County board discusses holding meetings offsite, sheriff open house planned
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Summary
Board members debated holding regular meetings at other county facilities, including a proposed courthouse open house led by the sheriff; no formal vote was taken and the item will be placed on a future agenda for discussion.
Board member 1, a county board member, proposed that the board hold some meetings at other county facilities so members and the public could see operations firsthand. “Why not have a meeting 1 time at the courthouse,” Board member 1 said, suggesting tours of sheriff facilities and other county sites instead of meeting exclusively in the usual room.
The suggestion arose after meetings between board members and the sheriff and followed positive comments about recent facility improvements. Board member 2, a county board member, said, “I did ask the sheriff to open up the courthouse to all county board members for an open house starting at 05:30,” and encouraged the board to consider occasional offsite meetings so the public could see department work in person.
Board members discussed practical constraints, notably potential overtime pay for sheriff deputies if meetings require extra staffing at alternate locations. As one board member warned, moving meeting sites could increase overtime costs for deputies who staff meetings: staffing policies could result in additional pay if officers work beyond scheduled hours.
Board member 1 said the topic would not be decided immediately and would be placed on a future agenda: "I'm gonna... put it on for discussion," they said. No formal motion or vote on changing meeting locations was recorded in the transcript.
Several members suggested alternatives to full offsite meetings, including recording or streaming facility tours for residents who cannot attend in person. Board member 3 suggested creating a video or Facebook Live walkthrough so the public could see renovations and program spaces without requiring travel.
Discussion classification: this was discussion only with a direction to place the item on a future agenda for further consideration. No formal board action to change meeting locations was recorded in the transcript.
Ending: Board members left the matter open for later debate and scheduled an informal sheriff open house for board members; any change to regular meeting locations will require future board discussion and, if proposed formally, a vote.