HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-16-2017 - 5 - Discussion on Board Policies and Procedures 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: February 16, 2017
Action Agenda
Item No. 5
SUBJECT: Discussion on Board Policies and Procedures
DEPARTMENT: BOCC
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Discussion Points Donna Baker, Clerk to the Board, (919)
245-2130
PURPOSE: To discuss various Board policies and procedures.
BACKGROUND: The Orange County Board of Commissioners, at several of its recent
meetings, has brought up specific topics relating to Board policies and procedures that the
Board members wanted to further discuss. The attachment to this abstract notes these topics
along with excerpts from the Approved sets of minutes on the Board's discussion of the
following items:
• For Board and staff to discuss eliminating the practice of attributing planning efforts to
specific Board members
• For the Chair and Vice Chair to discuss and provide the Board with clarifications on Board
policy regarding the Board being represented on other boards by non-elected individuals
• For the Board to discuss having elected officials from other entities serve on County
boards.
• For the Board to discuss revising the Regular Meeting Order of Business to move Board
Comments to near the beginning of the meeting and/or combine with Announcements by
Board Members
• For the Board to discuss re-structuring the agenda order to reflect externally oriented
items versus internally oriented agenda items.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with discussing these topics.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: There is no Orange County Social Justice Goal impact applicable
to this item.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board discuss the topics noted and
any other matters of interest related to Board policies and procedures and provide direction to
staff.
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Discussion Points for BOCC
1. For Board and staff to discuss eliminating the practice of attributing
planning efforts to specific Board members
Excerpt from the December 13, 2016 APPROVED BOCC Meeting Minutes
• Announcements and Petitions by Board Members
Commissioner Jacobs petitioned to eliminate the practice of attributing
planning efforts to particular Commissioners in the abstracts.
2. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the Chair and Vice Chair would come
back with a clarification of policy about having the BOCC
represented on other boards, in positions that require an elected
official.
Excerpt from the December 13, 2016 APPROVED BOCC Meeting Minutes
• Announcements and Petitions by Board Members
Commissioner Jacobs asked if the Chair and Vice Chair would come back
with a clarification of policy about having the BOCC represented on other boards,
in positions that require an elected official; (as well as other elected officials
serving on BOCC advisory boards, but are not members of the BOCC-separate
item below)
3. For the Board to discuss about having elected officials from other
entities serve on their County boards.
Excerpt from December 13, 2016 APPROVED BOCC Meeting Minutes:
• Orange County Planning Board — Appointment
The Board considered making an appointment to the Orange County
Planning Board.
Commissioner Jacobs asked if this appointment could be deferred until
the Board discusses a policy about having elected officials from other entities
serve on their boards.
Commissioner Price said she emailed John Roberts, and he said it was
fine if the BOCC wanted to appoint an elected official from another board to this
board.
Commissioner Jacobs said in the past, appointing other elected officials
on their boards, has been avoided. He said there is only one applicant, which is
not an effective pool.
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Commissioner Burroughs said Chapel Hill had this situation years ago,
and it is really tricky to have a dual role. She said, in this particular instance, she
agreed with Commissioner Jacobs.
4. For the Board to discuss revising the Regular Meeting Order of
Business to move Board Comments to near the beginning of the meeting
and/or combine with Announcements by Board Members
Excerpt from the January 24, 2017 Approved BOCC Meeting Minutes:
• Announcements and Petitions by Board Members
Commissioner Rich petitioned to move Board comments up on the agenda, to
be combined with petitions.
Below is the current order for Agenda items:
1 . Additions or Changes to the Agenda
Public Charge
2. Public Comments (Limited to One Hour)
3. Announcements and Petitions by Board Members (Three Minute
Limit Per Commissioner)
4. Proclamations/Resolutions/Special Presentations
5. Public Hearings
6. Consent Agenda
• Removal of Items from Consent Agenda
• Approval of Remaining Consent Agenda
• Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent
Agenda
7. Regular Agenda
8. Reports
9. County Manager's Report
10. County Attorney's Report
11 . Appointments
12. Board Comments (Three Minute Limit Per Commissioner)
13. Information Items
14. Closed Session
15. Adjournment
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5. For the Board to discuss re-structuring the agenda order to reflect
externally oriented items versus internally oriented agenda items.
Excerpt from the January 27, 2017 BOCC Retreat DRAFT Minutes:
• In response to Chair Dorosin's earlier remarks about the Board's meetings
not being as engaging to the public as they could be, Commissioner
Jacobs said that the Board could consider changing its meeting agendas.
The first part of our meeting could be externally oriented. Then in the
middle we could have a presentation from one of the Departments. We
could leave the dais at that point and turn the podium over to the staff.
And then we would come back for the more internally oriented agenda
items after that, such as procedures for advisory boards or appointments,
for example. Just like they have moved public hearings up to the front,
because that is what is of interest to most people in the public, they could
identify the items that most people in the public do not care about, and
address them later.