Minutes 09-07-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

3 Of course, if we determine during the course of the year that we need to add a meeting back, we always have the option to do so. END OF EMAIL Chair Dorosin said there are two versions of the proposed 2018 Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting calendar at the Commissioners' places. He said the Board has been discussing the option of reducing the number of meetings. He said the BOCC currently meets 48 times per year. He said the number would reduce by 25%, if all proposed changes are accepted, to 37 meetings. He said the meetings that are prosed for removal include: quarterly public hearings (QPH); Fire Department meetings; Legislative Delegation Breakfast meeting; meetings with Towns, Schools, etc. Commissioner Price asked if these meetings would be made up in any way, or rolled into other meetings. Chair Dorosin reviewed the changes he suggested in his email from May 2nd. He said a meeting can always be added to a calendar, if needed. Commissioner Burroughs asked if the Board can be more disciplined, and keep conversation at the policy level, as opposed to micro managing. Commissioner Burroughs said she asked Steve Brantley, Economic Development Director, if he could identify the percentage of the community that is self-employed, and he told her 7%. She said more than half of the Commission is self-employed. She said the more meetings that occur; the more difficult it is to have a broad range of people on the Board. She said if the number of meetings is not going to be reduced, then the pay must be increased in order to attract a more diverse pool of Commissioners. Commissioner Price said the Legislative Breakfast is still on both proposed calendars as a separate meeting in March. She asked if this would be put with another meeting. Chair Dorosin said it is the pleasure of the Board, and his only consideration is that it would not be a separate meeting. Commissioner Price said she agreed about the QPH and meeting with the Towns, but she is hesitant to do staff evaluations after meetings as that seems unfair to staff. She said some meetings run very long. Chair Dorosin said the goal would be have evaluations after very short meetings. He agreed with Commissioner Burroughs that there would need to be a level of discipline. Commissioner Jacobs said he is receptive to change, but he does not think a more public Legislative Breakfast will be productive. Commissioner Jacobs said the Board is not taking advantage of meetings that start at dinnertime, and he does not want to give up time in work sessions to meetings with other boards. He said work sessions are the most flexible space, and allow for in depth conversation. He said if meetings are going to be combined into work sessions, then the work sessions should begin earlier. Commissioner Jacobs said the Board has a policy of automatic adjournment at 10:30 p.m., which has been ignored for years; and if one Commissioner declines to extend a meeting, it is supposed to end. He said the addition of a QPH to a regular meeting runs the risk of a very long meeting. He said he wants to be sensitive to staff being able to leave. Commissioner Jacobs said he would prefer to stick with a 10:30 p.m. end time at meetings. Commissioner Rich said moving QPH to regular meetings could work, but agrees that the agenda review would have to attempt to schedule items with timeliness in mind whenever