1999-07-07 Charter Commission Minutes

Home

Page 20 of 23 BESS: I understand your comments with regard to trying to bring about more diversity on the Commission but I’m talking about now your comments with regard to supervision. BOCHE: Okay. BESS: And that’s what’s confusing me. BOCHE: I’m not sure how it would work. BESS: See, I think one of the things, and not to unfairly extrapolate on what you said previously about how we should provide for maximum discussion or what have you but I think when you look at this Charter, it comes from a very traditional viewpoint that (a) we have an Executive Branch that is primarily responsible for administration and we have this Council Branch that’s supposed to be policy formulation and that there’s some how or other, a separation of the two and that by building in the administration into one of those branches, that you have greater accountability. And what I’m hearing you say is that, and it may relate to your feelings about better balance of power, that the Council should have administrative functions as well as policy making functions. BOCHE: Yes, I’m not sure. I’ll have to think about it and I think that’s one of the things that maybe I’ll take away from this meeting are your ideas for further consideration of my own. I can go back and read this and think about it because, as I say, I’ve got a couple of different ideas here about how the Boards and Commissions should be appointed and I’m not really set in stone. I’m just exploring, really trying to explore various ways to create a better County government. BESS: Thank you. BOCHE: That’s all. RAY: Just try to think practically how that would work from an administrative standpoint, if you put the legislative body in that loop to make administrative decisions on how these departments function and I think that’s the point that Steve was bringing up. How that would work. Okay, any more questions. MARTIN: Yes, I have a comment. Maybe I shouldn’t be saying this but you made mention of a group of people per se, being higher up in the rankings of a department. If any one group participates or applies itself more than another and they do in fact, proceed up the ladder, if you will, it’s to their good luck I think and I just would be wary of comment something like that. Yes? BOCHE: Yes, I don’t disagree with you in the best of worlds. I think either explanation is equally valid in any given specific case. People can advance by hard work, diligence, qualifications, in one system if the system is well designed and functioning in accountable system and if it’s not, they can advance by other means. And that’s all I’m saying and I’m not pointing my finger at any particular group. RAY: Okay, thanks Ken. Lesley, you had a comment? PATTON: I have a small technical question and a comment. The technical question was is there any stipulation or guideline for this Commission to come up with up to maximum proposed amendments or recommended or anything? file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 7-7-99.html7/1/2011