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22. Training <br />Commission members are allowed to voluntarily attend training courses, meetings and conferences <br />offered by the city, state, and other governmental units and agencies subject to availability of funds. <br />Involvement in relevant professional organizations as a member is also encouraged. <br />Planning Commissioners must attend, within their term, at least one annual State Planning <br />Conference and are strongly encouraged to attend other training opportunities afforded them. <br />23. Subcommittees <br />The Council may appoint commission subcommittees for special purposes. A subcommittee shall <br />report to their respective commission for deliberation before providing Council recommendations. <br />The subcommittee report or recommendation, together with the commission’s comments, shall be <br />submitted to the Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting. A spokesperson for the <br />subcommittee should attend the Council meeting to present information and answer questions. <br />The commission may appoint subcommittees of their membership as the commission desired. <br /> <br />Council Requests to Commissions <br />The Council may refer items to commissions for research, consideration, and recommendation. The request will <br />be in writing from the mayor and will include a specific period to complete the study. <br /> <br />In response, a written report from the commission should set forth the pertinent facts and its detailed <br />recommendations. The report should be submitted to the Office of the City Clerk the Wednesday before the <br />Council meeting for inclusion on the agenda. When the report goes before the Council, a commission <br />representative should be prepared to make a presentation and answer questions. In the event there is a dissenting <br />opinion on the commission, a minority report may be presented in the same manner. <br /> <br />Commission Requests to Council <br />Commission requests or recommendations for Council action should be communicated by letter from the chair to <br />the mayor, giving a full explanation of the matter along with the pertaining meeting minutes. The letter should be <br />delivered to the Office of the City Clerk on the Wednesday before the Council meeting. A commission <br />presentation should be made by a representative from the commission. A minority report may also be presented. <br /> <br />Communications With Those Other Than the City Council <br />The Council values the opinions and advice of its commissions however the Council has the sole responsibility <br />and authority to adopt the decisions, policies, and recommendations on behalf of the City of Elk River. Any <br />external communication, which purports to, or has the effect of communicating an official city position or <br />decision, shall be submitted to the Council for prior approval. Other informational communications, which do <br />not involve unresolved questions of city policy, may be disseminated without prior Council approval. <br /> <br />This method of proceeding does not preclude a commission from gathering such information as may be pertinent <br />to its activities. Commissions are free, without prior Council approval, to make inquiries and to give necessary <br />background for such inquiries, but careful consideration must be given that these communications cannot be <br />reasonably construed as statements of official city policy and opinion. <br />Page 5 of 6 <br />