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Board outlines process and schedule to fill upcoming vacancy; public notice and interviews required
Summary
The board reviewed the statutory process for filling a board vacancy, agreed to post a public notice, verify candidates with the county clerk, and hold public interviews and a vote within the statutory timeline.
Board members reviewed the legal requirements and a timetable to fill a forthcoming vacancy after a trustee's departure in early July.
A staff member who reviewed the statute told the board that the local board must appoint a replacement within 30 calendar days after a vacancy occurs and that the district must notify the county clerk and provide public notice at least two weeks before the meeting at which it will fill the vacancy. "Within 30 calendar days after a vacancy occurs, so you can fill it before... no later than 30 days does it have to be filled," the staff member said. The staff member also said the county clerk typically verifies candidates' residency and eligibility prior to interviews.
Board members discussed logistics and set a sequence of meetings the board referenced on the record: a short meeting on June 23 at 8 a.m. to approve a grants budget; a July 14 meeting starting at 9:15 a.m. with a site visit to Water Canyon; and a publicly noticed interview session for candidates that the board agreed to hold at 4 p.m. on the date the transcript refers to as "the 20 eighth." Board members directed staff to post the vacancy notice, collect candidate materials and submit them to the county clerk for verification before the interview date.
The staff member explained that interviews must be conducted in an open meeting and that while the board may discuss choices in a closed session it must take the appointment vote in public. The staff member also noted that if the board does not appoint someone within the required period the authority to fill the vacancy shifts to the county commission.
Board members agreed on a public timeline for candidates to submit materials and on the verification step with the county clerk; they asked staff to post the notice on the district website and the state Public Notice website and to circulate the deadline and interview date publicly.
