2018-01-18 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

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Motion and vote: Vice Chair Olson moved to approve and send the letter, Commissioner Fear seconded the motion, and all commissioners present voted aye. Chair Bennett thanked the commissioners and said the intent is to fill vacancies, and he hopes some action will be generated. He said it is also incumbent upon the commissioners to seek candidates, and he has a few potential ones in the works. He requested the commissioners “talk it up” with people, as his experience is that people don’t understand what the EMC does, which is why they don’t volunteer. d. Discuss and decide on the process by which commissioners can get items placed on the agenda, as well as the process by which they are to provide their district updates to the secretary for placement on the agenda. Chair Bennett said it was a little mysterious to him in the past how to get things on an agenda, and he didn’t feel he had the freedom, under the Sunshine Law, to just call the chair and say he wanted something placed. Ms. Wong said that today, when they get to item 7a (Future Agenda Items), commissioners can propose things they would like to have placed on the next agenda. At any time before the required public notice of six calendar days, any commissioner can call the chair and ask to put something on the agenda. The secretary needs time to draft the agenda, send it to everybody, and post it. After an agenda is posted, it cannot be added to if the addition will affect a significant number of people, and to amend an agenda would require an approval vote of six commissioners. Chair Bennett asked whether the system would create an opportunity for any commissioner to recommend an item for placement on an agenda, and Ms. Wong explained that the actual placement on the agenda would be at the call of the chair. Chair Bennett summarized that there are two mechanisms to place an item on an agenda. The first is that during a meeting, a commissioner can propose a future agenda item, its placement on the future agenda can be discussed, and the chair can say yes or no to. The second way is for a commissioner to call or email him to request placing something on the agenda. Ms. Wong informed the commissioners that this all came up because the director of the Office of Information Practices (OIP) informed her that the “Commission Member District Update Reports” on their past agendas was insufficient and too vague. The public needs to be advised more specifically on what will be discussed so people can decide whether or not they want to attend a meeting. She suggested that commissioners contact the chair prior to an agenda being posted to add a specific update or report regarding their district. That way, it will be on the agenda and can be discussed freely. Commissioner Fear said he didn’t see why they needed to be so specific and that it shouldn’t be such a big deal. Ms. Wong explained that prior to a meeting, the public needs to be given a heads up on what will be discussed, and the EMC needs to develop a process to be in compliance with the OIP’s directive.