Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board directs staff to pilot earlier public-comment blocks and clarify agenda/consent procedures
Summary
Following a good-governance discussion, supervisors directed staff to implement several procedural changes in 2026: replace the formal 'adopt agenda' vote with a CAO announcement of minor changes, pilot morning public-comment blocks (consent/closed-session comments and non‑hearing agenda-item comments) while keeping open forum at 1 p.m., and bring back a revised legislative/proclamation policy.
After a long governance workshop discussion on Nov. 18, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors directed county staff to implement several procedural changes aimed at improving transparency and predictability for the public.
Grant Weber (CAO office) summarized the list of potential adjustments raised at the good-governance workshop. County Counsel David Livingston noted the board had already changed practice earlier in the year to split the agenda-adoption and consent actions, and said that caused public confusion. Counsel proposed two practical approaches: eliminate the formal adoption vote or rename the step to an announcement of revisions by the chief administrative officer so the board does not appear to take action before public comment. The board agreed to the CAO-announcement approach.
On public comment timing, the board voted to pilot a change starting in 2026: two morning public-comment periods (one for consent and closed-session matters and one for non‑hearing agenda items) so people who can’t stay all day can speak early; open forum on items not on the agenda will remain at 1 p.m. If the pilot does not work, staff will return to the board with alternatives.
The board also asked staff to clarify consent-calendar rules in policy so it is explicit that any board member (or the CAO or county counsel) may request that an item be moved from consent. The CAO’s office will update the consent policy and the legislative/proclamation guidance (to address when resolutions or proclamations are appropriate) and return with recommended redlines.
The board unanimously approved the procedural package that staff will begin implementing Jan. 1, 2026, with follow-up reports and proposed redline policy language to come back to the board.
Some public commenters urged stronger protections to ensure hands-on public access to agenda changes and asked that civil grand-jury reports and large contracts not be rubber-stamped on consent without community discussion.
