council3_rubal
Well-known member
Fellow Councilmembers,
To encourage more Council participation on the Council message board, find below:
1) Verbiage of Texas law re: use of message boards with link to Texas State statute.
2) Link to guidance provided by the Texas Municipal League
3) Extracts of verbiage from the City of Austin Council message board with a link to the Austin Council message board.
4) Also, I have asked for the input of our City Attorney to define how this tool can be most appropriately used. Would like to ask that her comments be included as a future agenda item..
5) We all have good ideas; hopefully, this tool can be better used to address our City's funding priority issues and long-term success.
Thanks in advance for your time in review.
Texas State statute:
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.551.htm
Sec. 551.006. WRITTEN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS ACCESSIBLE TO PUBLIC. (a) A communication or exchange of information between members of a governmental body about public business or public policy over which the governmental body has supervision or control does not constitute a meeting or deliberation for purposes of this chapter if:
(1) the communication is in writing;
(2) the writing is posted to an online message board or similar Internet application that is viewable and searchable by the public; and
(3) the communication is displayed in real time and displayed on the online message board or similar Internet application for no less than 30 days after the communication is first posted.
(b) A governmental body may have no more than one online message board or similar Internet application to be used for the purposes described in Subsection (a). The online message board or similar Internet application must be owned or controlled by the governmental body, prominently displayed on the governmental body's primary Internet web page, and no more than one click away from the governmental body's primary Internet web page.
(c) The online message board or similar Internet application described in Subsection (a) may only be used by members of the governmental body or staff members of the governmental body who have received specific authorization from a member of the governmental body. In the event that a staff member posts a communication to the online message board or similar Internet application, the name and title of the staff member must be posted along with the communication.
(d) If a governmental body removes from the online message board or similar Internet application a communication that has been posted for at least 30 days, the governmental body shall maintain the posting for a period of six years. This communication is public information and must be disclosed in accordance with Chapter 552.
(e) The governmental body may not vote or take any action that is required to be taken at a meeting under this chapter of the governmental body by posting a communication to the online message board or similar Internet application. In no event shall a communication or posting to the online message board or similar Internet application be construed to be an action of the governmental body.
Texas Municipal League link:
https://www.tml.org/DocumentCenter/View/418/Online-Message-Board-and-TOMA-Senate-Bill-1297-PDF
Verbiage Extracted from the Austin Council message board:
https://austincouncilforum.org/viewforum.php?f=2
“I am very excited to see that we will have the opportunity today to approve a new five-year strategic plan for the Animal Services Office.”
“Item 31 supports our continued work to ensure Sixth Street is not only vibrant, but also safe, welcoming, and responsibly stewarded.”
“I will be proposing an amendment to the AI ethics resolution, Item 55, on Thursday’s agenda.”
“Council Members are elected to lead policy—but are also expected to serve as team builders, managers, and office administrators. This mismatch of expectations and resources has created systemic barriers:”
“City Council Members face increasing responsibilities as both policymakers and team leaders, yet currently lack centralized support for leadership development, operational management, and staff transition planning. This has led to inconsistent office culture, staff turnover, inefficiencies, and a loss of institutional knowledge. OCOLD fills this structural gap while aligning with broader City goals around operational excellence and equity in public service.
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the City Council of Austin recognizes the vital role that Council offices play in delivering responsive, effective, and equitable representation to the people of Austin; and
WHEREAS, Council Members are not currently supported by a dedicated structure for team development, office operations, or leadership succession, despite being responsible for managing staff, constituent services, and legislative priorities; and
WHEREAS, challenges such as high staff turnover, inconsistent workplace culture, administrative inefficiencies, and loss of institutional knowledge impede Council Members’ ability to fully serve their constituents; and
WHEREAS, the creation of a lean, centralized support office—focused on staffing, leadership development, operations, and succession planning—will improve the performance, equity, and continuity of Council operations; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Council Operations & Leadership Development (OCOLD) would provide coaching, tools, and support to empower every Council Member—regardless of background or experience—to build and sustain a high-functioning team;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN:
The City Manager is directed to establish the Office of Council Operations & Leadership Development (OCOLD), including identifying initial funding, defining staffing needs, and creating an implementation timeline aligned with the 2027 Council transition.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That the City Manager shall return to Council within 120 days with a detailed implementation plan, including budget impacts, role descriptions, performance metrics, and recommendations for cross-departmental collaboration.”
