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Advisory board and parks trustees: Natrona County members discuss transition, authority of BOCC
Summary
Board members discussed the possible transition from the existing advisory board to a statutory Parks Board of Trustees, clarified that the county commissioners (BOCC) have authority over the advisory board’s status and planned to attend a BOCC work session on Feb. 18 where the issue may be discussed.
Members of the Natrona County Parks Advisory Board used the Feb. 13 meeting to discuss uncertainty over the advisory board’s future and a possible shift to a statutory Parks Board of Trustees. The parks director told the advisory board that it is his understanding the advisory board’s fate rests with the Board of County Commissioners, because the advisory board was created by a BOCC resolution.
“It's my understanding that this advisory board, the fate of it lies within the county commissioner's authority, not the parks board of trustees authority,” Parks Director Michael said, referring to how the advisory board was established. Michael said the matter could come up at the BOCC’s work session the following Tuesday and encouraged representation from the advisory board at that meeting.
Board members and the parks director described two possible directions under discussion: (1) a statutory board model that would vest more direct authority in a board of trustees — including preparing budgets, hiring and firing the parks director and setting capital projects — or (2) keeping an advisory structure where the board’s role is primarily to provide community input and recommendations to the BOCC. Michael said draft bylaws circulated by some trustees lean toward recreating a citizen trustee board similar to the pre-1996 structure.
Board members expressed concern about public confusion if both a parks board of trustees and the advisory board operate concurrently, and they asked whether community members should direct comments to the advisory board or to the trustees while the transition is in progress. The parks director said he supports the advisory board sending representatives to the commissioners’ work session and that the advisory board’s institutional knowledge could inform the trustee discussions.
Several board members and participants also discussed legal and statutory interpretation questions, including whether parks, airports and fairgrounds fall under the same statute; meeting remarks clarified they are covered under different statutes and that statutory boards operating countywide vary by how bylaws and authority are structured.
Board members agreed to try to send representatives to the BOCC work session on Feb. 18 so the advisory board can provide input as commissioners consider whether and how to change the parks governance structure.
