APB Archives

COUNCIL ORGANIZATION (Jan 24, 04)

WHERE THINGS FIT IN CITY GOVERNMENT (Dec 22, 03)

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The City Council has historically had four Council Committees which review
matters before the whole Council sees them. Although the Committees have had
different names over the years, the present names are Council Committee on: 1)
Public Safety and Neighborhood Services (PS&NS); 2) Natural Resources and
Culture Committee (NR&C); 3) Land Use and Housing (LU&H), and 4) Rules,
Finance and Intergovernmental Relations (Rules). The Mayor appoints Council
members and chairpersons to the Committees.
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Usually new councilmembers are assigned to three Committees, to give them a
crash course in how the city works. Chairpersons are normally in their second
or third year of service, or even in their second term in office. Each
Council Committee Chairperson is allowed to hire a Committee Consultant in
addition to the Chairperson's regular office staff. The Consultant is the
staff supervisor for the Committee, responsible that the Committee's work is
timely done.
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The Rules Committee is a slight exception. The Mayor chairs the Rules
Committee, and the members are the Deputy Mayor and the Chairpersons of the
three other Council Committees. Right now Mr. Madaffer chairs NR&C, Mr.
Maienschein chairs PS&NS, and Mr. Peters chairs LU&H. They are on the Rules
Committee along with Deputy Mayor Atkins and, of course, the Mayor.
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In addition to the Council Committees, the city has a Planning Commission and
two Authorities; the Redevelopment Authority and the Housing Authority. The
Planning Commission is chosen by the Mayor with the advice of the Council.
The Council lets the Mayor have whom he wishes on the Planning Commission,
including naming the Chair.
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The two Authorities, Redevelopment and Housing, are requirements of the State
Constitution and in fact are actually state agencies operated for the city's
benefit. Other cities have these two authorities as well. Some City Councils
name separate boards of directors for their Authorities, but San Diego uses
its Mayor and Council as the boards. That's why sometimes the Council will
close its proceedings as the City Council and open immediately as the Housing
Authority or as the Redevelopment Authority.
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There is much more to city government than this, of course, but this is a
brief view of how the top layer is set up.
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WHO SERVES AND WHEN TO THEY MEET? (Jan 24, 04)

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The Land Use and Housing (LU&H) Committee has Chairman Peters and members
Frye, Inzunza, Lewis, and Zucchet. The consultant is Chris Cameron (533-
3920). It meets at 2:00PM, Feb 2, Mar 10 & 24, Apr 21, May 5 & 19, Jun 16 &
30, July 21, Aug 4, Sep 15 & 29, Oct 13, Nov 10, and Dec 1 on the 12th floor
of the City Administration Building.
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The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services (PS&NS) Committee has Chairman
Maienschein and members Atkins, Frye, Lewis, and Zucchet. The consultant is
John Rivera (533-3982). It meets at 2:00PM, Feb 11, Mar 17, Apr 14 & 28, May
12 & 26, Jun 9 & 23, Jul 14 & 28, Aug 11, Sep 22, Oct 6, and Nov 17 on the
12th floor of the City Administration Building.
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The Natural Resources and Culture (NR&C) Committee has Chairman Madaffer and
members Frye, Inzunza, Lewis and Zucchet. The consultant is Dan Coffer (533-
3980). It meets at 9:00AM, Feb 11, Mar 17, Apr 14 & 28, May 12 & 26, Jun 9 &
23, Jul 14 & 28, Aug 11, Sep 22, Oct 6, and Nov 17 on the 12th floor of the
City Administration Building.
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The Rules, Finance, and Intergovernmental Relations (RULES) Committee is the
Mayor, the vice-Mayor, and the Committee Chairs. It meets Feb 4, Mar 10 & 24,
Apr 21, May 5 & 19, Jun 16 & 30, Jul 21, Aug 4, Sep 15 & 29, Oct 13, Nov 10,
and Dec 1 on the 12th floor of the City Administration Building.
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