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MSD amends bylaws to add liaison seat and allow remote voting with 48-hour window
Summary
The MSD Advisory Board approved bylaw revisions to create a Nash County Economic Development liaison seat and to permit remote voting in urgent situations, with staff directed to tighten the proposed remote-vote mechanics.
The Municipal Service District (MSD) Advisory Board voted to revise its bylaws to add a non-voting liaison slot for Nash County Economic Development, increase the board’s membership count to 12, and add a remote-voting procedure for urgent matters.
Staff explained the proposed changes were intended to allow a Nash County Economic Development representative to attend MSD meetings as a non-voting liaison (similar to a council liaison) and to free up the current seat held by Susan Phelps so the town could appoint an additional local voting member. The board agreed to change membership language to emphasize that a majority of members should be property owners or business owners within the district and to maintain two "outside" seats for community members who do not own property downtown.
The board also approved draft language to permit remote voting in situations where emergency circumstances prevent an in-person meeting and where waiting for the next meeting would cause unnecessary delay. The draft sets a 48-hour response window for remote votes and states staff will use a secure mechanism (survey/voting link or email) to collect votes. The draft as presented in the packet included language that nonresponse within 48 hours would be treated as a "yes"; that procedural detail drew concern and the board asked staff to refine the mechanics and security of the remote-voting system before sending the bylaw changes to Town Council. The proposed bylaw edits will be updated to ensure member-qualification language aligns across sections (membership, voting, ex-officio seats) and will be circulated to the board ahead of the May council packet.
A motion to approve the bylaw changes as amended carried by voice vote. Staff said they will incorporate the board’s requested clarifications — including restoring explicit property-owner/business-owner majority language and setting secure voting procedures — and return a clean draft for the Town Council agenda.
