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33 <br /> 1 Chair Hamilton said when she first started as a commissioner, it was not clear to her. She <br /> 2 said it is not clear in the Rules of Procedure. She said having this discussion will help her and <br /> 3 future Chairs. <br /> 4 Commissioner Carter said the current language is maximally flexible. <br /> 5 Commissioner McKee said he would prefer not formalizing it to the point that it is inflexible. <br /> 6 He said this Board is cooperative, but it could be a problem in the future. <br /> 7 Chair Hamilton said this Board gets a long pretty well. She said the goal is to put down <br /> 8 what they are already doing. <br /> 9 Commissioner Greene said with previous Boards, there were several requests from <br /> 10 individual commissioners to staff. She said her memory is that they agreed that if it took a staff <br /> 11 member more than an hour on the request, then it would need to go to the full Board for a vote. <br /> 12 Commissioner McKee said she was correct in her memory. <br /> 13 Commissioner Bedford also agreed with Commissioner Greene's recollection. She said <br /> 14 Greg Wilder keeps track of all petitions for commissioners to review. <br /> 15 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if she needs to make a motion to add something to the <br /> 16 agenda if she should do it during commissioner comment time. <br /> 17 Commissioner McKee said she could do it at any time, and there is no prohibition. He <br /> 18 said the most collegial way is to do so during commissioner comment time. <br /> 19 Commissioner Bedford said it would be best to it at that time and not in the middle of <br /> 20 another agenda item, although technically they could. <br /> 21 Commissioner Greene said in the Suggested Rules of Procedure for Boards of County <br /> 22 Commissioners published by UNC School of Government, motions do not require a second for <br /> 23 small boards. She said she did not want to suggest changing the rule for Orange County, but it <br /> 24 was something to think about. <br /> 25 Vice-Chair Fowler said she thought a second was required for discussion. <br /> 26 Commissioner Greene said not according to the document from the School of <br /> 27 Government. <br /> 28 John Roberts clarified in the Orange County Board of Commissioners Rules of <br /> 29 Procedures, rule 14 requires a second for motions. <br /> 30 Vice-Chair Fowler stated that if a local board has rules, they must follow them. <br /> 31 John Roberts said that was correct. <br /> 32 Commissioner Greene said that she was pointing out that they don't have to have that <br /> 33 rule. She noted that commissioners can also be compelled to attend meetings, and that a Sheriff <br /> 34 can take an absent member into custody. <br /> 35 Commissioner McKee observed that an absence could be used strategically. <br /> 36 Chair Hamilton said she plans to formalize the petition process in the Rules of Procedure <br /> 37 because it is important for commissioners to know what happens once they've made a petition. <br /> 38 She said that the Chair will make sure the petitioner receives a response in a timely fashion. <br /> 39 Commissioner Carter said petitions appear in the agenda packets. <br /> 40 Commissioner Bedford said there is a live document that shows the result of past petitions <br /> 41 and that she emailed the link to the Board. <br /> 42 <br /> 43 At 12:19 p.m., a motion was made by Commissioner Carter, seconded by Commissioner <br /> 44 McKee, to recess for lunch until 1:15 p.m. <br /> 45 <br /> 46 VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> 47 <br /> 48 A motion was made by Vice-Chair Fowler, seconded by Commissioner Carter, to <br /> 49 reconvene the meeting at 1:15 p.m. <br /> 50 <br /> 51 VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />