Everyone keeps asking if I’m on the Public Safety Review Committee (PSRC) or not, so I asked and here’s the official word!
My understanding was that the City Attorney said at the last council meeting that it was a done deal and the council didn’t vote on it. Some alders said that the council wouldn’t vote on it. Some alders were still questioning it. Members of the PSRC were not sure if I am a member or not. Confusion remained, so I finally asked and this was City Attorney Michael May’s response:
You are on the PSRC.
As I explained to the Council at the last meeting, you are not a regular appointment subject to Council confirmation. Rather, you fill the position of “the Mayor, or his/her designee.” So the Mayor is the person on the committee, with the right to name a designee to sit in her place. The Council could no more vote to refer or turn down your designation than they could vote to keep the Mayor from participating on the PSRC.
Our consistent interpretation is that, unless the ordinance says a “designee” must be confirmed, it is a decision left to the designor. Some ordinances provide for designees of the County Exec, UW Chancellor or Council President, none of which are subject to confirmation.
Here is the ordinance, FYI. Note the second to last sentence makes it even more clear that the designee is not confirmed by the Council.
MGO 33.22 (2)
(2) Membership . The Public Safety Review Committee shall consist of nine (9) members: the Mayor, or his/her designee, three (3) members of the Common Council, five (5) resident members, and one alternate resident member who may participate in Board business as though a full member, but may vote only in the absence of one of the resident members. The aldermanic members and resident members shall be appointed by the Mayor subject to confirmation by the Common Council. All elected members shall serve by virtue of their office (ex officio). (Am. by Ord. 10,240, 4-26-91; 12,560, 4-7-00; Ord. 12,695, 10-20-00; ORD-09-00136, Eff. 11-1-09)
I have no idea why it looks like this in legistar
