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Trustees approve 4 p.m. meeting start over objections that timing shuts out public
Summary
The Anderson Community School Board approved its agenda and proceeded with a 4 p.m. meeting despite trustees' objections that the early start kept working residents from attending public comment. A roll call showed mixed votes and no patrons were present to speak.
The Anderson Community School Board of Trustees approved its agenda at a 4:00 p.m. meeting despite objections from several trustees that the early start time prevented members of the public from attending.
The board president said scheduling the meeting for 4:00 p.m. was her decision because an executive session was planned after the public meeting. The president said the agenda had been posted a week earlier. "That was my call this time because we have an executive session after," the board president said.
Trustee Rodney (board member) said the timing deprived the public of opportunity for input and announced he would vote against approving the meeting schedule: "My vote is no," Rodney said during the roll call.
A motion to approve the meeting and agenda as submitted was made and seconded. The transcript records the roll call as four votes in favor, two opposed and one abstention; the motion carried and the board proceeded. The transcript does not record the chair's name; the chair is referred to in the transcript as "Madam President." No patrons had signed up to provide public comment when the board opened that portion of the agenda; Mr. Chamberlain (board member) interrupted to say he had not known about the earlier start and that "nobody knew about it because it's at 4:00."
The scheduling dispute referenced a prior occasion when the board had tabled a vote on Dr. Cronk's contract for similar reasons. At that earlier meeting, trustees had delayed action because trustees said members of the public could not attend a 4:00 meeting. On this occasion, the president said hiring decisions had been handled by building committees and urged the board to continue with the agenda.
The meeting record shows the board took formal votes and then moved into the Human Resources report and other business.
The board did not take public testimony during the scheduled public-comment period because there were no patrons signed up; trustees pressed procedural questions about separating items from the consent HR report later in the meeting.
