LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors is starting out this year with some changes to its meeting schedule.
Last week, the board agreed to a trial schedule that reduces monthly meetings from four – on the first four Tuesdays of the month – to three, specifically, the first, third and fourth Tuesdays, for February through April.
The reason for that proposed change, according to Board Chair Anthony Farrington, was the difficulty in recent months of filling up the agenda for all four monthly meetings. He said he brought the matter forward after discussions with staff.
Regardless of the size of the agenda, the amount of work for staff to prepare the agenda and associated materials for such meetings remains time intensive, and with reduced staff in the County Administrative Office, one less meeting a month would help staff, he said.
As part of the discussion, Farrington said he wanted to address the public perception that board members only work on Tuesdays. “I am very cognizant of the perception that most people think we only work on Tuesdays, but it’s not reality.”
An informal survey of county department heads showed that most of them were supportive about the reduced meeting schedule so long as there is consistency about the dates of when the meetings will be, Farrington said.
If there is an urgency for any item, the board could still set a meeting for the week when a meeting isn’t scheduled, he said.
Farrington also surveyed other counties and found that while most met four times monthly, some met three times and the more rural counties like Lake County meet twice a month.
The changes will be on a trial basis, Farrington said, so the board wouldn’t have to change the county ordinance setting their meeting days and the frequency.
Supervisor Jim Comstock pointed out that the board could remain flexible and still add meetings if needed. He said the board has occasionally added meetings on the fifth Tuesdays.
Supervisor Rob Brown said the primary reason for taking the action should be to benefit the public.
“We need to be consistent,” he said.
At the end of 90 days, Farrington said the board can make adjustments.
Brown said he would like to eliminate board meetings preceding holidays. For staff purposes, he said he thought that would be helpful.
Farrington said the board could discuss looking at the calendar and whether to hold meetings on Tuesdays when there is a Monday holiday, or to reschedule to a Wednesday.
Ultimately, the board gave Farrington consensus to move forward with the trial changes to the board meeting schedule.
He also said he would bring back plans for meetings in different areas of the county, at different times, such as in the evening.
“I appreciate the board’s support on this,” Farrington said. “I think it’s good for the community.”
This week, as a continuation of the action taken last week, the board voted unanimously to cancel three regular meetings in February, March and April – on the second Tuesdays of each of the months – as part of the trial three-meetings-a-month schedule.
Taking formal action to cancel the meetings was necessary, as county code states that the board shall meet on the first four Tuesdays of each month, according to County Administrative Officer Matt Perry’s written report to the board.
“While permanently changing the schedule would require amending the Code by ordinance, the Board could agree to temporarily waive the meeting schedule requirement for a trial period to determine whether the County's business may be more efficiently conducted by reducing the number of meetings per month,” Perry wrote.
The board on Tuesday also discussed holding meetings in other parts of the county, besides the courthouse in Lakeport, as well as scheduling some evening meetings.
Brown said he appreciated the intent, but had concern with logistics and additional cost.
He said he didn’t have a problem with meeting in different locations, so long as the change of venue was issue-driven.
In his 14 years on the board, Brown said he’s not heard an uproar from citizens about having meetings in other locations. “I just don’t see it as a need that the public’s asking for.”
He added, “I think while it’s well-intended, I don’t think it’s necessary,” and that it may not be as productive as the board had hoped.
Supervisor Jim Comstock said that in his tenure on the board, the board has held one meeting in Middletown, to discuss the Middletown Area Plan. Like Brown, he emphasized the need for such meetings in other parts of the county to be driven by a district’s specific issues.
Both Brown and Comstock also were unavailable for a proposed evening meeting in Middletown on Feb. 24.
Supervisor Jeff Smith said quite a few people regularly tell him that they would like meetings to occasionally be held in Clearlake. He suggested having at least one meeting a year in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, where meetings already are televised.
Supervisor Jim Steele agreed with changes in the meeting location being issue-driven. In his district, such meetings likely would be held in Lucerne, and he said the meetings could be scheduled far enough in advance to make the necessary adjustments.
Farrington said he would leave it up to his fellow board members to suggest if and when they wanted a meeting held in another location.
He said his vision was not to have multiple meetings in different locations throughout the county, but perhaps just once a year. He said Smith’s suggestion about meeting at Clearlake City Hall would be cost effective.
County Counsel Anita Grant told the board that the law requires them to hold regularly scheduled meetings in the county seat, which is Lakeport.
Because of that, she said they have to adjourn the meeting from the county seat to another location.
“It cannot be a routine,” she said of meeting in other parts of the county.
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Board of Supervisors makes adjustments to meeting schedule
- Elizabeth Larson
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