HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 2017-139 N.C.S. 09/18/2017Resolution No. 2017 -139 N.C.S.
of the City of Petaluma, California
APPROVING AGREEMENT WITH THE
COUNTY OF SONOMA FOR THE PURPOSE OF
CONDUCTING CONSOLIDATED MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
FOR THE CITY OF PETALUMA
WHEREAS, the current contract with the County of Sonoma to conduct elections for the
City of Petaluma expires December 31, 2017 and the City wishes to continue contracting with
the County for these services; and,
WHEREAS, to do so will require a new agreement with the County of Sonoma for the
purpose of conducting municipal elections for the City of Petaluma.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Manager is hereby authorized
to sign an Agreement with the County of Sonoma for the purpose of conducting elections for the
City of Petaluma, attached as Exhibit "A."
Under the power and authority conferred upon this Council by the Charter of said City.
REFERENCE: I hereby certify the foregoing Resolution was introduced and adopted by the I"— Approved as g
Council of the City of Petaluma at a Regular meeting on the 18`h day of September, form: f
2017, by the following vote:
City Attorney
AYES: Albertson, Vice Mayor Barrett, Mayor Glass, Healy, Kearney, King, Miller
Resolution No. 2017 -139 N.C.S. Page 1
Exhibit A
AGREEMENT FOR ELECTION SERVICES
This agreement ( "Agreement ") is made and entered into on January 1, 2018 ( "Effective
Date "), by and between the County of Sonoma, a political subdivision of the State of California
(hereirialter "County "), and the City of Petaluma, a municipal corporation (hereinafter "City ").
The parties mutually agree as follows:
1, This Agreement is made and entered into pursuant to Government Code Section 51300 et
sect, and is subJect to all the provisions thereof.
2. At the City's request, the County shall render the following services to the City:
a, Conduct, manage, and supervise all municipal elections held within the City during this
period pursuant to all applicable state and federal laws governing the conduct of
municipal elections;
b. Conduct, manage, and supervise all district elections held within the City, on behalf of
the Petaluma Joint Union High School District, during this period pursuant to all
applicable state and federal laws governing the conduct of school district elections;
c, Procure and furnish all supplies and equipment to be used in said elections, including
those supplies required to meet the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA);
d. Perform all related services and functions necessary to the accomplishment of this
Agreement including any additional language requirements that may be imposed as a
result of the federal Voting Rights Act during the term of this Agreement.
3, ']'his Agreement shall be in effect once signed by both parties, beginning January 1, 2018 and
shall continue in force and effect until notice of termination is given or December 31, 2022,
whichever occurs first.
For the purposes of conducting said elections, the Sonoma County Clerk - Recorder- Assessor
( "County Elections Official ") shall exercise such powers and duties conferred by law upon
the clerk of the City with respect to elections, as agreed to by both parties. Such duties shall
include, but not be limited to, those powers and duties set forth in Division 3, commencing
with Section 3000; Division 10, Part 2, commencing with Section 10100, excluding the
issuance and tiling of nomination documents unless specifically agreed upon in writing by
the County Elections Official and the City Clerk not less than 180 days prior to the date of
the municipal election; Division 13, commencing with Section 13000; and Division 15,
commencing with Section 15000, of the California Elections Code,
5, The County shall not be obligated to conduct any election, the procedures for the
administration of which are not specified in state law; nor any election which employs any
method of tabulation of votes oilier than a "one vote equals one vote" manner, including, but
not limited to, those methods referred to as choice voting, cumulative voting, distributive
voting, instant run -off voting, ranked choice voting, limited voting, or preferential voting,
Adoption by the City of an alternative method of voting terminates this contract, unless both
parties agree in writing to amend the Agreement to provide for administration of the
alternative voting method.
Resolution No. 2017 -139 N.C.S. Page 2
6, Upon the completion of the official canvass of the votes cast, and upon proper demand by the
County, the City shall forthwith reimburse the County for any and all expenses incurred by
the County in connection with said election as follows:
a, EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES:
i, The County shall procure all equipment and supplies in the name of, and on behalf of,
the City,
ii, The amount, source and nature of said equipment and supplies will be determined in
accordance with applicable laws, The County will have complete discretion in
making determinations in procurement of equipment and supplies,
iii, Expenses incurred by the County in the accomplishment of this Section 6 of the
Agreement shall, at the option of the County, either be paid directly by the City upon
confirmation by the County, or shall be paid to the County upon proper demand,
b. POSTAGE: Postage shall, upon request of the County, either be prepaid by the City by
warrant in the requested amount payable to the U,S, Postal Service or be paid to the
County upon proper demand,
c, POLLING PLACES AND ELECTION OFFICIALS: The City shall, upon proper
demand, pay its pro -rata share of polling place expenses and compensation of election
officials attributable to the conduct of such election, including the cost of insurance if
necessary,
d, COUNTY STAFF SERVICES AND SUPPLIES: The City shall pay its pro -rata share of
expenses incurred by the County for staff services and use of County supplies.
"Expenses" as used in this subsection shall include the cost or the reasonable value of the
following:
i, Time and effort expended by County officers and employees;
ii, Equipment and supplies furnished by the County;
iii, Any other necessary expenditures made by the County in the accomplishment of this
Agreement,
e, CORRECTIONS: The City agrees to bear the cost of correcting errors, including
reprinting and mailing of information, if determined to be necessary, once the City Clerk
has approved the final typeset version of ballot materials.
