Charter advisory committee backs council confirmation authority for department-head hires

The Charter Advisory Committee voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council have confirmatory authority over department‑head appointments, advancing a key piece of the draft charter staff will present to council. Committee member Yi made the motion and committee member Sankaran seconded; the committee then debated how confirmation would work procedurally before approving the recommendation.

The committee’s recommendation does not, on its face, transfer hiring authority to council; instead it authorizes council confirmation of appointments made through the city’s recruitment process. Staff presented an organizational chart and a survey of other charter council–manager cities showing a range of practices: many councils appoint only the city manager and city attorney, while others also confirm the clerk, treasurer or auditor. The motion’s language, as discussed, would authorize confirmation “subject to council procedures” so that the council could adopt a resolution to set the logistics.

Legal counsel flagged practical constraints. “The confirmation will have to happen at an open meeting,” counsel said, noting public‑session requirements and potential applicant concerns about having non‑selected finalists discussed in open session. Counsel recommended the charter authorize confirmation but allow the council to adopt rules by resolution about subcommittees and interview procedures that comply with the Brown Act.

Committee proponents said confirmation preserves checks and balances and gives elected officials a modest voice at the end of a professional recruitment process. Opponents warned that giving elected officials direct hiring control could politicize technical positions and harm recruitment. Several members favored a model where professional staff and recruiters narrow candidate pools and the council sees finalists and staff’s reasoning prior to a confirmation vote.

The committee directed staff to capture the recommendation in draft charter language and to return the draft for review at the committee’s next meeting. The recommendation will be included in the packet forwarded to the City Council for consideration.

The committee adjourned with the expectation that staff will circulate a written summary and the draft charter language ahead of next week’s working session.