Board debates who should speak to news media in first reading of revised policy 902.01

The board held a first reading and discussion of proposed changes to board policy 902.01, which governs communications with news media.

Director Lin introduced the suggested edits to allow the board president or, in the president's absence, the vice president to speak to the news media on behalf of the board. Director Lin said the change was intended to provide coverage when the president is unavailable for meetings or media inquiries.

Director Orin and others pushed back, arguing that minority or dissenting views can be important to community readers and that a policy limiting comment to a single speaker can obscure reasons behind votes. "Why can't someone who has a dissenting opinion talk about it?" one director asked, noting that state legislators often speak individually.

Director Castro and Director Engles defended the proposed language as a way to ensure consistent, board-level messaging and to protect personnel and sensitive personnel discussions from premature public commentary. Castro said moving forward they would ensure communication reflected board policy and the board's decisions.

The discussion ranged over whether board members could still use meeting recordings or the meeting tape to supplement public statements and whether the policy should permit all directors to speak to the press. The item was a first reading; members said a final reading will return to the board at a future meeting.

Board members asked staff to bring the policy back for a final reading with any agreed edits; no formal vote to change the policy was taken at this meeting.