PRESS RELEASE FROM CITY OF ALEXANDRIA

ADMINISTRATION
March 17, 2011
Office of the Mayor
Alexandria, Louisiana

CITY OF ALEXANDRIA
ADMINISTRATION

THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA PRE-COMMITTEE AND GENERAL COUNCIL AGENDA

DISCUSSION
Administration Division Heads, their Designates and Council Chairs
Are Invited to Attend and Participate in Discussion of the Council Agenda

OVERALL POLICY STATEMENT

The COA expresses policymaking in the public interest in the vitality of its release of information and informative approach
to the public on issues that affect the health, welfare, and safety of its employees and all citizens. This policy is adopted in
the same spirit and is intended to promote a safe, transparent, and secure environment within which to have government
activity discussions.

The COA Administration welcomes the opportunity to facilitate discussion of the items the Council sets for its agendas. In
an effort to provide the most effective use of time and communication, and to facilitate address and understanding of the
issues outside of the two regularly-scheduled council meetings held in a typical month, the following policy has been
adopted by the Mayor pursuant to his duty to “keep the council fully advised as to the financial condition and future needs
of the city and to make such recommendations to the council concerning the affairs of the city as he deems desirable.”

INTRODUCTION/PHILOSOPHY

It is essential to the maintenance of a democratic society that public business be performed in an open and public manner
and that the citizens be advised of and aware of the performance of public officials and the deliberations and decisions
that go into the making of public policy.

Government business should be open to public scrutiny, while fostering innovation, inclusiveness, and energy. When
possible and in accord with other laws regarding personnel matters—and very select circumstances for litigation strategy,
public safety or to protect private business competition—each contract, negotiation, or piece of business or legislation
should be open to public scrutiny at all stages. To that end, administration and council discussion should occur as often
and as meaningfully as is practicable.

SPECIFIC POLICY

Friday Discussion Before Council Tuesday Meetings

• By Charter, the Council shall meet every other Tuesday to conduct its regular general business. Therefore, on the
Friday prior to a regularly-scheduled Tuesday meeting, the administration will invite and make available
appropriate division heads (and other designates) in the formal address of agenda items timely set forth by the
Council, and issue an open invitation to council chairs to attend and engage in the discussion of listed agenda
items as is germane to their respective committees and as may from time to time arise in the discussion of future
agenda items. To the extent business is limited by time constraints, germaneness to agenda items shall be
respected except in those circumstances allowing for expansion of the list in the discretion of those in attendance.

• “Agenda items timely set forth by the Council” shall mean those agenda items submitted to the administration on
the Wednesday prior to a Council meeting as has been adopted by the administration and Council as prior policy.

• The administration will hold this pre-agenda address in the afternoon of those designated Fridays for convenience
of the parties. Either the Chief Operating Officer or the Mayor will host the discussion, or some other suitable
 designee, who may, in some cases, be a council member.

• The administration will, when possible, accommodate the council chair’s schedule if he or she reports in
reasonable fashion (at least 48 hours prior) that he or she will attend. This is so the City can notice the media
reasonably. Administrative personnel shall as full time employees respect and defer to Council member needs as
much as possible in the formulation and scheduling of Council member times. The intent is to serve, in part, the
needs of the particular Council member.

• The bi-monthly Council Reports from the administration should be provided to Council members before the pre-
agenda address on Friday.

• “Bi-Monthly Council Reports” are the formal responses and attachments contained in a report provided by the
Chief Operating Officer to the Council Clerk the Friday before a council meeting addressing the formal agenda
items as adopted by the administration and Council as prior policy.

• The intent of this policy is so the council chairs can take back the information to the committees and general
meetings, the public can witness the exchanges, and with the additional reports given before the full or “general”
council meeting (and available as the basis for discussion at the Friday exchange), the public and officials will be
that much more informed.

• If the council chairs attend the administrative briefing on the Friday before a council meeting Tuesday and still
there is reason given for a request after such attendance for administrative personnel to attend the council committee or
general meeting, the administration should oblige.