City amends board attendance rule, allowing council exceptions for missed meetings

The Portage City Council on May 11 adopted an ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 1, Article 7, Section 2252, to revise attendance rules for city boards and commissions.

Under the newly adopted ordinance, a board or commission member who misses one-third or more of that body’s meetings within a 12-month period may be terminated from the body. Council members discussed allowing exceptions to the rule and agreed the council would consider exceptions on a case-by-case basis; the council will place exception requests on the consent agenda when applicants seek to retain a seat after accruing excessive absences.

City Manager Pat McGinnis told the council the change replaces a prior rule that terminated members after three unexcused absences in a calendar year and that the revision accounts for boards with different meeting frequencies. Council members said the amendment gives clearer expectations for volunteers while preserving flexibility for life events and special circumstances.

Council adopted the ordinance by roll-call vote. The recorded votes were: Randall — yes; Young — yes; Burns — yes; Miller — yes; Dr. Pearson — yes. The motion passed unanimously.

Why it matters: The ordinance standardizes attendance expectations across bodies with varying meeting schedules and creates an expressly stated pathway for the council to grant exceptions, which council members said should reduce ambiguity for volunteers.

The city manager and clerk will update council policy language and administrative procedures to reflect the new code section.