Title
Chief Administrative Office recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Adopt Board of Supervisors Policy A-1, Development and Distribution of Board of Supervisors Policies; and
2) Adopt Board of Supervisors Policy A-2, Guidelines for Writing Board of Supervisors Policies.
Body
Background
On November 5, 2013 the Board approved staff's recommendations for updating and revising the Board of Supervisors Policy Manual. At that meeting, staff recommended an approach for this policy revision project that would provide continuity with current policy but also develop mechanisms to ensure efficient development of new policies and provide for the maintenance and upkeep of the Policy Manual.
Overall structure
While County Ordinances set laws for residents of the County, the Policies define the rules under which the Board of Supervisors directs the County organization to operate. These rules should be user-friendly (organized, up-to-date, clearly written), generally no more regulatory in nature than state law or codes in surrounding jurisdictions, and consistently written following a basic framework. To accomplish this Policy update, staff recommends the following:
1) Establish policies and/or update policies that provide overall guidance, while providing continuity with current policy.
2) Establish an Administrative Procedures Manual that contains the details for implementing the Policies.
3) Establish a sunset date for each policy to ensure timely and orderly review of Policies.
Reason for Recommendation
The two proposed policies establish the foundation for the revision project and provide guidelines and procedures for developing, distributing, writing, and formatting Board policies. They also provide for the ongoing maintenance of the Policy Manual. Policies A-1 and A-1.1 (now A-2) were provided in draft form at the November meeting. Since that time, staff has worked with County Counsel and departments to review and refine the proposed policie...
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