currently completing a year long community-wide visioning process which has involved over 100 members of our community. Five visioning Teams: Collaborative Government, Arts and Recreation, Land Use, Community Identity and Traffic, Transportation and Infrastructure have been actively working on a long range strategic plan for the community. One Team, Collaborative Government has worked very hard to develop goals and strategies to shape future government into a more collaborative and communicative organization. Developing a method for boards and commissions to report their activities to the public is a task that they can easily incorporate into their recommendations to Council in December of this year.

Last year, the City Council began quarterly meetings with their boards and commissions which has proven to be very beneficial for improved coordination. These meetings have generally been done at non-televised worksessions. Perhaps an improved format would be an informal, but televised meeting. Under consideration by my staff and myself is to incorporate board and commission year end reports in the City's annual report.

There is room for improvement and the staff of the City of Carpinteria will finalize an improved public reporting system for boards and commissions prior to the end of this fiscal year.

RECOMMENDATION NO. 7:

Administrators should develop an organization chart or matrix to clarify the function of each board and commission and to identify the community need being filled.

The City currently has an organizational chart which indicates the link of boards and commissions to their reporting authority, the City Council. However, it does not provide a "quick reference" for the average citizen to understand the purpose of the board or commission. This is an excellent recommendation which the City of Carpinteria will implement with the next annual report. Such a organizational chart will also be incorporated into the annual Budget