Culpeper County rules committee to recommend livestreaming for most county committees

The Culpeper County Rules Committee voted to send the full board a recommendation to amend board rules to require livestreaming and clearer agenda and notice practices for committees directly under county control, the panel said in its meeting.

The committee’s chair, Mandy Brent, opened the discussion and Dwayne McComb, who described himself as the staff lead implementing the change, framed the approach around three categories of committees: external boards outside county control; committees the county directly oversees (including subcommittees); and joint boards with other jurisdictions. "We are now live streaming the subcommittees," McComb said, and asked the committee to approve rule language that spells out when meetings must be noticed, where agendas must be posted, and how livestreaming will be handled.

Committee members debated how to treat boards that operate under their own bylaws. "I would put the library up under number 1," said Mr. Underwood, arguing the library board functions more like an external board. Members generally agreed external bodies that control their own bylaws should be handled differently, while committees under county control should follow consistent rules.

Mr. Payne urged broader transparency. "All these meetings need to be streamed. Everybody's looking for transparency," he said, adding that if the county participates in a meeting he expects it to be available to the public when feasible.

Committee members also discussed joint committees with the town and other localities, agreeing to encourage livestreaming in those cases while recognizing that interlocal consent may be required. Underwood said the county should publish preliminary agendas and dates so the public knows where and when meetings occur.

McComb outlined next steps and a timeline: parts of the program are already rolling out (he said a public safety item would proceed this week and Parks & Recreation would go live next month), staff will circulate a draft of revised rules next month, and he expected the changes to be adopted in September. "If I brought it for you, then I guess it'd be adopted officially in September," McComb said. The committee discussed presenting the draft to the full board in August so members could comment in advance.

Mr. Underwood moved that the rules committee forward to the full board a recommendation approving a livestreaming approach and preliminary agenda requirements for subcommittees; Mr. Payne seconded the motion. The committee approved the recommendation by voice vote; the transcript does not list a roll-call or tally. Members clarified the change will be added to the board's rules and procedures rather than created as a separate policy.

The committee asked staff to prepare the written rule language and to return the draft for review; the committee adjourned after the vote.