Meeting Type: BCC Work Session
Meeting Date: 11/12/2019
Item Status: New
From: Wayne Dyess, County Administrator; Anu Gary, Administrative Services Manager
Submitted by: Anu Gary
______________________________________________________________________
ITEM TITLE
Title
Proposal for Streamlining Certain Meetings of the Baldwin County Commission
Body
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Discuss the attached memo containing various options for the Commission to streamline its meetings and processes involving meetings.
End
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Previous Commission action/date: During the October 22, 2019, Work Session, staff was asked to bring forward a proposal containing options for the Commission to streamline some of its meetings. Please see attached Memo with options for the Commission to discuss and consider.
Background: Below is a brief summary on the history of Commission work sessions, road and bridge division, and department head meetings.
WORK SESSIONS
The Baldwin County Commission begun holding informal work sessions around 1998 or 1999. Staff at the time prepared an agenda of matters to be discussed and staff notes were taken during these informal meetings, which were not considered to be formal minutes of the meeting.
Around the time when Alabama’s Open Meetings Law (Ala. Code § 36-25A-1 et seq.) was enacted in 2005, the Baldwin County Commission, in order to be compliance with the law, began publishing agendas for work sessions prior to the meeting taking place and hired a court reporting agency to take the minutes for the meetings. The first published work session agenda was for the June 28, 2005, work session and the first meeting transcript is available for the September 27, 2005, meeting.
Alabama’s prior open meetings law, which was repealed effective October 1, 2005, had no definition of “meeting.” Because there had been no direct legal pronouncement regarding what is and what is not a meeting, public officials and the news media clashed when trying to determine whether informal “gatherings” of public officials constitute “meetings” and, therefore, must conform to the requirements of the open meetings act.
DEPARTMENT HEAD MEETINGS
The Commission’s first formal department head meeting was held on February 10, 2011. Since that time, the meetings have been held monthly or quarterly, depending on the need at the time. The meetings are noticed and open to the public. There is no specific agenda set for these meetings as they are informational meetings only between the many county departments and elected officials to share information and updates on their departments and on-going projects.
ROAD AND BRIDGE DIVISION MEETINGS
The Commission has held Road and Bridge Division meetings for years but the first formal, noticed and open to the public meeting with a published agenda was held on November 14, 2005. Since that time, the meetings have been held monthly, quarterly or less frequently, depending on the need at the time. The Highway staff along with the Road and Bridge Division Commissioner sets the agenda set for these meetings and minutes have been taken by staff or a court reporter from that time.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Total cost of recommendation: N/A
Budget line item(s) to be used: N/A
If this is not a budgeted expenditure, does the recommendation create a need for funding? N/A
LEGAL IMPACT
Is legal review necessary for this staff recommendation and related documents?
N/A
Reviewed/approved by: N/A
Additional comments: N/A
ADVERTISING REQUIREMENTS
Is advertising required for this recommendation? N/A.
If the proof of publication affidavit is not attached, list the reason: N/A
FOLLOW UP IMPLEMENTATION
For time-sensitive follow up, select deadline date for follow up: N/A
Individual(s) responsible for follow up: Administration Department - implement changes as directed by the Commission.
Action required (list contact persons/addresses if documents are to be mailed or emailed): As the Commission directs.
Additional instructions/notes: N/A