Johnson County commissioners voted Nov. 20 to place a proposal to change the county's meeting cadence on the Board's Dec. 4 business agenda as a six-month pilot, following a presentation of the county's "Sparks" innovation analysis of staff time and meeting practices.

The proposal (Option D) directs staff to present a 2026 calendar that alternates "routine" and "business" meeting weeks, builds in scheduled study sessions and committees of the whole (COWs), and posts business meeting agendas 10 calendar days prior to the meeting. The motion was made by Commissioner Allen Brand, seconded by Commissioner Hanslick, and passed 5' 2.

Why it matters: county staff estimated the current structure requires significant staff time (an internal case study found a typical agenda item consumed dozens of staff-hours) and that freeing regular meeting weeks for study sessions and committees could create more time for policy deliberation and cross-departmental collaboration. The pilot aims to test whether alternating lighter "routine" weeks with heavier "business" weeks will preserve transparency while leaving more time for policy work and for staff to prepare.

What staff presented

Assistant County Manager Adam Norris and the innovation team outlined four options ranging from alternating agenda-review and action weeks to eliminating agenda review and moving to weekly business-only meetings. Option D, the one the board directed staff to place on the Dec. 4 agenda, would keep weekly meetings but alternate the content emphasis; it was described as the least disruptive to statutory expectations while freeing time for study sessions and COWs. Staff also recommended publishing business meeting agendas 10 calendar days before meetings to give commissioners and the public more lead time.

Commissioner concerns and compromise

Several commissioners expressed concern about removing or reducing agenda-review meetings, which some described as essential for newer members or commissioners with limited staff availability. Staff proposed several operational mitigations, including a running preview calendar of forthcoming items and standing availability of department leads in a predictable time slot for commissioner questions. The approved motion instructs staff to bring a formal calendar item on Dec. 4; formal adoption and any charter or procedural changes would come only after that meeting.

Next steps

Staff will prepare a calendar item and the revised 2026 board calendar for the Dec. 4 business meeting, including language describing a six-month pilot period, posting timelines, and evaluation criteria to be used at the end of the pilot. The Board voted to place that item on the Dec. 4 agenda (motion passed 5-2).