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TO: The Committee of the Whole
FROM: The Law Department
DATE: May 10, 2019
SUBJECT:
An Ordinance amending Chapter 2, Article II, Division 5 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Aurora pertaining to the number, composition, and jurisdiction of the committees of the City Council.
PURPOSE:
To propose an increase in the size and number of the Council's standing committees.
BACKGROUND:
The City Council adopted its committee structure in March of 1977 shortly after the City voted to abandon the commission form of municipal government, but prior to the April 1977 mayoral and aldermanic elections. As originally conceived, the incoming Mayor would divide the incoming Council, comprised of himself and eight (8) aldermen, evenly among three standing committees, Finance, Government Operations (GO), and Planning and Development (P&D). This original configuration did not provide for alternate committee members. The Council created Committee of the Whole (COW) at this time.
The most significant change to this structure occurred in 1991 when the Council created a fourth standing committee, the Environment and Water Quality Committee. This change coincided with the addition of two additional aldermen and introduced the concept of alternate members. The Council also expanded the jurisdiction of each of the original three standing committees at this time. In 2003, the Council replaced the Environmental and Water Quality Committee with the Building, Grounds, and Infrastructure (BGI) Committee, but made no changes to the size of the standing committees, despite the addition of two additional aldermen.
Over the past 42 years, the number of aldermen has increased by 50%, but the committee continues to include only three aldermen apiece. In 1977, each committee represented 1/3 of the full Council; today, each committee represents 1/4 of the Council. Informal customs and practices have also expanded the perceived jurisdiction of committees without the Council making ...
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