Independence board members debate size, voting status and citizen role for proposed IPL governance board

Members of the Public Utility Advisory Board on March 20 debated options for a proposed governance board for Independence Power & Light (IPL), focusing on board size, whether an elected council member should have voting privileges and how to preserve citizen input.

Board members said the draft proposal circulated ahead of the meeting was intended only as a starting point. They discussed models used by other cities, with some members urging a larger, more representative panel and others warning that larger boards can be difficult to fill and sustain.

Michael, board member, urged expanding beyond the five-member model suggested in the draft. “I think to get a good representation you need at least you need about 9 people,” he said, adding that Springfield’s 11-member board and a citizen advisory structure provided models for nonpolitical representation. He also said Springfield’s model included an ex officio, nonvoting former city manager on its utility…