Committee advances revisions to Boards/Authorities/Commissions manual; discusses consolidation, training and stipends

The Government Operations Committee on March 17 reviewed proposed revisions to the Athens-Clarke County Boards, Authorities and Commissions (BAC) user manual and agreed to forward the revised manual to the mayor and commission for consideration. Committee members also discussed consolidating tier-two advisory bodies, training and attendance rules, use of government email, social media guidance, membership caps and a proposed $25-per-meeting stipend.

Andrew, a county staff member presenting the draft, said staff made editorial and policy clarifications across the manual and added language about open records, training deadlines and executive-session procedures. He noted the manual would be accompanied by staff feedback gathered from BAC liaisons and host departments.

Key proposed changes the committee reviewed included: requiring BAC members (where legally allowable) to use an ACCGov email account for official business; a mandatory orientation and training to be completed within 180 days with a 90-day warning; automatic vacancy triggers for moving outside the county or failing to meet attendance thresholds (three consecutive meetings missed or six of the last 12); and a referral/appeal process for removals.

Staff recommended that advisory bodies notify the attorney's office before entering any executive session so the county can confirm the session meets statutory requirements. The manual also proposes standardizing public-notice and meeting-streaming expectations while acknowledging Georgia law requires only written minutes for legal record; the committee discussed consistency and technical support burdens for streaming evening meetings.

The committee debated consolidation of smaller tier-two BACs. Staff said some bodies, notably certain TAD advisory committees, might be combined to reduce overlap and administrative cost, but cautioned that combining geographically focused TAD committees would require rules to ensure geographic representation. The committee also reviewed staff's suggestion to move the detailed per-BAC appendices to a web-based appendix that is easier to update.

On compensation, committee members expressed general support for a unified stipend policy and a $25-per-meeting figure as a baseline. Staff provided a budget estimate of roughly $80,000 at $25 per meeting for all applicable tier-two groups; committee members discussed paying stipends quarterly to reduce administrative burden. The committee did not adopt a final ordinance on stipends but signaled support for a recommendation that the mayor and commission consider standardizing stipend practice.

Social media was another focus. Staff recommended that BACs use ACCGov-managed accounts where practical; outside accounts would require a waiver reviewed by communications and the manager's office. "We would prefer BACs not have social media period," a staff presenter said, noting problems with dormant or unmanaged external accounts and the county's open-records responsibilities.

Next steps: staff will finalize the edited user manual and circulate it to committee members before the next meeting; the committee asked staff to return with additional detail on membership caps and options for how ad hoc task forces and mayor-appointed committees should be treated relative to the two-board/committee limit. The committee indicated it would forward the revised manual and related recommendations to the full mayor and commission for formal consideration.

Ending: The committee's referral will allow the mayor and commission to consider ordinance updates, stipend policy and any consolidation changes; staff will supply a final draft manual and budget estimates for stipend adoption if the mayor and commission direct further action.