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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOARD MINUTES 03-30-23 (Special)LCENTRAL SAN MINUTES* SPECIAL BOARD MEETING Board Room Thursday, March 30, 2023 2:30 p.m. Open Session - Board Room (Video recorded) ROLL CALL BOARD OF DIRECTORS• BARBARA D. HOCKETT President MARIAHN. LAURITZEN President Pro Tern MICHAEL R. MCGILL TAD J. PILECKI DIVISION 3 - VACANT A special meeting of the Board of Directors was called to order by President Hockett at 2:30 p.m. Secretary of the District Katie Young called roll: PRESENT. Members: Lauritzen, McGill, Pilecki, Hockett ABSENT: Members: None PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Board, staff and audience joined in the Pledge of Allegiance. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD No comments. DIVISION 3 BOARD MEMBER SEAT VACANCY 1. Hold discussion regarding next steps and finalize the April 4, 2023 interview process and schedule for the Division 3 Board Member seat vacancy President Hockett announced there were twelve candidates for the vacancy and thanked all those that applied and their interest to serve the District. She addressed the Board on the task at hand and to keep an open mind of this opportunity to enhance the diversity and depth of the Board with a candidate to represent the customers. These summary minutes are supplemented by a corresponding video recording available on the District's website at centralsan.org. Book 71 - Page 49 CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT March 30, 2023 Special Board Meeting Minutes — Book 71-Page 50 Member McGill inquired how many votes it would take to appoint a candidate. District Counsel Kent Alm responded three votes. Member Lauritzen requested a future agenda item be added regarding the addition of a note to future appointment applications regarding not being disqualified for a felony. She suggested making a policy on this. There was consensus from all Board Members on adding a future agenda item. Moving forward with the agenda, President Hockett suggested discussion and a motion occur for all ten items included in this agenda item memorandum. 1.a. Decide whether interviews will be conducted with all applicants on April 4, 2023 or screen the list of applicants at the March 30 meeting and limit the number of interviews on April 4. Member Pilecki opined that it would be unrealistic to think the Board could do an adequate job interviewing all twelve applicants and suggested limiting the number of applicants to interview. There was a discussion regarding the number of applicants and how the Board Members would like to screen the application. There was discussion of an additional step after the initial interview to screen applicants by having an informal reception. BOARD ACTION: Motion was made by Member Pilecki to narrow down the interview list to a manageable number and if the Board is indecisive about the top two candidates, a second interview will occur as part of April 6 Board Meeting. Member Pilecki amended his above motion to include that the interviews will be conducted on the same day. The amended motion was seconded by Member Lauritzen. Motion passed by the following vote: AYES: Members: Lauritzen, McGill, Pilecki NOES: Members: Hockett 1.b. Should the Board choose to limit the number of interviews, then the Board would need to determine a process for screening applications at the March 30 meeting and complete the screening and ranking Motion was made by Member Pilecki, seconded by Member Lauritzen to allow each Board Member to use their own criteria to rank the candidates based off the written applications. General Manager Roger S. Bailey advised for the benefit of the public, staff could review the summary of applications and resumes, included in the agenda materials, and the Board could rank the candidates based off that information. Member Pilecki withdrew his motion. CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT March 30, 2023 Special Board Meeting Minutes — Book 79-Page 59 BOARD ACTION: Motion was made by Member Lauritzen, seconded by Member Pilecki to read the summary included in the agenda materials of the candidates experience and education. Motion passed by unanimous roll call vote. Ms. Young read aloud the entire summary of applications spreadsheet. Discussion continued regarding the candidates and the members provided their preferred short list. Member McGill provided his top four candidates: Thomas Beatty, Kathleen Odne, Scott Rafferty, and Mona Gupta. Member Lauritzen provided her top six candidates: Mona Gupta, Florence Wedington, Kathleen Odne, Scott Rafferty, Thomas Beatty, and Robert Kelso. Member Pilecki provided his top six candidates, in the order received: Jim Nejedly, Kathleen Odne, Scott Rafferty, Paul Causey, Florence Wedington, and Robert Kelso. President Hockett provided her top five candidates: Jim Nejedly, Kathleen Odne, Florence Wedington, Mona Gupta, and Chris Tina Spillett. The names receiving the highest number of common votes were: Kathleen Odne (4), Florence Wedington (3), Mona Gupta (3), and Scott Rafferty (3). BOARD ACTION: Motion was made by Member McGill, seconded by President Hockett to interview the top four candidates in common of the Board Members. Discussion ensued. Member Pilecki opposed and advocated that Mr. Nejedly and Mr. Causey be included in the top candidates as both were prior elected Board Members and that it would be a disservice to them to not to be a part of the process. He spoke about criteria that should be considered, including civic commitment, employment relations, diversity, equity and inclusion, and other subject matters. Member McGill called for a point -of -order as he opined the discussion was being argued outside of the motion. Mr. Alm stated that Member Pilecki's comments were an argument against the motion on the floor and were appropriate to be heard. Member Pilecki continued to express his firm position to not limit the interviews to four candidates but to have six candidates. CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT March 30, 2023 Special Board Meeting Minutes — Book 79-Page 52 Motion passed by the following roll call vote: AYES: Members: Lauritzen, McGill, Hockett NOES: Members: Pilecki ABSTAIN: Members: None For the benefit of the public, Mr. Bailey reconfirmed the final four candidates to move forward with an interview. Kathleen Odne, Scott Rafferty, Mona Gupta, and Florence Wedington. 