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Solano supervisors agree to agendize rules on outside invitations and staff use after CSAC visit
Summary
Supervisors debated whether county-paid presenters and district events should be announced to the full board and whether using county staff at district events requires prior board approval. The board asked staff to estimate time and costs for future events and agreed to bring back a rules update from the subcommittee.
The Solano County Board of Supervisors on an unspecified date discussed whether visits by outside organizations that the county pays for should be formally announced to the full board and whether use of county staff at district events requires prior board approval.
Supervisor Brenda Williams, speaking about a recent town hall she hosted, said the meeting was public and that she had distributed notice in a newsletter and in the newspaper. "It was not a private meeting. It was very public meeting," Williams said. "I'm just trying to do my my job to the best of my ability." Williams also said she recalled announcing in July that she planned to invite the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) to Solano County and said she would provide written notes about the event.
Other supervisors said they were concerned that a county-paid guest who toured parts of the county had not extended invitations to all board members. One supervisor said the absence of a full-board invitation "did not give the impression that we were any kind of a unit at all." Several supervisors pressed for a formal policy so the board would be notified in advance when entities that represent the county — for example CSAC, NACO or RCRC — visit.
Supervisors also debated when and how staff resources can be used for district events. County staff and supervisors said staff time carries a cost and that employees who attend events sometimes receive comp time. "If it's something specific to a district and you want staff time, then you ought to come and ask us the board to say, here's what we're doing and account for the cost of the impact of the employees," one supervisor said.
Board members agreed to agendize an update from the subcommittee reviewing board rules so the full board can review current rules and proposed changes. County staff said they will try to provide an estimate of cost or time investment and flag any conflicting priorities when events are agendized.
The discussion included repeated references to a July 22 direction that, by consensus, had asked staff to continue conversations related to the Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District comprehensive study and to schedule a town hall an hour before a grant-related public meeting; Williams said she had hosted a public town hall addressing that matter for District 3.
The board did not take a formal vote during the discussion but directed staff to return the rules update and to include staff time and cost estimates for future agendized events.
