Panel discusses schedule changes, seeks ordinance process to allow alternate members

Members of a Columbia County advisory group voted through routine business and spent much of their meeting this month discussing how to improve attendance and whether to allow designated alternate members.

The group approved the meeting agenda and January minutes, then turned to a recurring problem: low attendance from key partners. Judge Clark pressed the group to ensure law enforcement and the district attorney attend because public-safety topics depend on those partners being present.

"We all should try to get here for these," Judge Clark said, noting that low attendance wastes everyone’s time when quorum-dependent items cannot proceed.

Several members said a doodle poll and recurring Microsoft calendar invites could increase participation. "If you could do a doodle poll, maybe we could see some other option 1, option 2," Jamie said. JC confirmed she has already sent calendar invites and asked members who did not receive them to provide email addresses so she can add them.

Members also asked whether the panel could use alternates when regular members are unavailable. JC said making alternates a permanent option would require the advisory group to draft amendments to its bylaws or ordinance and then run the change through the county commission, including public hearings and first and second readings; the change would take effect about 90 days after the commissioner's signature.

"To make it something permanent, it would have to be an amendment to the ordinance," JC said. She added that after the group drafts changes, they would work with county council and then the commission would consider the amendment in a formal process.

The group agreed to add consideration of an ordinance amendment to a future agenda and to use a doodle poll and calendar invites to try to improve turnout. No formal ordinance change occurred at the meeting.

The advisory group adjourned after approving the agenda and minutes. The next scheduled meeting is May 1; the chair said he may be at a conference that day and asked Larry to chair or designate a proxy.