Members of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board discussed proposed bylaw updates on Sept. 10, focusing on officer duties, attendance expectations, whether a town-trustee liaison should be a voting member, and how the bylaws should align with a town ordinance that sets appointment and term rules.
Board member Jesse Roper said he added comments clarifying duties — particularly the secretary’s responsibility for document management — and proposed an attendance policy that would trigger a board discussion if a member missed a certain number of meetings. Board members debated a recommended threshold of up to four missed meetings per year as a trigger point for discussion (not automatic removal). "It doesn't necessarily have to be an automatic removal from the board if you miss 4," Roper said; instead, he proposed the board weigh whether a member’s attendance merited retention.
Members also discussed whether board members should be voting trustees from the Town Board or a nonvoting liaison. Staff clarified the town’s current practice and recommended keeping trustees as liaisons without voting privileges to preserve the advisory board as an all-volunteer voting body. The group also reviewed language in an ordinance included in the packet, cited as "ordinance 23 20 22," which the packet quoted as stating that seven voting members are appointed at large by the board of trustees for staggered four-year terms. Several members recommended drafting bylaw language that defers to appointments by the board of trustees — for example, using language such as "appointed by the board of trustees" rather than specifying a fixed term length in the bylaws so future trustee changes would not require bylaw edits.
Board members agreed to finalize suggested edits and return the bylaws for a vote at the next meeting; staff said they will prepare a brief summary (an "elevator pitch") explaining the difference between town ordinance (a law) and board bylaws (operational rules) for members who want additional clarity.
No formal bylaw adoption occurred Sept. 10; staff will incorporate the edits and present a revised draft for a future vote.