Agenda - 03-04-2010 - 4 - Laserfiche WebLink

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County Commissioners ultimately are responsible for deciding which Advisory Boards exist, membership, mission and focus. Recommendations offered focus on government functionality and service delivery. The role of each Advisory Board created needs to be routinely reviewed and modified as needed. It should be a scheduled practice to consider the relevance and effectiveness of every Advisory Board and whether its continuation is warranted. County Commissioners have limited power to delegate their authority to an Advisory Board. Some Advisory Boards appear to believe their input has binding impact. Freedom of County Commissioners to make decisions different or contrary to recommendations offered by an Advisory Board is not in dispute. County Commissioners as elected leaders are granted the sole authority in most instances when Orange County acts within its ofFcial capacity. At the conclusion of these recommendations loffer suggestions with regards to establishing selection criteria for Advisory Board membership, continuing service, member service recognition and individual training considerations. These ideas are meant to strengthen the effectiveness each Advisory Board has in addressing issues coming before the county. Advisory Boards that either have NC General Statutory status or other legal structure not controlled by County Commissioners are not addressed. It is suggested that County Commissioners closely review each request for assignment of a County Commissioner to serve as a representative to various community groups "before" acting on those requests. Assigning a County Commissioner to a community group's board tends to create an "official" status for that assignment often linked to funding support. Each County Commissioner remains free to serve on or attend the meetings of any community group, but that decision should not bind the County or create an "official" link beyond that individual's connection. 2