Mayor & Commission Meetings

GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES Monday, December 15, 2025 Committee Members Present: Committee Members Absent: Commissioner Patrick Davenport, Committee Chair Commissioner Mike Hamby Commissioner Melissa Link Commissioner Tiffany Taylor Commissioner Dexter Fisher Staff: Andrew Saunders, Interim-Assistant Manager James Alexander, Interim Central Services Sarah George, Chief of Staff Director Austin Jackson, Deputy Chief Attorney Jeff Montgomery, Communications Director Angel Helmy, Operations Analyst Christine Howard, Clerk of Commission Committee Chair Davenport called the meeting to order at 12:00 p.m. A. Approval of Minutes: Commissioner Fisher made a motion to approve the minutes of the October 20,2025 meeting. Commissioner Link seconded the motion, and it passed by unanimous vote. B. Commission Identified Items of Interest: Recommend updates to BAC procedures as recommended by Manager’s Office, Public Information Office and the Clerk of Commission (Mayor Girtz assigned to GOC on July 19, 2022) The committee discussed issues stemming from the December 2 voting session related to the Boards, Authorities, and Commissions (BAC) manual, specifically concerning the organization of Tax Allocation Districts (TADs). Members discussed whether TADs should be consolidated or remain separate, noting that separating them allows for clearer citizen participation and accommodates varying levels of complexity and activity among the TADs. A motion was made by Commissioner Fisher and seconded by Commissioner Link to proceed with option one, which keeps TADs separate. The motion passed unanimously. Discussion continued regarding updates to the BAC policy manual, including the reappointment process. The Clerk of Commission explained concerns related to staggered BAC expiration dates and how reappointments would be managed efficiently. It was agreed that reappointments would be handled by a three-member panel consisting of the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, and one appointed Commissioner, allowing reappointments to occur ahead of advertised vacancies. The committee also discussed potential future improvements to the BAC process, including the possibility of automating applications and commissioner reviews through electronic portals or shared platforms such as SharePoint. Members emphasized the need to reduce administrative burden while maintaining transparency and public engagement. Term limits for BAC members were discussed, with members expressing support for retaining existing structures, particularly for boards that require specialized expertise.  Additional discussion addressed concerns about requiring BACs to recommend their own members for reappointment, noting potential conflicts and interpersonal tensions. The committee acknowledged these concerns and agreed the matter should be monitored as the new policy is implemented rather than amended immediately. Stipends for BAC members were also discussed, with general agreement that modest compensation helps promote equity and participation without undermining volunteer status. Andrew Saunders provided an update that the Mayor and Commission had already approved the revised BAC manual, including retention of six tads and Tier II BAC language. Minor editorial corrections will be made before final publication and posting on the County website. Update Community Benefits Agreement portion of Leasing Policy (Mayor Girtz assigned to GOC on February 7, 2023) The committee reviewed a presentation on proposed updates to the nonprofit leasing framework. Staff reviewed revised evaluation criteria designed to establish objective, transparent standards for determining substantial public benefit. The committee discussed proposed criteria related to free services, facility use, financial stability, and community impact. Committee members agreed to retain a requirement that nonprofits offer at least three services at no cost, with scholarships counted toward that requirement. The committee decided to remove residency-percentage requirements due to tracking difficulties. Facility usage requirements were discussed extensively. The Committee agreed to reduce the minimum public-access requirement from 32 hours per week to approximately 25 hours per week, allowing flexibility for organizations that perform much of their work in the community or share space through partnerships. Financial criteria requiring diversification of funding and provision of audits and IRS documentation were supported, with agreement to allow three-year averaging to account for fluctuations. The committee expressed support for a three-tier leasing structure, consisting of market-rate leases at $6/square ft, reduced-rate leases which is 50% off base rates, and $1-per-year leases for organizations demonstrating substantial public benefit. The committee agreed to adjust the scoring thresholds to align with the revised total of 13 criteria, establishing tiers at five or fewer criteria, six to eight criteria, and nine or more criteria. The Committee had discussion of facility investments by nonprofit tenants, distinguishing between capital improvements that benefit the government long-term and cosmetic or program- specific upgrades. Committee members supported maintaining existing policy language on this issue. Commissioner Link made a motion to approve all changes as discussed, Commissioner Fisher seconded. The motion carried. Lastly, Interim-Assistant Manager Saunders gave the committee an update on the upcoming employee engagement survey, noting that the previous survey results and related activities had been reviewed at an earlier meeting. Staff shared that the next survey is planned for spring, with Manager Cowell is working alongside Human Resources, Budget and Strategy, Organizational Development, the Core Values Team, and People &Belonging initiatives to review and refine survey questions. Committee members will be provided with the prior survey questions and results and will have the opportunity to suggest additions or revisions at the next meeting, with emphasis placed on maintaining consistency across surveys to allow for trend analysis. The survey will again be administered by a third party to ensure confidentiality, with only a final report shared publicly, as was done previously. Staff noted the prior survey achieved a 49 percent response rate, totaling 716 responses. It was also shared that the upcoming survey will Government Operations Committee Meeting Minutes Page 2 12152025  be followed by development of a two- to three-year action plan addressing key findings, which will be presented to the Commission. Committee members were asked to review the materials in advance of the next meeting and be prepared to provide feedback on survey content and timing. Commissioner Fisher made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Link seconded the motion. Motion was approved unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 1:19 p.m. Government Operations Committee Meeting Minutes Page 3 12152025