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Council committee backs adding an alternate to Salem licensing board to ease quorum issues
Summary
The committee recommended a home rule petition to add an alternate member to the licensing board, citing frequent quorum problems when a three-member board lacks a member because of illness or conflicts; the council later approved the home rule petition.
The City Solicitor presented a home rule petition to amend the composition of the Salem licensing board to add one alternate member. The request came from the licensing board itself, the solicitor said, and is intended to reduce instances when the three-member board lacks a quorum because of illness or conflicts.
City Solicitor Beth Renard explained, “The licensing board, by state statute has 3 members, and it has become difficult at times, due to illness or due to a conflict of interest, to have a quorum... A member would attend the meetings and would only act and vote when one of the members was either conflicted out or was absent.”
Councilors discussed whether to expand full membership versus adding an alternate. The solicitor and comparative research supported the alternate-member approach as a commonly used remedy in other communities. Councilors expressed concern about small boards and said an alternate provides flexibility without increasing the permanent body size.
Outcome: The committee recommended adoption. In the full council roll call, the home rule petition was approved with 10 yes votes, 0 no votes and 1 recusal.
