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11. Document and clarify how Board members direct staff to undertake work. Staff <br /> will provide the Board with background information, analysis, suggestions, pros/cons of <br /> issues, especially on difficult issues. Staff will also suggest a preliminary direction in <br /> order to help narrow the board's focus and help set a clear work plan for staff. <br /> Chair Foushee said that this has been an issue for awhile. <br /> Laura Blackmon said that the last page is a policy for guidelines for requesting <br /> information by Board of County Commissioners to staff. <br /> Commissioner Gordon said that staff does not always provide the Board with sufficient <br /> background information in their agenda materials. It would be helpful to have standards on <br /> providing background information. She said that the Board gets incomplete items too many <br /> times. She believes that the Board should not have to ask for these things. <br /> Commissioner Nelson said that, generally speaking, the Board is getting better agenda <br /> items, pros and cons, and recommendations from staff. The problem areas are where agenda <br /> items are so confusingly presented that the County Commissioners are unable to process <br /> information. He suggested that the Manager, the Clerk, and the Assistant to the County <br /> Manager look at these items before they are sent out to the Board to see if they are clearly <br /> written. He said that the public thinks that the Board is trying to hide something from them <br /> because some of the things are so hard to understand. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said that he thought this was what agenda review was for and <br /> Commissioner Nelson disagreed. He said that the County Commissioners were not elected to <br /> review people's writing styles. He said that it would take hours to go through every item and <br /> rewrite the agendas. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said that he elected the Chair and the Vice-Chair to serve in the <br /> capacity of reviewing the staff's work. <br /> Commissioner Nelson said that he and Chair Foushee do go through the agendas and <br /> point out some questions that will probably be asked by specific Board members, but they do <br /> not have time to read the entire abstract. <br /> Commissioner Pelissier said that the reality is that what may not be understood by one <br /> person may be understood by another, and what someone sees as important questions, <br /> others may not see as important questions. She thinks that the only thing the Manager can do <br /> is look at some of the questions and patterns and attempt to address them in future items. <br /> Laura Blackmon said that she is looking at having someone come in to help staff with <br /> writing skills and making sure that what is written is understood by the County Commissioners <br /> and the public. <br /> Chair Foushee said that it would seem to her that when questions are raised that <br /> require a lot of staff time, it would be helpful if the Manager could say to the Board that they <br /> cannot devote time to this or pull the item from the agenda. <br /> Chair Foushee said that if the Manager knows that these types of questions have been <br /> asked and they are not going to be answered in a timely manner in order to make a decision, <br /> then something different needs to be done. She would propose that the items be pulled if the <br /> County Commissioners do not understand enough to make a decision. <br /> 12. Items that require Board action will be clearly delineated on the agenda. <br /> This is currently being done. <br /> 13. Explore how Board members get items on the agenda and prioritize them for <br /> action <br />