The recent Personnel Board hearing by the City of San Luis Obispo has KSBY viewers curious about the level of power city advisory bodies hold, after a three-person panel voted not to recommend that the City Council hold a censure hearing for Mayor Erica A. Stewart.
The City Clerk's Office confirmed that Stewart is officially on the ballot as of Wednesday for her re-election campaign, based on verified signatures she gathered. City Council Members Michelle Shoresman and Emily Francis are also confirmed. The clerk is still awaiting signature verifications on their challengers.
Next Tuesday's City Council meeting may be highly attended after the Personnel Board voted 2-to-1 not to recommend the censure hearing. Board Chairman Calvin "Cal" Stevens told KSBY, "Our power as a Board has the force of recommendation only, though it is exceptional that a Council would move contrary to an Advisory Body’s input."
Stewart's colleague, Jan Marx, made the formal request alleging that Stewart violated the law and the city's code of ethics by forwarding an embargoed grand jury report to her Cal Poly colleagues when it had been marked confidential.
"There are all of these positions, and the city loves having citizens involved in all of these advisory capacities," Stevens said.
At the board meeting, Stevens heard public comment suggesting he and fellow board members may have conflicts of interest. He says disclosure is key.
"It's nevertheless important for people to say whether they have a conflict, a conflict of interest," Stevens said. "I know her, I've served on committees with her, I've been at gatherings where that person is also there. That's almost hard to avoid in San Luis Obispo," Stevens said.
In an interview on Wednesday, Stevens re-addressed the scope of the board's authority.
"Our influence is in the force in the term of recommendation," Stevens said.
At the board meeting, Stewart addressed the board directly prior to their issuing a decision.
"I appreciate you weighing the facts and I will accept whatever decision that you make," Stewart said.
How San Luis Obispo's Advisory Bodies work
The City Council has established a number of advisory bodies to review city programs, projects, and community issues. Those bodies range from personnel and transportation, to architectural and construction, to human relations, and even a tree committee.
San Luis Obispo City Clerk Teresa Purrington provided background to KSBY on both committees and boards. The overall goal is to bring in resident advisors to review city programs, projects, and community issues, to provide greater community participation, and to provide public input in the determination of city policies in the form of recommendations to the council.
For a direct link to the city's Advisory Bodies, visit this link: slocity.org/government/advisory-bodies.
All registered voters in the city are eligible to be appointed to an Advisory Body. In some cases, participation by non-registered voters and non-city residents may be permissible. This is on a case-by-case basis and depends on the nature and purpose of the advisory body, as determined by the City Council. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of appointment. Those classified as "city officials" and "management employees" are not eligible to apply, according to the clerk's office.
In the past, the city had recruited applicants each fall, but Purrington explained that between elections and onboarding newly elected officials, a decision was made recently to move the process to the spring.
The city conducts a recruitment campaign for advisory body positions that are due to expire in the upcoming year. A Council Liaison Subcommittee will interview qualified applicants and forward its recommendation to the full Council for consideration. Applicants are encouraged to read the Advisory Body Handbook and to attend at least one advisory body meeting prior to the interview with the Council Liaison Subcommittee.
If appointed, the position is fully volunteer.
Only once the spring rolls around will positions be posted on the City of San Luis Obispo's NeoGov site at slocity.org/government/advisory-bodies.
Even though there are no current openings, if you are interested in participating, the city encourages you to fill out a "Job Interest Card" and select the category "Community Services." An email alert will be sent if an unscheduled vacancy occurs during the year. Applicants can also create an account online to pre-load an application into the NeoGov system.
Individuals considering applying for appointments to the Planning Commission or Architectural Review Commission should contact the City Human Resources Department at (805) 781-7250 regarding stipend information and other HR-related questions.
If you have a story idea you would like to send to KSBY Reporter Jessica Roe, you can reach her directly via email at jessica.roe@ksby.com.
