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Winter Springs committee fails to reach quorum, sets new meeting for April 22 at 4 p.m.
Summary
With only three of seven members present, a Winter Springs committee could not take substantive action and instead voted to set an adjourned meeting for April 22 at 4:00 p.m.; one member formally objected to proceeding without what they described as a technicality on quorum counts.
A Winter Springs committee that requires seven members for full composition met without a quorum and set an adjourned meeting for April 22 at 4:00 p.m.
City Clerk Christian Gowen told the committee that, because a quorum was absent, “the only action that can be taken by a board or a committee in the absence of a quorum is to set a, an adjourn date.” The committee voted to request the April 22 meeting at 4:00 p.m. and directed staff to contact members about availability.
The meeting matters because a board with a seven-member composition must reach quorum to conduct substantive business; without it, routine agenda items cannot be considered. A committee member raised concerns about vacant seats and the optics of repeatedly failing to reach quorum, saying, “This meeting should have been a quorum … it just looks bad,” and requesting the city review the matter with the city attorney.
Clerk Christian Gowen confirmed the meeting will be posted on the city website like other public meetings and staff will attempt to contact absent members before the April 22 session. The committee then moved to adjourn the current meeting.
Discussion at the session centered on scheduling logistics: members talked about alternative dates and start times (4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. were mentioned) and about conflicts with other scheduled meetings, including a separately scheduled code enforcement board meeting. One committee member said two positions on the board have not been filled for several months and urged that be addressed. The clerk noted staff availability to support an earlier start time if the members request it and are available.
Because no formal votes on ordinances, resolutions or other substantive measures were on the record, the only formal outcomes were the approved adjourn date of April 22 at 4:00 p.m. and the adjournment of the meeting.