7, The City shall provide suitable locations for polling places and/or the consolidation of returns
and perform any other necessary functions, including the issuance of Vote by Mail ballots or
establishment of Vote by Mail drop -off or early voting locations, if requested by the County.
8, County employees assigned to duties in the performance of this Agreement shall remain at all
times under supervision or control of the County, The City shall exercise no supervision or
control of such employees, If questions arise on the part of the City as to performance, such
questions shall be referred directly to the County Elections Official as the supervisor of such
employees, and the determination or resolution of questions or problems shall be settled as
mutually agreed upon by the parties to this Agreement, For purposes of workers'
compensation insurance, it is intended that all persons performing services under this
Resolution No. 2017 -139 N.C.S. Page 3
Agreement shall remain in the general service of the County, and that their services on behalf
of the City shall be considered a special employment which shall not subject the City to
liability under workers' compensation laws. However, it is understood that the County, in
computing the cost of its services hereunder, may take into account its direct cost of
providing workers' compensation insurance coverage for such employees in proportion to
time spent in the performance of this Agreement. The County shall hold harmless, defend
and indemnify the City from and against any liability, claims, actions, costs, damages or
losses to any person, or damage to any property, arising out of the County's activities under
this Agreement. The City shall hold harmless, defend and indemnify the County from and
against any liability, claims, actions, costs, damages or losses to any person, or damage to
any property, arising out of the City's activities under this Agreement. The County, in
computing its costs of services under this Agreement, may take into account the direct cost of
providing adequate liability insurance to cover operations under this Agreement. The parties
understand that each party maintains insurance programs under workers' compensation laws
and in protection of various other liability risks and exposures; each party shall continue to
maintain such programs as a matter of its own discretion. In the event liability is imposed
upon the parties to this Agreement under any circumstances in which the above provisions of
this paragraph do not control, and if the liability is joint and several, the parties shall
contribute equally to the settlement of any claim or judgment. The City shall not be
obligated or liable for payment hereunder to any party other than the County,
9. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve the City of the ultimate responsibility for
canvassing the returns of any election held hereunder, nor shall the County be obligated in
any case to defend or prosecute any action at law or equity arising out of any such election or
contesting the validity of any such election. The City shall be responsible for defending any
court action brought to challenge any election held pursuant to this Agreement.
10. It is expressly recognized that this Agreement transfers ministerial duties only. In the event
that policy questions arise, such questions will be referred to the City for decision by the
appropriate City officials.
11, For any fiscal year commencing after December 31,. 2017, either the City or the County, at
the time of its respective annual budget deliberations, may.terminate this Agreement by
giving the other party a 90 -day written notice of termination. In such event, the County will
not be responsible for the conduct of elections occurring thereafter, If no such notice is given,
this Agreement will be deemed to have been renewed for an additional term of one year.
12. All notices, bills, and payments shall be made in writing and shall be given by personal
delivery or by U.S. Mail or courier service. Notices, bills, and payments shall be addressed
as follows:
To City: City Clerk
City of Petaluma
11 English Street
Petaluma, CA 94952
Resolution No. 2017 -139 N.C.S. Page 4
To County: William F, Rousseau
Clerk-Recorder-Assessor
585 Fiscal Drive, Room 104
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
When a notice, bill or payment is given by a generally recognized overnight courier service,
the notice, bill or payment shall be deemed received on the next business day. When a copy
of a notice, bill or payment is sent by facsimile or email, the notice, bill or payment shall be
deemed received upon transmission as long as (1) the original copy of the notice, bill or
payment is promptly deposited in the US. mail and postmarked on the date of the facsimile
or email (for a payment, on or before the due date), (2) the sender has a written confirmation
of the facsimile transmission or email, and (3) the facsimile or email is transmitted before 5
p,m, (recipient's time). In all other instances, notices, bills and payments shall be effective
upon receipt by the recipient. Changes may be made in the names and addresses of the
person to whom notices are to be given by giving notice pursuant to this paragraph.
13, This Agreement constitutes the complete and exclusive statement of the agreement between
the County and the City and shall supersede any previous agreements, whether verbal or
written, concerning the same subject matter.
14. No failure on the part of either party to exercise any right or remedy hereunder shall operate
as a waiver of any other right or remedy that party may have hereunder,
15. If any one or more of the provisions contained herein shall for any reason be held to be
invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, then such provision or provisions shall be
deemed severable from the remaining provisions hereof, and such invalidity, illegality or
unenforceability shall not affect any other provision hereof, and this Agreement shall be
construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had not been contained herein,
16. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall constitute one
and the same instrument and shall become binding upon the parties when at least one copy
hereof shall have been signed by both parties hereto, In approving this Agreement, it shall
not be necessary to produce or account for more than one such counterpart.
Resolution No. 2017 -139 N.C.S. Page 5
1N` WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the
Effective Date.
CITY OF PETALUMA
By:
City Manager
Date:
AT I'EST:
City Clerk
Date:
COUNTY: COUNTY OF SONOMA
CERTIFICATES OF INSURANCE ON
FILE WITH AND APPROVED AS TO
SUBSTANCE,' FOR COUNTY:
By:
Department Head
Date:
APPROVED AS TO FORM FOR
COUNTY:
By: —
County Counsel
Date:
COUN'T'Y OF SONOMA
By:
Chair
Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Date:
ATTEST:
Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
Resolution No. 2017 -139 N.C.S. Page 6