Subject: Waiver of Revolving Door Ordinance
COUNCIL DISTRICT: City-Wide
Approval to waive the Revolving Door Ordinance to allow former Councilmember Charlotte Powers to serve as a consultant with Barnestorming Creative, a consultant under contract with the City providing assistance with neighborhood outreach and related issues.
BACKGROUND
The Airport has stepped up efforts to be a “good neighbor” in the community by initiating community outreach to engage neighborhoods in discussion of issues related to Master Plan revisions and Airport operations. Already, a staff member has been redeployed to serve as a community liaison and community meetings have been held in each Council District. Staff is also reaching out to the business community as well. This level of service will be a sustained effort to increase the Airport’s awareness of and responsiveness to the community’s needs and concerns. Through this process, the Department will have the ability to better integrate residents' ideas and suggestions into the new Airport design and operations.
In addition to the efforts outlined above, the City also has a current consultant agreement with Barnestorming Creative for assistance with neighborhood outreach, marketing consultation, and other related issues. Former Councilmember Charlotte Powers has been retained by Barnestorming Creative as a consultant and the City would like to utilize her expertise on current outreach efforts. Ms. Powers would provide valuable assistance to staff in identifying key stakeholders for increasing community outreach. Her expertise with neighborhood issues, and her association with community leaders, will assist in advancing the Airport’s efforts to enhance outreach through the Strong Neighborhoods Initiative and the community liaison outreach. In addition, Ms. Powers brings valuable alliances with business leaders and an in-depth knowledge of City priorities that the Airport would like to utilize in working with the neighborhoods to improve relationships and outreach.
The Revolving Door Ordinance restricts the ability of the City and Redevelopment Agency Board to contract with former employees for a one-year period after leaving the City. However, the ordinance also allows the City Council to waive these limitations when it is determined to be in the best interests of the City and is not inconsistent with the purposes of the ordinance.
The Airport Department is disclosing the desire to utilize Ms. Powers as a consultant of Barnestorming Creative, the Airport’s current provider of public outreach assistance and marketing consulting. The recommended waiver of the Revolving Door Ordinance would apply to services provided, compensation and the ordinance’s one-year restriction on working with City staff. The Airport believes that continuing its current contract with Barnestorming Creative and utilizing Ms. Powers, through the agreement, is in the best interest of the City in providing exceptional community relationships with regard to Airport projects. Therefore, the Airport Department is requesting a waiver to the Revolving Door Ordinance to allow former Councilmember Powers the opportunity to work on Barnestorming Creative’s current contract with the City.
Not applicable.
This memorandum has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office.
RALPH G. TONSETH
Director of Aviation