The Nantucket Cultural Council amended its posted agenda to remove a scheduled executive session and then conducted officer elections during its Nov. 18 remote meeting.

The council voted by roll call to remove item 3 (an executive session) from the posted agenda. Members then nominated and approved officers for the council: Sarah Ellis and Tony Wagner were confirmed as co-chairs, Bethany Oliver accepted the treasurer role, and Barbara Tibbets was confirmed as secretary. Members described the chair and officer roles as largely administrative — signing reports at the end of grant cycles and helping set agendas — while staff will continue to prepare minutes and post agendas.

Why it matters: Having officers in place provides a single point of contact to sign reports and lead meetings. Council members said maintaining a quorum has been a recurring challenge, which shaped discussion about adding members.

Minutes and membership discussion
The council approved the Nov. 18, 2024 minutes by roll call. No public commentators were present during the public-comment period; the chair opened and closed public comment with no speakers.

Members discussed whether to expand the council’s membership to reduce quorum problems, but agreed to defer new appointments until current terms expire next June. Staff noted the council may expand under state guidelines (the state allows up to 26 members for similar councils), but increasing membership would also raise the quorum threshold. The council asked staff to reach out to potential candidates and to the member—identified in meeting notes as Ava—about submitting paperwork to remain on the council.

Procedural notes
Roll-call voting was used for all formal actions. The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn and members set the next meeting for Feb. 10 at 4 p.m.

The council’s staff will handle posting, minutes and follow-up with town administration and the select board for any future appointments or reappointments.