Volunteer committees keep 75% attendance target but agree on flexible follow-up procedures

Keizer’s Community Diversity Engagement Committee debated changes to the volunteer attendance policy at its March meeting and recommended keeping the existing 75% attendance threshold while clarifying how absences should be handled.

The committee considered proposals to raise the requirement to 80% or 85% but members said meeting frequency varies by committee and a single fixed increase could unfairly penalize groups that meet less often. A member urging stricter accountability said volunteers know meeting times in advance and should be held to a higher standard, while others warned life events and differing meeting schedules make a rigid increase impractical.

The committee agreed on several practical steps to improve accountability without imposing a hard new threshold: the city recorder or staff will reach out to members who miss multiple meetings to confirm continued interest; chairs should check in with absent members; and the policy should measure attendance on a calendar-year basis. The draft’s requirement that members supply 48 hours’ notice when possible was softened: members will be asked to give "as much notice as possible" rather than a strict 48‑hour rule, to allow for emergencies.

Staff and committee members also discussed process questions: whether committees that meet infrequently (for example, quarterly or semiannually) need a different standard, and how to apply the rule when a committee’s calendar leaves little room for missed meetings. A staff liaison recommended monitoring how the revised guidance plays out and returning to adjust thresholds if necessary.

The committee asked staff to consolidate feedback and return a concise work-session packet showing 2025 accomplishments and 2026 targets, with explicit target dates and a recommended approach for attendance enforcement.

Next steps: members will submit written feedback to staff for a consolidated packet by March 20, after which staff will circulate a draft for committee review and prepare it for the scheduled work session.