Trustees review operating procedures; discuss 12‑day agenda deadline, 24‑hour consent notice and anonymous-message guidance
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Summary
At a board workshop trustees reviewed operating-procedure updates including a proposal to require agenda items 12 days before meetings, a recommendation to give 24 hours' notice before pulling items from consent when feasible, and guidance not to respond to anonymous communications. Staff will update procedures and return them in January.
The board reviewed proposed updates to its operating procedures and discussed practical changes to agenda timing, consent-agenda practice, and communications protocols.
The meeting chair asked trustees to read a draft update and suggested moving the agenda-submission deadline from eight days to 12 calendar days to match the current practice of posting agendas on the Wednesday before a Tuesday meeting. Several trustees agreed that 12 calendar days accounts for weekends and the executive meeting schedule.
Trustees debated a proposal that members give 24 hours' notice before asking to pull an item from the consent agenda so staff and trustees can be prepared for discussion. Board members emphasized that the change should not eliminate a trustee's right to pull an item and that exceptions may arise for time-sensitive matters; the group generally supported a 24‑hour heads-up in normal circumstances, preserving discretion for urgent situations.
The board also discussed communications practices. The document reiterates an existing policy that anonymous calls, letters or electronic communications will not receive board attention or a formal response. Trustees discussed whether to retain that wording as guidance or make it a directive, and urged care when engaging on social media to avoid speaking for the board. Trustees endorsed continuing to use a shared Google spreadsheet for routine informational questions and asked staff to ensure timely, board‑wide distribution of responses to member requests.
Trustees also noted executive-session confidentiality and asked staff to update the operating procedures to reflect agreed clarifications. The board will receive a cleaned-up draft for consideration and possible action at the January meeting.