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1 <br />2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 <br />9 <br />10 <br />11 <br />12 <br />13 <br />14 <br />15 <br />16 <br />17 <br />18 <br />19 <br />20 <br />21 <br />22 <br />23 <br />24 <br />25 <br />26 <br />27 <br />28 <br />29 <br />30 <br />31 <br />32 <br />33 <br />34 <br />35 <br />36 <br />37 <br />38 <br />39 <br />40 <br />41 <br />42 <br />43 <br />44 <br />45 <br />46 <br />47 <br />48 <br />49 <br />50 <br />no changes to the agenda. Andy Sachs said that if he thinks that the County Commissioners <br />are losing sight of the Desired Outcomes or the agenda with the ground rules, he would point <br />this out respectfully. <br />Desired Outcomes <br />• Priority goals for fiscal year 2007-2008 <br />• Shared expectations for how the Board and Manager will identify resources, monitor and <br />report on progress, and achieve the Board's priorities. <br />• Commitments from Board members and Manager to steps that would help improve the <br />Board's work processes. <br />• Clarification of the process to be used to appoint liaisons to citizen advisory boards and <br />commissions. <br />Andy Sachs said that the idea of appreciation has been on his mind as it relates to <br />elected officials and how they do not get thanked enough. As an icebreaker, he asked the <br />County Commissioners to write down things that they appreciate about their colleagues. He <br />said that he would read these out anonymously throughout the retreat. The Board took five <br />minutes for this exercise. <br />Board Process Issues <br />• Discussion to clarify the items identified during individual interviews with the <br />facilitator (see Part II of "Menu of Board Priorities"). <br />• Selection of one or more of the items for resolution. <br />• Commitments from Board members and Manager to steps that would help improve <br />the Board's work processes. <br />Commissioner Foushee said that one way the Board could start with these issues is to <br />take a look at how the agenda is arranged and if this is the best way to efficiently and effectively <br />operate the meeting. She has a concern about how the Board regards citizen presentations. <br />She would like to arrange the agenda so that it is more considerate of the citizens' time. When <br />citizens are being recognized, she would hope that these items would be early on an agenda. <br />Chair Carey said that the Board may need to restate what it has agreed to over the <br />years as it relates to the Board process, such as work sessions being designated for discussion <br />only and not decision making. There have been decisions made at work sessions, but if there is <br />ever disagreement, sometimes there is doubt as to whether it was actually a decision. He <br />would like to decide how to address this work session issue. He suggested allowing the Board <br />to make decisions at work sessions, but if it is known ahead of time that a decision might be <br />made, then it should be designated as such, because a message should be sent to the public. <br />Commissioner Gordon agreed with Commissioner Foushee and Chair Carey. She said <br />that she feels that the decision items need to come earlier in the meeting, because they are <br />usually the most substantive. Since the Board imposed the 10:30 p.m. adjournment time, the <br />deferred decision items have been moved to work sessions. She would like to leave work <br />sessions as discussion sessions and leave the regular meetings as the meetings to act on. She <br />would only like to take decision or emergency items up at a work session agenda on an "as <br />needed" basis. <br />Commissioner Nelson concurred with Commissioner Gordon regarding the work <br />sessions. He does not think that decisions should be made at work sessions. Regarding <br />Commissioner Foushee's comments about rearranging the meetings, he said that the specific <br />point that she made in December was moving the Board and Manager Comments to the end of <br />