Attachment 4ATTACHMENT 4
From: Maria Ladle Ristow
Sent: Tuesday, March 5, 2019 6:32:56 PM
To: Marcia Jensen; BSpector; Laurel Prevetti; Robert Schultz; Matt Morley
Subject: Policy Committee consideration of Commission call-ins
Vice Mayor Jensen, Councilmember Spector, Director Morley, Manager Prevetti, and Mr. Schultz,
After last week's Policy Committee meeting, I had further thoughts about the issue of Town
Commissioners, remote participation, and the absence policy. I was unable to convey these points at
the meeting. I hope you will take my input into consideration.
Thank you,
Maria Ristow
To the Policy Committee and Staff,
The Town Council appoints volunteer commissioners who offer their time, for many people around
full-time jobs, for meetings that take place, for the most part, during the workday. Speaking only for
the Transportation and Parking Commission, I’d say we have worked hard on our own priorities, as well
as those assigned by the Town Council. Our members represent a diversity of viewpoints and
experiences that enrich our discussions.
At last week’s Policy committee meeting, in discussing the commissions, absences, and whether to
permit remote meeting participation, Rob Schultz commented that some commissions have “gamed
the system” by cancelling a regular meeting and replacing it with a special meeting. I was stunned by
that characterization.
As the “beneficiary” of such an apparently questionable maneuver, I ask, what is the goal of any
commission? To maintain a group of people with perfect attendance who show up once a month,
approve the minutes and return a month later? Or to work together, at the regular meetings and
outside them, discussing issues and giving requested feedback to staff, putting together ad hoc
committees to work on priorities outside the regular meetings, volunteer to assist the Town and staff
in beneficial activities such as parking, bike/ped counts, bike valets? Over the few years I’ve served on
Town commissions, I’ve seen a couple of special meetings arranged, either to ensure a quorum (when
multiple members announced they couldn’t make the next meeting), or when a member had an
unavoidable conflict. In each case, the meeting was moved, by a vote of the commissioners, to a date
convenient for staff and the members of the commission, with public notice provided well in advance.
I have also noticed the meetings for the Policy Committee are not always predictable and have moved
around, presumably to accommodate schedules. Life happens, and some adjustment is needed.
For the past 4 years, I have made my role on the TPC and BPAC a top priority. I not only plan my life
and schedule around the meetings, but I put the volunteer work above some of my own time. This
January, I cancelled plans to be out of Town on my birthday, specifically to assist at a bus stop on the
day of the School Bus rollout.
Last year I had three absolutely unavoidable conflicts, where I had to be out of town on the day of a
TPC meeting. At the start of the 2018, I knew I’d miss the September meeting for a scheduled vacation,
but I had no reason to expect any other absences. But then I had to take my HS daughter to visit two
colleges over spring break while my husband was out of the country. And then I had to be in Florida for
my father-in-law’s memorial service. And I knew the September absence would put me off the
commission. I gave the commission ample notice that would be the case, and the commission voted to
move the third meeting to another week. I was willing to be removed from the commission and
reapply at the end of the year, but happy to be able to stay on with the scheduling of the special
meeting. If we had a call-in option, I would have been able to participate remotely for two of the three
meetings I had to miss. We’ve had another member removed due to having a baby and adjusting to
the upheaval that brings to life. Clearly calling in would have helped her. With a “no call-in” policy,
AND a strict attendance policy, if you remove the option for a commission to best accommodate a
quorum and the members, you will have more unfilled vacancies. I’m not sure how this serves anyone
well.
I agree that in-person participation is best, and I don’t think a commission would function well if
commissioners regularly opted to phone-in instead of show up.
My recommendation? Allow at least ONE or TWO call-ins per year. Perhaps two call-ins would count
as a single absence, “half-credit” for remote participation? Please consider what the goal of
commission work is, and whether the absence policy and call-in option forward this goal or unfairly
punish commissioners and commissions.
Thank you for considering my input,
Maria Ristow