To encourage more Council participation on the Council message board, find below:
1) Verbiage of Texas law re: use of message boards with link to Texas State statute.
2) Link to guidance provided by the Texas Municipal League
3) Extracts of verbiage from the City of Austin Council message board with a link to the Austin Council message board.
4) Also, I have asked for the input of our City Attorney to define how this tool can be most appropriately used. Would like to ask that her comments be included as a future agenda item..
5) We all have good ideas; hopefully, this tool can be better used to address our City's funding priority issues and long-term success.
Thanks in advance for your time in review.
Texas State statute:
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.551.htm
Sec. 551.006. WRITTEN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS ACCESSIBLE TO PUBLIC. (a) A communication or exchange of information between members of a governmental body about public business or public policy over which the governmental body has supervision or control does not constitute a meeting or deliberation for purposes of this chapter if:
(1) the communication is in writing;
(2) the writing is posted to an online message board or similar Internet application that is viewable and searchable by the public; and
(3) the communication is displayed in real time and displayed on the online message board or similar Internet application for no less than 30 days after the communication is first posted.
(b) A governmental body may have no more than one online message board or similar Internet application to be used for the purposes described in Subsection (a). The online message board or similar Internet application must be owned or controlled by the governmental body, prominently displayed on the governmental body's primary Internet web page, and no more than one click away from the governmental body's primary Internet web page.
(c) The online message board or similar Internet application described in Subsection (a) may only be used by members of the governmental body or staff members of the governmental body who have received specific authorization from a member of the governmental body. In the event that a staff member posts a communication to the online message board or similar Internet application, the name and title of the staff member must be posted along with the communication.
(d) If a governmental body removes from the online message board or similar Internet application a communication that has been posted for at least 30 days, the governmental body shall maintain the posting for a period of six years. This communication is public information and must be disclosed in accordance with Chapter 552.
(e) The governmental body may not vote or take any action that is required to be taken at a meeting under this chapter of the governmental body by posting a communication to the online message board or similar Internet application. In no event shall a communication or posting to the online message board or similar Internet application be construed to be an action of the governmental body.
Texas Municipal League link:
https://www.tml.org/DocumentCenter/View/418/Online-Message-Board-and-TOMA-Senate-Bill-1297-PDF
Verbiage Extracted from the Austin Council message board:
https://austincouncilforum.org/viewforum.php?f=2
“I am very excited to see that we will have the opportunity today to approve a new five-year strategic plan for the Animal Services Office.”
“Item 31 supports our continued work to ensure Sixth Street is not only vibrant, but also safe, welcoming, and responsibly stewarded.”
“I will be proposing an amendment to the AI ethics resolution, Item 55, on Thursday’s agenda.”
“Council Members are elected to lead policy—but are also expected to serve as team builders, managers, and office administrators. This mismatch of expectations and resources has created systemic barriers:”
“City Council Members face increasing responsibilities as both policymakers and team leaders, yet currently lack centralized support for leadership development, operational management, and staff transition planning. This has led to inconsistent office culture, staff turnover, inefficiencies, and a loss of institutional knowledge. OCOLD fills this structural gap while aligning with broader City goals around operational excellence and equity in public service.
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the City Council of Austin recognizes the vital role that Council offices play in delivering responsive, effective, and equitable representation to the people of Austin; and
WHEREAS, Council Members are not currently supported by a dedicated structure for team development, office operations, or leadership succession, despite being responsible for managing staff, constituent services, and legislative priorities; and
WHEREAS, challenges such as high staff turnover, inconsistent workplace culture, administrative inefficiencies, and loss of institutional knowledge impede Council Members’ ability to fully serve their constituents; and
WHEREAS, the creation of a lean, centralized support office—focused on staffing, leadership development, operations, and succession planning—will improve the performance, equity, and continuity of Council operations; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Council Operations & Leadership Development (OCOLD) would provide coaching, tools, and support to empower every Council Member—regardless of background or experience—to build and sustain a high-functioning team;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN:
The City Manager is directed to establish the Office of Council Operations & Leadership Development (OCOLD), including identifying initial funding, defining staffing needs, and creating an implementation timeline aligned with the 2027 Council transition.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That the City Manager shall return to Council within 120 days with a detailed implementation plan, including budget impacts, role descriptions, performance metrics, and recommendations for cross-departmental collaboration.”