Charter Commission to Begin Review of County Government

 Saturday, Jan. 7, at 9 a.m. in Council Chambers, 55 Second Street, Friday Harbor

From Stan Matthews
County Website and Communications Manager

The agenda for the County Charter Review Commission’s initial meeting on Saturday, Jan. 7  follows. Richard Ward, serving as temporary Chair, will conduct the meeting until the Chair and Vice-Chair have been elected.

1.   Call to Order

2.   Roll Call

3.   Introduction of members, including brief biography.

4.   Oath of Office–Milene Henley

5.   Explanation of Open Meetings Law and other legal considerations–Randy Gaylord.

6.   Temporary Chair will entertain a motion to adopt Robert’s Rules of Order, all motions to be recorded by note-taker and read out prior to debate, and Commissioners required to identify themselves when addressing the group, to make note-taker’s work more accurate.

7.   Temporary Chair will entertain a motion to the following effect: Each member shall present one, two, or three issues or recommendations concerning the charter that he or she most wishes to see addressed as the Commission’s work goes forward; these must also be presented in writing; each issue or recommendation shall be expressed as a single sentence and shall reference a specific section of the charter that would be affected; each shall be spoken to by its presenter, with no more than one minute per issue. [The purpose of this section of the meeting is simply to acquaint all members with what other members are thinking; each Commissioner will have opportunities in subsequent meetings to present his or her issues or recommendations in the form of motions.]

8.   Presentation of members’ issues or recommendations. [The note-taker shall list each of these issues or recommendations, along with the names of the Commissioners proposing them, in the minutes for the meeting, which shall appear on the county website in a web-page identified as dedicated to all Charter Commission business.]

9 .  Temporary Chair will entertain a motion to the following effect: The Commission shall meet every Saturday until its work is completed, major changes in the charter shall be dealt with before taking up lesser issues, and June 2 shall be a target date for final agreement on the wording of the revised charter.

10.  Temporary Chair will entertain a motion to the following effect: The Commission shall elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson, to be referred to as Chair and Vice Chair; the Chair, with assistance from the Vice-Chair, shall be charged with arranging the order of discussion of issues or recommendations, combining issues that pertain to or overlap each other, following a calendar for conducting meetings, presenting agendas for meetings, seeing that meetings are properly announced and recorded, and conducting debate on all issues; the Chair shall appoint drafting committees to propose precise wording for changes to the charter that the Commission supports; the Chair shall appoint a parliamentarian from among the Commissioners; the Vice-Chair shall conduct meetings when the Chair is unable to attend meetings.

11.  Temporary Chair will request nominations of candidates for Chair and Vice-Chair. Each nomination must be seconded by at least one other Commissioner. Statements from nominated candidates. Brief statements by other commissioners concerning nominees. Chair will then call for the vote on each candidate for each office. Each Commissioner may vote only once for each office.

12.  Chair (new) may entertain motions identifying the major issues to be dealt with before taking up lesser issues, the formation and purpose of committees, and other matters concerning organization of the Commission.

13.  Chair may entertain motions concerning places, times, and formats of future meetings.

14.  Other topics suggested by Commissioners