Orange County NC Website
3 <br /> <br />Chair Dorosin said this issue came up last February, due to an expressed desire <br />to increase diversity and broader participation on boards. He said the policy was not <br />changed, but the BOCC agreed to discuss it at a later time. <br />Chair Dorosin said he proposes the alternative that no board slots are saved at <br />all, and all seats are open. He said in the first round, one cannot pick a board on which <br />one currently serves. He said in all subsequent rounds, the Commissioners could <br />choose freely. He said this would allow Commissioners the opportunity to serve on all <br />manner of Boards. <br />Commissioner Rich said she and Commissioner Marcoplos are on the Chatham <br />Orange Work Group, but it has never met. She asked if it was going to meet. <br />Craig Benedict, Planning Director, said Orange County had been asked by <br />Chatham to delay until September 2017, but staff has still not been given a date when <br />this group will meet. <br />Commissioner Rich asked if two new Commissioners will be assigned to this <br />group, if the first meeting is not being scheduled until January 2018. <br />Craig Benedict said all entities have made appointments, and it could be <br />suggested to start in January. <br />Donna Baker said the Boards and Commissions will be chosen in February, as <br />there is no work session in January. <br />Chair Dorosin said the choices could be made in January at the BOCC retreat. <br />Commissioner Price suggested that Commissioner Marcoplos and Commissioner <br />Rich stay on the Chatham Orange Work group since it has never met. <br />Commissioner Rich said her point is that the BOCC waits too long to assign <br />boards and commissions. <br />Chair Dorosin said he would like to discuss the policy first. <br />Commissioner McKee said some of these boards need continuity, and he is not <br />married to any of the boards on which he serves. He said there is a learning curve on <br />some of the Boards, but he is happy to change any of the boards on which he serves. <br />He asked if there is a goal hoping to be achieved by changing the policy. <br />Chair Dorosin said all of the Commissioners are responsible for everything that <br />the County does, and there is an overreliance of people staying on boards too long. He <br />said the best example is GoTriangle, and the rest of the Board is left under informed as <br />it relies on the one member serving on a board. He said he trusts all the <br />Commissioners, but thinks the Commissioners would be better served by gaining <br />knowledge of many boards, by serving on many types of boards. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there is a middle path between changing every <br />year, and allowing a Commissioner to serve on one board for years on end. He said he <br />would want Commissioner Jacobs to stay on GoTriangle at this time, but perhaps some <br />other boards could be shuffled around via open dialogue. <br />Chair Dorosin said he believed that his proposal is a middle path. He said not <br />saving positions does not mean that all positions will be shuffled. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said when he joined the BOCC, he was given the board <br />positions of the Commissioner that he replaced on the BOCC. He said there was no <br />choice, but over the years this process has become more open. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said a limit could be placed on how long a Commissioner <br />could be on any board. He said each Commissioner could have one pick, and if one is <br />an officer that could be one’s pick, or not. He said the rest can be negotiated, rather <br />than a round robin, leading to a less formal process. He said there are some arguments <br />about continuity, and when one is up to speed on a board, one becomes a more <br />effective member. <br />Commissioner Burroughs said she is inclined to keep a process, and she would <br />go with the proposed one or a modified version.