Public Meetings Redux (a.k.a Board Operations 102)

Burgeoning interest the state of the facilities at the Neil Cummins and Hall campuses resulted in a lot of people looking for ways to participate in last week's Board meeting. A lot of people, it seems, also got a frustrating lesson in the mechanics of public agency meetings.

I say this because more than a few people arrived at the 10/17 meeting expecting to be able to offer their opinion to the Board regarding the state of facilities and whether the district should pursue placing a facilities bond measure on the ballot in November 2011. The first thing these people heard was an introduction to the meeting in which the Board President informed the room that the Board meeting was a "meeting of the Board in public" not a "public meeting." If you feel like smashing your laptop or ipad on the table right now, you're not alone. The world of public agency management and oversight can seem labyrinthian, obtuse and, well, crazy-making. But it is true that the Board is significantly constrained by state law that governs public agency meetings. To read an overview of the primary requirements that impact the agenda and meeting process, see my previous post Board Operations 101 from September 30.

In case you skipped right past and didn't re-read my old post, and because my wife and editor is encouraging me to restate the primary point, here it is: The Board can schedule a public hearing (agenda item including both public comment and Board discussion) on any subject it wants, with limited exceptions. The procedure often used by our Board, where items are discussed in public but public comment time is not included, is used by choice, not because that's the way it has to be. In case you doubt this, keep reading because...

...Since last week's meeting the ground has shifted a bit. Dr. Pitts' blast email of November 20 announced that the December 15 Board meeting (and, presumably all subsequent Board meetings until a decision is made regarding filing for the November 2011 election) will include time for public comment on facilities. One lesson here is that weighing in with your emails and personal presence at meetings can indeed influence the Board agenda. And rightfully so. The Board does, after all, work for us. We elected them to represent us, which should include actively listening to us. However, a second lesson is that you need to be persistent.

I sense the presence of a lot of persistent folks out there on the topic of our school facilities. I think the upcoming Board meetings, and separate public meetings/workshops that are reportedly being planned, will be well attended. I look forward to seeing you all at one or another of these events. I'm confident that together we can participate in a thoughtful process that will result in a well-informed path forward toward a successful bond measure and improved facilities for the benefit of all our kids and the Twin Cities community.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving holiday.

-Rob