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County of Santa Clara
Office of the Board of Supervisors
County Governtnent Center. East wing
70 west Hedding Street. 10th Floor
San Jose. California 951 10
(408) 299-2323
FAX 298-8460 TDD 993-8272

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James T. Beall, Jr.

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Supervisor. Fourth District

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MEMORANDUM
DATE
TO

FROM

May 27,1997

Board of Supervisors
James T. Beall, Jr.

Chairperson, Boa;
SUBJECT:

o f Supervisors

Updated rules for the operation of Board committees

In January, the Board approved a restructuring of Board committees into five major
policy areas. Attached are proposed rules of operation for the committees. Some of
the rules have been in place on an interim basis for several months. The rules are
designed to insure a thorough review of key Board items before they go to the full
Board for a vote. When the current rules (attached) are updated, they will include a
description of the committees, previously adopted, and the rules of procedure
proposed in this section.
Chapter VII
Committees

Section 33 - Board Committee Structure:

There shall be 5 major policy

committees of the Board of Supervisors. The Committees are the Board's
medium for fostering collaboration among various departments of the County of
Santa Clara, and for encouraging partnerships between government agencies in
the County. The Committees shall be the following:
(a)

Health and Hospital

(b)

Children and Families

(c)

Housing, Land Use, Environment and Transportation

(d)

Public Safety and Justice

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(e)

Finance

In addition, the Legislative Committee of the Board, as described in Section 34 of
the rules, shall continue to exist to review legislation.
The purpose of the committees shall be to evaluate and make recommendations
to the Board of Supervisors on all items of significant importance, both fiscal and

policy, to the County of Santa Clara. Consistent with this mandate, referrals
shall be made directly to the committees by the County Executive, County
Boards and Commissions or individual Board members on the following
m.atters:

(a)

Issues which would implicate new or changed policy for the Board

(b)

Issues which would have an impact of $100,000 or more on the budget of

the County.

Issues which, in the opinion of the County Executive or a member of the
Board, may be of a controversial nature and/or would benefit from a

(c)

preliminary review by committee.

The Chairperson of the Board of Supervisors shall appoint the Chair and ViceChair of each committee. Each Board member shall be the Chair of a committee
and the Vice-Chair of a different conamittee.

The procedures of the committees shall be as follows:

(a) The voting members of each committee shall be the members of the Board
of Supervisors. At the discretion of the Chair of each committee, items proposed
for referral to the committee may be sent directly to the full Board without
Committee review.

(b)

^ All Board members and the County Executive shall be given notice of any

meeting and minutes of committees. All matters which are referred to the

committee must be referred to the full Board of Supervisors within 45 days of the

referral with a vote to either support, oppose or make no recommendation

regarding the issue. The 45 days may be extended by requesting permission of
the full Board at a regular meeting.
(c)

Each committee shall establish

an annual plan of activities of the

committee. In 1997 each committee shall establish its meeting dates, times and
location for the year by July 1, 1997. In subsequent years, the committees shall

set their meeting dates, times and locations for the year by February 1 of each
year.

(d)

Each committee of the Board shall have the power to appoint sub
committees and task forces as needed. The Chairs, Vice Chairs and voting

members of each sub-committee shall be the members of the Board of
Supervisors.

Each committee will work with the County advisory boards and
commissions to enable it to accomplish the goals of the committee.

(e)

(f)The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors shall provide services to the Board

Committees,including, but not limited to, appropriate noticing of the meetings,
preparing the agenda for the meetings, distributing the meeting packets, making
a record of the proceedings, and such accounting services as may be needed. All
meetings will be held in compliance with the Ralph M. Brown Act. The County
Executive will provide staff support for each committee as needed. The Health

and Hospital Committee will be staffed by the Health and Hospitals staff. They
will follow all board procedures with regards to noticing meetings and other
functions of the Clerk

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Rules
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OF THE

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Use Permit Appeals
Cluster Permit Appeals
Special Permits
Cemetery Permits

approved by the Board of Supervisors;
(b)

Supervise the work of the contract management
auditor;

Tax Rol l Changes

Land Development Appeals
Architectural and Site Approval Appeals
House Moving Appeals

(c)

Review and comment on the work plan and work
product of the Internal Audit staff submitted to

the Committee by the County Executive;

Abandoned Vehicle Protest

Setting of Official Plan Lines

(d)

Subdivision Directional Sign Appeals
Major and Minor Land Division Appeals

Conduct the selection process for the post-audit
required by Charter Section 603 and recommend
a contract to the Board of Supervisors;

Environmental Appeals

Construction Code Appeals
Garbage Disposal Rates

(e)

Review the post-audit performed pursuant to
Section 603;

Substitution of a Subcontractor

Establishment and increase of fees require a public

(f)

Report to the Board of Supervisors on the work of
the Committee.

hearing pursuant to Section 54986 of the Government
Code.

