MEETINGS AND HOW TO RUN THEM EFFECTIVELY
Committee/Boards operate by meeting and discussing issues
The trick is to make sure that meetings are not unnecessarily scheduled and discussions are not unduly long-winded. Everyone has something valuable to contribute, but knowing when, and how, to control discussions can make the difference between side-tracked dialogue, and an insightful observation. Public meetings are the place where most Committee Board members spend the majority of their working time and where their public reputations are made. All too often, the impressions upon public are negative because the Boards /Committees commit one or more of the five (5) "cardinal sins" of conducting a public meeting. They are:
1. Not Controlling the Meeting
If many people want to speak in a limited time, speaking time should be rationed (except at a public hearing) so all may be heard. A helpful method is requesting a show of hands of those who wish to speak on a particular subject, then making a time allocation and holding to it. It is not necessary to permit individuals to have second and third opportunities. However, a statement concerning this should be made at the onset.
2. Appearing to Seem Unfair
Committee/Board members should not bring up the pros and cons of an agenda item before all testimony and evidence have been presented. Then, the discussion should stay on the facts presented, not on the presenters.
3. Failing to Bring Issues to a Vote
Many Board and/or Committee members get so bogged down in petty details, endless searches for new data and procedural distractions that matters brought before them never seem to be resolved. Some Boards /Committees have taken so long to make a decision that, by the time a decision reaches the next level of government, conditions have changed the affected proposal and, therefore, the recommendations are obsolete.
4. Wasting People's Time
According to Sec. 12.05,Town Meetings, of the Kittery Town Charter, a vote must be taken to extend the meeting past 10:00 p.m. and that all meetings must end no later than 11:00 p.m. Therefore, don't make people who have come for a 7:00 p.m. hearing wait hours to be heard, or worse yet, make them come back again because there was not enough time. Try to stick to the items listed on the agenda.
Since the Board/Committee usually has the time to make decisions after the public hearing, don't fear holding the Board/Committee discussion over until the next meeting when sufficient time does not remain at a meeting. Schedule an extra meeting now and then to clear any backlog of items that need to be considered.
5. Avoid the appearance of impropriety
Trust in the government must be continuously earned. Committee /Board members who have business or financial interest, or relatives or close friends who would stand to profit from a decision obviously should not participate in the decision-making and should recuse themselves from the entire hearing so no opportunity exists for them to appear to influence their colleagues. Councilors, Committee and/or board members are elected or appointed to make tough decisions, not to avoid them.
See Appendices -
Please note the appendices have been extracted from the Town Charter and/or Town Code and are subject to revision
| 
