Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Meeting Rules And Public Access topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves first reading to broaden meeting-location rules after heated public hearing
Summary
The Josephine County Board of Commissioners on Friday approved the first reading of an ordinance to remove fixed meeting-location language from county code after a public hearing in which residents urged preserving a consistent in-person location and statutory notice.
The Josephine County Board of Commissioners on Friday approved the first reading of an ordinance that would remove language specifying when and where weekly business sessions must be held, a change legal counsel said would broaden the board’s discretion over time and location of meetings.
Wally Hicks, legal counsel to the board, told commissioners the change would strike language in Chapter 2.05 of the Josephine County Code that currently specifies meeting times and places and would retain language that a regular meeting “shall be held weekly at a real or online location that has been approved by the Board.” He said the ordinance requires two readings spaced at least 13 days apart and would take effect 90 days after adoption. “If you do approve the first reading today, then … the ordinance would go into effect 90 days thereafter,” Hicks said.
The ordinance drew sustained public comment from residents who said removing specific dates, times and a permanent public meeting location would reduce transparency and make it harder for working people to attend. Deb Berg of Josephine County said, “All WBS meetings need to be in this room. … You need to see our faces even if you don't hear us.” Multiple speakers urged that meetings be both in person and available online, that a consistent time and an evening option be kept for people who work shifts, and that statutory notice requirements be explicitly preserved.
Commissioners responded to the testimony in the meeting. Commissioner Bleck said the ordinance is the start of a process and noted the board would accept further input during the second reading. Commissioner Smith said the board had heard public concerns and committed to seeking consistency: “We’re going to land on Thursdays … same schedule right here in this auditorium. So your fears … have been heard.”
On a roll call, the board approved the first reading of ordinance 2025001 by a 2–1 vote: Commissioner Smith and Commissioner Bleck voted yes; Commissioner Barnett voted no. The board scheduled the second and final reading for May 2025.
Separately, the board approved Board Order 2025-035 to reschedule weekly business sessions through dates in May–August 2025 to Thursdays at 10 a.m., and the body amended the order on the floor to require meetings be held both in person and online rather than either/or. That motion passed unanimously, 3–0.
The ordinance, the temporary scheduling order and the public comments will be on the record for the second reading, when the board may adopt further changes based on public input. Hicks reminded the board that statutory notice requirements — including 24‑hour notice when a meeting time is changed — remain in force whether or not that phrase appears in county code.
