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Board adopts teleconferencing findings to ease committee vacancies
Summary
Mariposa County adopted a resolution allowing eligible subsidiary advisory bodies to use Brown Act teleconferencing provisions, adding two Yosemite West committees and requiring one staff person at the physical site and remote members on video. Officials said the change aims to reduce 62 vacancies across committees.
The Mariposa County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution May 19 authorizing eligible subsidiary bodies to use teleconferencing under recent Brown Act changes, with two committee amendments added for Yosemite West.
Clerk of the Board Danielle Bonshu told the board the intent is to reduce volunteer vacancies by allowing members to join remotely. “Every committee on this resolution listed as a subsidiary body, we have 62 vacancies across all of them,” Bonshu said, noting that teleconferencing could broaden the pool of volunteers.
Supervisors pressed for clarifications on implementation: remote members must appear on video, a staff member must be physically present at the designated location, and committees must designate a consistent physical location unless they take an action to change it. Bonshu said the county will look to deploy portable 360-degree cameras (an "owl" device) in the coming fiscal year to support remote participation where reliable Wi‑Fi is available.
Supervisor Poe and others said the change will particularly help remote districts where committee members travel long distances. Poe described a planning commissioner who lives near the Tuolumne County line and regularly drives 90–105 minutes to attend meetings, saying teleconferencing could make service feasible for more residents.
The board approved two clerk-proposed amendments to add the Yosemite West District Advisory Committee and the Yosemite West Planning Advisory Committee to the eligible list, then voted to adopt the resolution. The measure passed unanimously with Supervisor Smalcom excused.
The resolution does not alter committee duties or authority; it changes meeting access and sets operational rules (designated physical location, staff presence and video for remote members). Individual committees must decide to use the provision and may later change the designated location by formal action.
