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Council moves to add alternate, reduce parks board size and adopt attendance policy
Summary
The council approved amendments to park governance: set a first reading to add one alternate to the Parks and Recreation Board, adopted a resolution reducing board membership from seven to five, and approved a new attendance policy requiring members attend at least half of regular meetings.
Council reviewed several changes to Parks and Recreation Board governance and approved actions to modify membership and attendance standards.
Staff presented proposed ordinance language to add one alternate member to the Parks and Recreation Board (currently referred to in ordinance as five members). Council set a first reading for May 1 to amend ordinance 31.08 to add one alternate. The council also considered a resolution to decrease the board’s operating size; the council voted to decrease board membership from seven to five under resolution 2025‑06.
City staff and the city attorney had reviewed state statutes and advised the council that statutory language governing park boards likely precluded payment of compensation to board members, while separate statutes for recreation boards do not expressly prohibit compensation. Staff’s legal interpretation was that because the board is a combined parks and recreation board and the parks statutes disallow pay, compensation should not be added.
The council also debated an attendance policy proposed by staff: board members should attend at least half of regular meetings (special meetings excluded). The council approved the attendance policy and discussed practical supports — such as enabling remote attendance via Zoom or providing a loaner laptop for board use — to reduce absences.
The council instructed staff to draft the ordinance amendment language with the city attorney and to return for the formal ordinance reading on May 1. The change in board size and the attendance policy were approved by council motion.
