Board discusses fewer full meetings, in-person retreats and more solution-oriented agendas for 2027

Board members debated how to structure 2027 work: many favored fewer regular meetings but longer in-person sessions or a retreat to facilitate focused problem-solving and cross-stakeholder breakouts. Rochelle, the cost board manager, framed options including reducing full-board meetings from seven to five and using advisory committees for deeper research between sessions.

Members urged a shift toward "solution-forward" sessions with prioritized actions and clearer deliverables rather than repeated high-level presentations. Several board members said a retreat-style planning day where staff synthesize data and the board sets explicit next-step questions for advisory committees would be helpful. Staff noted resource constraints and suggested piloting a retreat or longer meetings while preserving opportunities for stakeholder engagement and midyear agenda correction.