Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Civic Engagement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tequesta council seeks policy for advisory boards: sunsets, term limits and youth participation recommended
Summary
Council discussed a broad policy for advisory boards and recommended limiting new boards, adopting term limits and sunset reviews, quarterly meetings, and allowing applicants age 16 and older for advisory roles; staff will return with draft resolutions and policy language.
Council discussed advisory boards and committees at length on June 1. Staff presented historical context — the Village previously operated advisory groups such as a business advisory board, an environmental advisory committee (EAC) and ad‑hoc steering committees for specific projects. Problems filling seats, staff time to support boards, and Florida’s Sunshine Law responsibilities were raised as constraints.
Council sentiment coalesced around a small set of governance changes: require clear stated purpose for new advisory boards; impose term limits (suggested three‑year terms with recommended sunsetting after one or two term cycles), set meeting frequency expectations (quarterly by default), limit board sizes (suggested five members for many advisory boards), and allow applicants aged 16 and older to apply for non‑quasi‑judicial advisory roles (with a suggested cap of one applicant under 18 per board). Staff will draft a policy and suggested resolutions for future council consideration.
Representative quote: A council member said, "I don't want to create a committee for the sake of creating a committee — there should be a purpose and staff capacity to support it."
Next steps: staff will produce a draft policy that includes sunset and term limits, guidance on board composition, and implementation impacts for clerk and staff support; the draft will be returned to council for review.
