HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.a.1) Approve minutes of Special Board Meeting held 2-16-17 6.a. 1
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MINUTES BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
PAUL H.CA USEY
SPECIAL BOARD MEETINGPresident
JAMES A..NEJEDLY
President Pro Terri
Board Room
MICHAEL R.MCGILL
Thursday, February 10, 2017 TAD J.PILECKI
G.�� p.�. DAVID R.WILLIAMS
DRAFT
Open Session — Executive Conference Room
(Not video recorded)
1. ROLL CALL
A special meeting of the Board of Directors was called to order by President Causey
at 12:02 p.m. Secretary of the District Elaine Boehme called roll:
PRESENT: Members: McGill, Nejedly, Pilecki, Williams (arrived at 12:15 p.m.),
Causey
ABSENT Members. None
2. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
No comments.
3. REVIEW AND DISCUSS - Results of the 2017 Board Self-Assessment survey.
Provide guidance regarding resulting work areas for the Board, if any.
General Manager Roger S. Bailey said this meeting was convened at the Board's
request to continue the process of self-assessment that began in September 2015
when Brent Ives, Principal of BHI Management Consulting and organizational
consultant to special districts, facilitated a Board Governance workshop. Mr. Bailey
distributed a summary of accomplishments in the areas of financial sustainability,
infrastructure sustainability, strategic plan development, community outreach,
employee development, and resource recovery, all of which have occurred over the
past four years, a time during which operations and maintenance costs have
remai
CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT
February 10, 20 1.7 Special Board Meeting Minutes- Page 2
Board Members-for being willing to participate in such a process. The Board
underwent its first self-assessment at the September 2015 Board Governance
Workshop, where the results of a comprehensive survey were reviewed. This
follow-up session was based on a more concise, 15-question survey of Board
Members and senior management staff. In reviewing his presentation, he said the
survey results revealed issues related to•
(1) where to draw the line between the Board's role and that of staff;
(2) Interactions between Board and staff during Committee meetings; and
(3) How effectively the Committee process is working, including how to decide
which items should receive Committee review.
Mr. Ives said one way to provide clarity regarding the tendency to micromanage is
for Board-Members to ask themselves what resources are needed for them to make
policy decisions. This should help limit Board Member requests for supplemental
information. He also said the onus is on the Board PresidentlComrnittee Chairs and
the General Manager to seek clarity during meetings on any direction given or
requests made by Board Members.
Mr. Ives noted that there is a cost associated with bringing (terns to a Committee
before going to the full Board. He suggested looking at Committee protocols to see
if there may be.room for improvement and, where there is consensus, memorializing
them in writing.
Member Nejedly said he did not complete the survey because the issues are the
same as during the last self-assessment. He believes that Committee meetings
tend to run too long. He also believes that the Board Members possess the depth of
knowledge to make good decisions, but too often try to run the District from the
Board, which is the General Manager's job. He noted that the General Manager
must walk a fine line in pushing back because that position reports to the Board.
Member McGill said that a lot of the issues are the same now as in 2015, but there
has been improvement. Earlier in the discussion President Causey had said he
believes that the interactions among Board Members during meetings has improved.
Member Ca usey said that one protocol might be that if two Committee Members do
not agree on a recommendation, then the item automatically should proceed to the
full Board.
Member Pilecki commented on the number of Board Member absences fast year
and the difficulty this creates for staff when scheduling items for consideration. He
also said that Board Member and staff usage of cell phones and iPads during
meetings can be distracting. Mr. Ives said the Board could develop a policy or
protocol on these issues.
CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT
February 16, 2017 Special Board Meeting Minutes - Page 3
Member- Williams said another policy item might be that there must be a consensus
of the Board►before staff moves forward with an Issue.
Due to time constraints, the discussion concluded with a few comments:
Member!McGill said he would like feedback from staff as to what they think the
Board does that makes their jobs more difficult.
Mr. Ives reiterated that once any processes or protocols are agreed upon, they
should be documented in the Board Member 1-handbook or in a policy.
4. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 1:27 p.m.
Paul H. Causey
President of the Board of Directors
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
County of Contra Costa, State of California
COUNTERSIGNED:
Elaine R. Boehme, GMC
Secretary of the District
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
County of Contra Costa, State of California