On Your Ballot: Citizens' Advisory Healthcare Action Committee

On November 3, City of Eau Claire voters will consider a proposed ordinance to establish a Citizens’ Advisory Healthcare Action Committee focused on healthcare affordability and access. The proposal reached the ballot through the direct legislation process, which required the City Council to either adopt the ordinance as submitted or place it before voters without amendments.

The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce has raised concerns about the proposed committee’s authority, resource requirements, effectiveness, and relationship to existing efforts. To help voters better understand exactly what is being proposed, the full ordinance language is provided below.

AN ORDINANCE CREATING CHAPTER 2.53 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF
THE CITY OF EAU CLAIRE RELATING TO THE CITIZENS’ ADVISORY
HEALTHCARE ACTION COMMITTEE.
THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EAU CLAIRE DO ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 2.53 is hereby created to read:
Chapter 2.53

CITIZENS’ ADVISORY HEALTHCARE ACTION COMMITTEE

Find a one-pager summarizing the ordinance here

Find the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce's statement here

Sections:
2.53.010 Purpose and Intent.
2.53.020 Creation, Membership, and Organization.
2.53.030 Powers and Duties.
2.53.040 Healthcare Action Plan.
2.53.050 Publication and Action Plan Meeting.

B. Membership. To the extent feasible. Committee members shall be those who
have the requisite research, analytical, and community engagement skills
necessary to execute the powers and duties of the Committee, and who are
representative of the diverse interests of City residents, such as healthcare
workers, uninsured and underinsured community members, public health
professionals, patient advocates, and organized labor. Nonresidents may be
appointed to the Committee, provided that not less than five members of the
Committee shall be City residents.
C. Officers. The Committee shall elect from among its members a Chair and Vice
Chair, and may elect such other officers as it deems necessary. Officers shall
serve for one year, or until their successors are elected. Officers shall be elected
by majority vote of the members at the first regular meeting of the year. Any
vacancy in the office of the Chair, Vice-Chair, or any other officers elected by the
Committee shall be filled by majority vote of the Committee at the next regular
meeting or any special meeting called for that purpose. The Chair shall preside at
all meetings and promote the purpose, goals, and bylaws of the Committee. The
Vice-Chair shall perform the Chair’s duties when the Chair is absent or unable to
act.
D. Bylaws. The Committee may adopt bylaws and other rules of procedure
governing the conduct of its meetings, the receipt of public comment, the
preparation and review of reports and other requested information, and the
completion of the Healthcare Action Plan to the extent not inconsistent with this
Code and applicable law.
E. Vacancies. In the event of any vacancy on the Committee, the Advisory
Committee on Appointments shall recommend, subject to confirmation by the
City Council, an individual to serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.
2.53.030 Powers and Duties. The Committee shall:
A. Conduct research regarding healthcare affordability, accessibility, insurance
and benefit coverage, and medical service availability affecting City residents,
including consulting with the Board of Health, healthcare providers, public health
professionals,patient advocates, organized labor representatives, and other
interested stakeholders.
B. Hold at least two public meetings each year for the purpose of (1) hearing
firsthand accounts of community members’ ability to access and afford primary,
emergency, and necessary specialty medical care, and (2) hearing public views
on how federal, state, and local policy changes have impacted or may impact
healthcare affordability and accessibility.

2.53.010 Purpose and Intent. It is hereby declared that the health, safety, and
welfare of the residents of the City of Eau Claire are served by the regular, transparent,
and public evaluation of healthcare affordability, accessibility, insurance and benefit
coverage, and medical service availability. A recurring process for collecting public
testimony, reviewing data, and evaluating policy impacts will assist the City Council and
local elected representatives in identifing barriers to healthcare access and in
recommending effective responses to such barriers. It is thus the purpose and intent of
this Chapter to establish the Citizens’ Advisory Healthcare Action Committee that will
prepare a biennial Healthcare Action Plan, make recommendations to the City Council,
and provide a public process through which the opinions of the public will be heard and
assessed.
2.53.020 Creation, Membership, and Organization.
A. Creation. There is hereby created a Citizens’ Advisory Healthcare Action
Committee (the “Committee”), which shall consist of seven members
recommended by the Advisory Committee on Appointments, subject to
confirmation by the City Council,for staggered four-year terms such that not less
than three members are appointed in January of each odd-numbered year to
commence on the first day of February. No salary or other compensation shall be
paid to any member of said Committee for such member’s services on the
Committee.

C. Request, review, and compile publicly available data and voluntarily submitted
information relevant to assessing the current state of healthcare affordability,
accessibility, and service availability.
D. Review and evaluate the actual or potential impacts of federal, state, and local
laws, regulations, programs, budgets, and policy decisions affecting healthcare
affordability, accessibility, insurance and benefit coverage, and medical service
availability. As part of such review, the Committee may identify and summarize
governmental actions, legislative enactments, regulatory changes, and public
policy decisions affecting such matters and assess their relationship to the goals
and recommendations set forth in the Healthcare Action Plan.
E. Develop a Healthcare Action Plan as provided in Section 2.53.040.
F. Advise and provide nonbinding recommendations to the City Council
concerning policies, programs, advocacy positions, or other actions intended to
improve healthcare affordability, accessibility, insurance and benefit coverage,
and medical service availability withing the City.
G. Perform such other advisory functions related to healthcare access and
affordability as may be requested by the City Council.

2.53.040 Healthcare Action Plan. By September 15 of every even-numbered year, the
Committee shall develop and file with the City Clerk a Healthcare Action Plan that
contains, at a minimum, the following:
A. The current status of healthcare affordability and accessibility, insurance and
benefit coverage, and medical service availability for City residents, and how
such conditions have changed over the prior two years.
B. Whether and to what extent federal, state, and local laws, regulations,
programs, budgets, policy decisions, and other relevant factors have contributed
to changes in healthcare affordability and accessibility, insurance and benefit
coverage, and medical service availability for City residents.
C. Significant federal, state, and local governmental actions and policy
developments occurring during the preceding two years, including the legislative
and administrative actions associated therewith, and the relationship of such
actions and developments to the goals and recommendations contained in the
preceding Healthcare Action Plan.
D. Recommendations for concrete actions that the City and its federal, state, and
local elected officials and staff can take to improve healthcare affordability and
accessibility, insurance and benefit coverage, and medical service availability for
City residents.

2.53.050 Publication and Action Plan Meeting. Upon receipt fom the
Committee, the City Clerk shall publish the Committee’s final Healthcare Action Plan,
recommendations, and all relevant research and findings on the City’s website and shall
immediately forward such information to the City Council.
No later than October 15 of every even-numbered year, the City Council shall
allow the Chair and other members of the Committee the opportunity to provide a public
overview of the Healthcare Action Plan at a regular meeting of the Council or a special
meeting held for that purpose, and to consider adoption of the Healthcare Action Plan.
SECTION 2. Should any portion of this ordinance be declared unconstitutional or
invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder shall not be affected.
SECTION 3. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force fom and afer its
passage and publication.