The Chatham County Board of Commissioners on June 16 adopted a comprehensive rewrite of the county’s advisory committee policy, standardizing processes for committee formation, member appointments, meeting procedures and ethics expectations.

Staff drafts, discussed with the county attorney and committee leads, introduced new sections on committee creation and dissolution; membership qualifications and a standardized application process; expectations for chairs and staff liaisons; meeting rules including a prohibition on proxy or email voting; ADA-compliant meeting facilities; and an ethics acknowledgment with required training within 90 days of appointment.

Brenton Hart, who presented the draft, said the rewrite was intended to reduce inconsistencies across many standing and ad hoc committees and to provide staff and volunteers clearer administrative guidance. Hart told the board that an implementation plan — including updated applications, onboarding materials and timelines for committees to align with the new rules — will be brought back to the board.

The rewritten policy sets standard committee sizes (odd-numbered membership, generally 5–11 members) and recommends a four-year policy review cycle. The board also approved small membership adjustments to several existing advisory committees so each committee’s membership falls within the new ranges.

Commissioners discussed several procedural points during the meeting, including whether to require a single set of meeting rules (for example, a slimmed-down version of Robert’s Rules of Order) and how strictly staff should enforce standardized procedures for all committees. The board approved the policy as drafted and asked staff to work with committee chairs on training and implementation.