Laserfiche WebLink
Open Space Advisory Board <br />Minutes <br />November 8, 2023 <br />Page 2 of 5 <br />David asked for a staff update about the South Boulder Rd. property at Heritage St. that OSAB <br />wrote a memo about in August. Ember didn't have an update to provide. <br />Susan went to the CU Water Quality Educational Event at the Dutch Creek Open Space and <br />said it was really well run, informative, and professional. <br />7. Board Updates <br />• Board/Council Communication and Refinement to Process —City Council has been <br />trying to address some of the concerns it has heard about how they communicate with City <br />Boards and Commissions. OSAB and other board members were recently emailed a <br />communication from Council called "A Resolution Approving Board and Commission Rules of <br />Procedure" approved by Council on November 6t". David shared a few of his observations and <br />concerns about the document with the board. His first observation was that he had been <br />expecting to see more language about accessibility and how boards and commissions do and <br />should function with people who need accommodations. David also noted that Council is <br />recommending that chairs and vice chairs rotate every year. OSAB has previously discussed <br />that topic and generally agreed that rotating the chair every 2-3 years seemed ideal, rather than <br />starting over every year with a new chair. David pointed out language in the document stating <br />that Council wants the staff liaison to create memos and control all communication between <br />Council and the board. David wasn't sure what that meant in terms of who is supposed to <br />actually write memos for the board. Helen was concerned that the staff liaison was being asked <br />to write communication on behalf of the board, saying that the board should be allowed to speak <br />for itself. Ember said that Meredyth from the City Manager's office has verbally confirmed to her <br />that the staff liaison can communicate memos that OSAB writes itself. David said he would <br />have liked to see some language about how memos from boards can be put into the official <br />record during Council discussions. Sometimes OSAB has wondered whether its memos are <br />getting discussed or documented. Michiko echoed David's concern about the lack of discussion <br />about board and commission accessibility issues in this document, and wondered how she <br />could advocate for a change. She said a recent influx of people on boards with accessibility <br />concerns makes this a prime time for this discussion. David was surprised that the process of <br />writing this document didn't involve seeking the boards' input. Susan was surprised that the <br />request for annual meetings between the boards and Council wasn't included in this document. <br />• Update to quasi-judicial Process for OSAB & PPLAB—David reported that the City has <br />decided that OSAB will no longer be included in quasi-judicial reviews. He doesn't know how <br />this will impact the property development reviews that OSAB is asked to do. Helen said that <br />she thought this was probably a good thing, as the board should be advisory in nature. She <br />hoped that this decision would allow board members to do some of things they were told they <br />could no longer do, like talking to the public, going to public open houses, etc. <br />• Sales Tax Update —Helen reported that the Open Space and Parks Sales Tax Update <br />ballot measure (2C) passed with 69% support, which is the highest margin that it has ever <br />received. Susan complemented the campaign group on what a great job they did on public <br />outreach. Helen mentioned that Council recently passed a budget without knowing whether the <br />tax would pass, so the budget will immediately need to be amended. She added that the <br />language of the tax will require a new approach to the division of funding and accounting <br />between the Parks and Open Space budgets and that she and the campaign group will be <br />meeting with staff and Council about implementing it. The City Manager has agreed to an open <br />