2. Confirm the number of questions to ask each applicant per Board Member (e.g., two or fewer) BOARD ACTION: Motion was made by Member McGill, seconded by Member Lauritzen to allow each Board Member to ask two questions in the assigned areas. Motion passed by unanimous roll call vote. BOARD ACTION: Motion was made by Member McGill, seconded by Member Pilecki to allow Board Members to ask follow-up questions if time allows. Motion passed by unanimous roll call vote. 3. Set a time limit for response to each question per candidate (e.g., three -minutes per response). BOARD ACTION: Motion was made by Member Lauritzen, seconded by Member McGill to allow five minutes per question with five minutes left to spill over (45 minutes total per interview). Motion passed by unanimous roll call vote. Mr. Alm asked for clarification on the five minutes and if a clock was going to be set. President Hockett stated that she believes it would be an overall timeframe and not be necessarily that rigid. Member Lauritzen agreed and stated that the goal would be to answer each question in five minutes, and to conclude the overall interview within 45 minutes. BOARD ACTION: Motion was made by Member McGill, seconded by Member Lauritzen to have a clock set at five minutes with recognition that the Board President has the discretion to allow more time to answer a question. Discussion ensued. Member Pilecki stated to provide a 45-minute window rather regulate to hard level of detail and allow the candidate to manage their interview time so they could answer in more detail in areas of their interest. CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT March 30, 2023 Special Board Meeting Minutes - Book 71-Page 53 Motion failed by the following vote: AYES: Members: Lauritzen NOES: Members: McGill, Pilecki ABSTAIN: Members: Hockett 4. Set a cap to the total length of each interview, regardless of all questions posed (e.g., 30-minutes per candidate). Item 4 was decided with Item 3 above as 45 minutes per interview. 5. Determine the order in which the candidates will be scheduled (e.g., order in which application was received, alphabetical order, or by a random draw). BOARD ACTION: Motion was made by Member Pilecki, seconded by Member McGill to determine the order of candidate interviews by random draw. Member Lauritzen requested flexibility in case the candidate needs a specific scheduled time. Member Pilecki stated that the names would be placed in a hat and the first candidate's name picked receives their first choice of interview times. Motion passed by unanimous roll call vote. 6. In order to be equitable, decide if all of the candidates need to be in attendance at the start of the meeting on April 4 and sit in the Multi -Purpose Room with no live - stream option or release the final interview questions to all interview candidates and allow each candidate to arrive at a suggested time for their scheduled interview. BOARD ACTION: Motion was made by Member McGill, seconded by Member Lauritzen to allow the candidates to listen to or be present during other candidate interviews. Motion passed by the following roll call vote: AYES: Members: Hockett, Lauritzen, McGill NOES: Members: None ABSTAIN: Members: Pilecki 7. If a candidate is unable to make the scheduled interview date/time, determine how to proceed. Member Pilecki inquired what the employee policy was should a candidate be unable to make a job interview. Human Resources and Organizational Manager Teji O'Malley advised that they would be disqualified. BOARD ACTION: Motion was made by Member Pilecki, seconded by Member McGill that should a candidate be unable to make an interview on April 4 they would be disqualified. CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT March 30, 2023 Special Board Meeting Minutes - Book 71-Page 54 Member Lauritzen asked for a modification to the motion, allowing for the candidate to interview on Thursday, April 6 should they be unable to make April 4. Member Pilecki denied the request to amend the motion. Motion passed by the following vote: AYES: Members: Hockett, McGill, Pilecki NOES: Members: Lauritzen ABSTAIN: Members: None 8. Determine whether a follow up/second interviews are necessary for the agreed upon top candidates. BOARD ACTION: Motion made by Member McGill, seconded by President Hockett that the possibility of second interviews, if necessary, will be conducted on April 6 to be decided on April 4. Motion passed by unanimous roll call vote. 9. Decide on whether a forced -ranking grading mechanism for ranking candidates is preferred BOARD ACTION: Motion was made by Member McGill, seconded by Member Pilecki to not use a forced -ranking mechanism for ranking the candidates. Member Lauritzen stated she was not opposed to the motion but was unsure of the alternative method. Member Pilecki stated that the individual Board Members could choose whatever method of ranking they would like. President Hockett inquired if the Board could go into closed session to discuss the candidates. Mr. Alm responded no, there was no provision in the Brown Act for a closed session on that basis. Motion passed by unanimous roll -call vote. 10. Determine the process to be taken in case of a tie -vote. BOARD ACTION: Motion was made by Member Lauritzen, seconded by Member Pilecki that should there be a tie -vote, a social with candidates and/or follow up interviews will occur on April 6. Motion passed by unanimous roll -call vote. Mr. Bailey requested the candidates' names be selected today for order of interview time choice. CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT March 30, 2023 Special Board Meeting Minutes — Book 71-Page 55 Director of Administration and Finance Philip Leiber randomly pulled the final four candidate names in the following order Florence Wedington Kathleen Odne Scott Rafferty Mona Gupta The Board Members discussed the scheduled times of interviews. BOARD ACTION: Motion was made by Member Pilecki, seconded by Member McGill to set the interview schedule for the following: First Interview: 10:00 a.m. Second Interview: 11:00 a.m. Lunch Third Interview: 1:00 p.m. Fourth Interview: 2:00 p.m. Deliberation: 3:00-5:00 p.m. Motion passed by unanimous roll -call vote. 2. Receive and consider applications received for the Division 3 Board Member seat vacancy BOARD ACTION: Received candidate applications. ANNOUNCEMENTS None. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 4:03 p.m. Barbara D. Hockett President of the Board of Directors Central Contra Costa Sanitary District County of Contra Costa, State of California CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT March 30, 2023 Special Board Meeting Minutes - Book 71-Page 56 COUNTERSIGNED: �9'�k. Katie Youn Secretary of the District Central Contra Costa Sanitary District County of Contra Costa, State of California