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duties under existing procedures. As a result, the City Council is limited in the <br /> performance of it's legislative, policy and oversight duties, and the public process is less <br /> transparent. <br /> These concerns fall into three areas: the procedures of the City Council as a legislative <br /> body, the relationship (separation of powers) of the Council and the Administration, and <br /> limitations the OPMA places on the Council and individual Council members. Separately <br /> and collectively, these three areas of concern place procedural and substantive barriers <br /> to Council's fulfilling it's role under the Charter. <br /> Council Procedures <br /> Everett's City Council procedures (absent council committees) appears to be the most <br /> limited of all major cities (over 50,000 population) in Washington State in terms of <br /> capacity to perform legislative, policy and oversight functions. Those cities operating <br /> without a committee structure have Council/Manager forms of government, and appear <br /> to dedicate significant additional time in workshop settings to more fully explore and <br /> develop policy issues before considering final actions. In either case, more time is <br /> dedicated to legislative and policy matters, and the councils operate independently of <br /> administration. <br /> A brief review of the largest 20 cities in Washington shows that Everett is the only city <br /> with a Mayor/Council form of government that does not have a council committee <br /> structure. This is significant as Mayor/Council forms of government more clearly define <br /> separate branches of government (administrative and legislative), and require greater <br /> separation, autonomy and balance between legislative and administrative branches. In <br /> Council/Manager forms of government, the city manager (and city administration) <br /> reports directly to the city council. Attached is a listing of the 20 largest cities in <br /> Washington State, their government structures and the presence or absence of council <br /> committees. <br /> By contrast, Everett's "Committee of the Whole" Council structure provides for one <br /> meeting per week with limited time dedicated to workshops, policy and legislative <br /> development. Matters usually come to the Council from Administration and are placed <br /> on the agenda for appropriate actions. Major issues (with the exception of budget, <br /> revenue and expenditure forecasts) are usually briefed as a first reading item, with <br /> subsequent actions scheduled to be taken the following week(s) depending on the <br /> number of readings required. Matters that originate from the City Council usually go to <br /> legal and/or Administration for further development. Under this structure, Council has <br /> limited capacity to independently consider major policy actions. Council is largely <br /> reacting to proposals rather than driving policy, and at times appears to be reporting to <br /> administration rather than exercising independent policy development and oversight. <br /> This approach may work fine for routine business. However, it places Council at a <br /> disadvantage when major policy matters are being considered or where Council initiates <br /> policy. <br /> 2 <br />