Recreation Commission discusses reducing membership from seven to five, tables decision until fall

At its July 7 meeting, the Fraser Recreation Commission considered a staff proposal to revise its bylaws and reduce the commission from seven members to five, which would lower the quorum requirement to three.

A staff member raised the suggestion, saying, “I just wanted to discuss it out loud and get a feel for what you guys feel about potentially moving it from seven people to five people, which would mean we would need three people for quorum.” Commissioners responded that recruitment has been a challenge and recommended delaying a formal change until potential members can be recruited.

Commissioner input favored a pause. “Starting I would like… to see us maybe table it till fall,” one commissioner said, urging a few months’ delay so prospective members can be recruited and considered. The chair also said she was attempting to recruit additional volunteers and suggested tabling the proposal for a few months to see whether candidates come forward.

Members asked staff to check the existing bylaws for any restrictions — for example, whether family members may serve concurrently — before bringing a formal amendment forward. The commission verbally agreed to revisit the proposal in the fall (committee members discussed October or November as possible reconsideration dates) rather than immediately proposing an ordinance or formal bylaw amendment.

Next steps recorded during the meeting: staff will follow up on potential recruits, verify bylaw language on member eligibility, and return to the commission with recommendations later in the year. No formal vote on changing the bylaws was taken at the July 7 meeting.