The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors shal l provide

1

secretarial services to the Audit Committee and shal l
provide accounting services to the Committee in

CHAPTER VII

regard to the contract with the management auditor.
Committees

ejection
3^^ Audit Committee. At the first Board
tffeetlngTollowing the first Monday in January, the
Chairperson shal l appoint an Audit Committee
consisting of two Supervisors. The Chairperson shall
designate one of the Supervisors as Chair of the Audit
Committee.

Section 34 - Legislative Committee. The Chairperson
shall

appoint,

of
on

representatives

of

the

County

to

review

legislative issues that have been brought to the
Board for action or that affect directly the
County of Santa Clara;

(b)

12/20/94

Board

Legislative

Meet as often as necessary with legislative

Prepare general guidelines on major legislative
issues setting forth the County's position on such
issues and submit them to the Board for approval;

Recommend or develop a work program to be

- 10 -

the

the

The Legislative Committee shall:

but shal l have no vote.

Rules of the Board

of

November 30, 1976.

(a)

(a)

approval

Committee which was established by resolution

The County Executive shall be given notice of any
meeting of the Committee. Pursuant to Section 405 of
the County Charter, the County Executive may attend
and participate in the deliberation of the Committee,

The Audit Committee shal l:

with

Supervisors, two Supervisors to

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(c)

Instruct the legislative representative as to
actions s/he may take with regard to specific
bi l ls when a guideline has been approved by the

Section 37. The County Executive and the County
Counsel, or a representative designated by each such

officer, shall attend al l regular and special meetings of

Board;
(d)

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the Board.

Keep each Board member informed of actions it

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has taken as to legislation.
Section 35 - Other Committees. At the first Board

meeting following the first Monday in January, the
Chairperson shall, with approval of the Board of
Supervisors, make appointments to various Boards,
Commissions, Committees and Authorities as deemed

necessary, on which Board of Supervisors members are
asked to serve.

In cases of mid-year changes, the Chair shall present
an appointment to the Board for ratification in a
timely manner.

The assignments of

responsibilities, including all

representational and leadership assignments, are under
the Board's control for each of the Board members.

This includes such appointments as representation to
the national, state and regional bodies; leadership
and/or representation on various County Boards,
Commissions and Committees; chairs of the County's
Joint Conference Committees; and
positions requested of the County.

other

Section 38, Each County or District officer having any
matter on_, the agenda for consideration by the Board
shall either be present at the Board meeting or shall
hold himself/herself in readiness for the purpose of

furnishing information to the Board. Each County or
District officer may designate a deputy to perform this
duty.

Section 39. Except as otherwise provided by law, these
rules, or any one thereof, may be suspended by order of
the Board when regularly entered in its minutes.

Section 40. The Clerk of the Board provides the staff
which attend meetings of advisory boards and
commissions established by the Board of Supervisors
and makes a record of all proceedings thereof as

required by law. The Clerk of the Board also prepares
agendas for Board and Commission meetings. The
Board of Supervisors adopted a Handbook for
Commission and Board Members on May 8, 1990 which
is updated and available in the Office of the Clerk of
the Board.

laison

Section 41 - Advisory Organizations. The Board of

Supervisors shall have four advisory organizations.
Three advisory organizations shal l be permanent and

CHAPTER VI I I

the fourth advisory organization shall be temporary,
designed to cover a single subject for a defined period

Miscellaneous Provisions

of time. These are:

Section 36. The proceedings of the Board shal l be

governed by the provisions of law applicable thereto
and, except as herein otherwise provided, by Robert's
Rules of Order, newly revised. Provided, further, that
the failure to fol low the Rules of Order or these rules

shall not invalidate any action taken. The County
Counsel shall act as parliamentarian and, on request of
the Chairperson, shal l give parliamentary advice.
Rules of the Board

- 12 -

12/20/94

(a)

Board

of

Supervisors'

Joint

Conference

Committees (JCC) shal l be created by minute
action as a result of a formerly agendized
proposal and shall consist of no more than two
members of the Board of Supervisors of which
one shall be the Chair of the JCC and the other

the JCC Vice Chair, assisted by the leading
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