Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board debates planning‑commission appointments and staff evaluations; approves bonuses while postponing detailed improvement plans
Summary
After extended debate, the board postponed an ordinance change on planning‑commission appointments for legal review, discussed aggregated evaluations for corporation counsel and director of administration, kept the corporation counsel salary at $140,000 plus a $600 bonus and approved a $600 bonus for the director while deferring larger pay actions pending a follow‑up review.
Two governance issues dominated the evening: a proposed change to how the county planning commission’s members are appointed, and the board’s newly completed evaluations of two top county officials.
Planning commission appointments: committee members considered a resolution to change the county planning ordinance so that the full board (rather than the chair alone) appoints planning‑commission members. Debate focused on whether the change should require representation from each commissioner’s district and on the legal constraints of commission size. Some commissioners argued the board should recommend one candidate per district for full board approval; others cautioned adding appointees could inflate commission size or require ordinance edits. The committee voted to postpone the ordinance change and return it to Government Operations with corporation‑counsel review and the option to present alternative appointment models.
Evaluations and pay decisions: Government Operations presented aggregated performance evaluations and an attached professional improvement plan for Corporation Counsel Brian D. McMillan and Director of Administration Joshua Freeman. Commissioners discussed monthly check‑ins, a three‑member review panel, standards of conduct and what ‘‘next steps’’ should mean if expectations are not met. Several commissioners voiced substantive conduct concerns about the director of administration and said pay increases should be tied to demonstrable improvement. Others urged the board to treat the evaluations as a baseline and provide time for improvement.
Outcomes in committee and finance: the finance committee later voted to keep Corporation Counsel’s salary at $140,000, add the county benefit package and award a $600 one‑time bonus (vote recorded 6–2). The director of administration received a $600 one‑time bonus; larger or ongoing adjustments were deferred pending further review tied to performance and conduct milestones. Commissioners directed staff to return with clarified performance‑plan language, legal review and a timeline for follow‑up check‑ins.
What happens next: the board postponed final adoption of the proposed professional improvement plans to allow edits and legal review, and asked staff to return the planning‑commission ordinance amendment with alternative proposals and corporation‑counsel guidance.
