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In researching similar commissions in other communities, staff identified that the City of <br /> Berkeley maintains a Peace and Justice Commission and the City of Cambridge's has a <br /> Commission on Nuclear Disarmament and Peace Education; however, both of these <br /> commissions have at least a partial anti-war scope and therefore may not be a good <br /> comparison for this purpose. <br /> Advantages: The primary advantages of this option are that it immediately elevates the <br /> importance of the commission's duties, establishes a long-term standing without <br /> necessarily an end of term, and provides significant professional staff support to further <br /> the commission's goals. Further, it benefits from active City Council direction and <br /> support. <br /> Disadvantages: The commission would not necessarily be related directly to a City <br /> service (library, recreation, planning, affordable housing, etc.) as is the case with other <br /> City commissions. Further, the duties may be more general and amorphous than is <br /> standard with other commission. Finally, while the commission's focus would not be <br /> controversial or political, depending on its duties, it may place some "political" related <br /> matters before the City Council for consideration. <br /> Financial Impact - There would be some financial impact similar to staffing a city <br /> commission, including occasional consulting services for specialized services. Also, <br /> dedication of staff time would be considerable similar to other commissions. <br /> Option 2 — Create and Ad hoc Committee <br /> Summary -This option anticipates creation of a committee or task force that would have <br /> a clearly defined focus and term. As an example, it could be formed to develop and <br /> carry out a number of programs identified by Mr. Norman such as a writing contest, <br /> educational program to be shared with the PUSD, anti-violence public information <br /> material, etc. The City Council would provide the committee with its agenda, identify <br /> deliverables and establish a schedule/timeline. Once the Council's goals, had been met, <br /> the committee would disband. <br /> Committee membership would be determined by the City Council but would most likely <br /> be larger than the five to seven members typical of City commissions. Also, based on <br /> the anticipated City Council desired outcomes, the membership would be more directed <br /> to obtain specific expertise and focus. Similar to Option 1, this option anticipates <br /> considerable staff support and the funding required to meet specific goals. <br /> Note that this option could also be used to convene a group of residents who would be <br /> directed to identify opportunities and challenges related to establishing Option 1. <br /> Further, while this option anticipates a limited term committee, the City Council would <br /> have the option of changing its status to unlimited term similar to the process currently <br /> in place for the Committee on the Energy and the Environment. <br /> Page 3 of 6 <br />