2011-01-28 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

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MS. NICHOLSON: I’m ready to do it for a few of these at least is to ask the Planning director to come and specifically have this discussion with her with all of us saying, what is the difference between an Action Committee and a Steering Committee or a Planning Committee? What is the role? And get from her first some recommendations on combinations. MR. ARMOUR: If I read this right, the Steering Committees are already eliminated aren’t they? It says their terms ends on 12/31 already. MS. WONG: But I think systematically as steering committees are needed, there is steering and action committees. I don’t remember, I may be confused about when Bobby Jean spoke about this, but did she not address that specific topic here or am I thinking about the time we met with her in individually. Did she not speak about that here? MS. NICHOLSON: I don’t recall that. I think it was probably you talking to her about it. I could be wrong but I think you reported back that she had mentioned it. Well, I’m open to suggestions on how we want to move forward with this. MR. TAKABA: It seems like more appropriately it would be the departments that oversee the different committees, if you want feedback on whether the combinations would work. Normally there’s an agency that provides oversight or that these committees are assigned to. Maybe if you want feedback, the appropriate feedback, maybe the departments could make those comments that you’re looking for rather than the members. MS. NICHOLSON: The departments would actually save the money by combining or eliminating some of these committees. And then the department head would choose whether talk to the committee about it? MR. TAKABA: I think if you’re suggesting that like Aging and Disabilities combine, then Office of Aging is responsible for, right now anyway, Office of Aging is responsible for the Committee on Aging and Committee on People with Disabilities. So, they may want to provide feedback on whether it’s feasible to do that combination. MS. NICHOLSON: So we would send a letter to each department saying for all of those committees, advisory or whatever committees you have under your MR. TAKABA: Like Ag, is that R&D? It’s got to be R&D. MS. WONG: HR. MS. GARSON: No, not HR. If anything, it is R&D. MR. TAKABA: And Arborist would be Parks? MS. WONG: That’s what they told me. 12