BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Review of Board Governance Policy, GP-9.2.1, Governance Process, Board Committee Structure, Board Members Representation on Board Standing and Ad Hoc Committees.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Review Board Governance Policy, GP-9.2.1, Governance Process, Board Committee Structure, Board Members Representation on Board Standing and Ad Hoc Committees and make revisions as the Board deems necessary.
Body
SUMMARY:
At the October 22, 2019, Board meeting Director Santos requested that an item be placed on a future Board agenda for the Board to discuss Board Governance Policy, Governance Process (GP) 9.2.1, Board Committee Structure, Board Members Representation on Board Standing and Ad Hoc Committees.
The Board's Governance Policy GP-9.2.1 currently states:
"Board members who are not the appointed representatives to Board Standing or Ad Hoc Committees shall not be in attendance at any open and noticed meeting of such committees."
Relevant Legislative Language
The Ralph M. Brown Act, specifically Government Code Section 54952.2(c)(6), generally states that the attendance of a majority of the members of a legislative body at an open and noticed meeting of a standing committee of that body, is allowed provided that the members of the legislative body who are not members of the standing committee attend only as observers.
In this context, the term observer means one who observes and listens but does not officially participate in a meeting. Generally, the observer could only attend a meeting to watch and listen without participating and must refrain from asking questions or making statements. Appointed Members of the committee would need to refrain from asking the observer questions or otherwise soliciting input from him or her during the meeting. The observer would not be permitted to sit at the dais or at the table where the standing committee is conducting business and would be required to silently sit in the area...
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