CFPD Hosted Board Workshop

Multiple Fire District representatives including Chiefs, Board members and firefighters from as far as Moke and Mi-wuk to as close as Copper descended upon Copperopolis Fire Protection Districts' large meeting room on Saturday 7-9-11 to participate in a 'Board Workshop' presented by Larry Crabtree of Crabtree Consulting Services. (Crabtree Consulting Services specializes in "providing the full range administrative and management services to small and medium size fire departments.")

The workshop covered district governances, board dynamics, general laws, board meetings, human resources and more.

Though each subject was covered clearly, in the early part of the presentation the Brown Act saw the most interest in dialogue and discussion.

Larry pointed out that there are clear cut rules within the Brown Act yet there still remains subtle nuiances that needed to be covered, namely issues that are not violations but that could, and almost certainly do, lead to violations. Larry discussed the 'serial meeting' where by which a board member may call another board member to discuss business, which is legal, but if that same board member were to then call another board member to discuss the same issue, that would be a violation of the Brown Act. Also utilizing the Chief as an interim conduit for conversations between board members, as in a 'he said this what do you think?' scenario, would be covered by the Brown Act and would be a violation.

A question arose as to whether a secretary could submit draft minutes of a board meeting to all members for corrections or clarification prior to submitting them for approval at the following board meeting.   Larry emphasized that changes to minutes should be conducted in the 'public eye.' Stating that "agencies that conduct the publics' business must do so in the publics' eye."

Continuing with Brown Act questions, a Fire Chief questioned that if in the course of his duties he requested from each Board member possible items that they would like to place on the upcoming agenda, if that would be a violation. Larry felt that those conversations would naturaly lead to a violation due to the possible continuance of a conversation on the requested agenda item or the forwarding of information to other board members, but the simple request, if no conversation followed it would be permissable. Yet he reiterated the importance of clear public access, stating that if information to be posted on an agenda is gathered in such a way the Board members name should be attributed to the request on the agenda.

Multpile views and scenarios were covered as to how and when more than two board members may be in the same vicinity at the same time. For instance community events, fire district fund raisers, parades, etc. All social events where most likely at least three board member will be present. As long as NO discussion of Fire District business takes place, it is not a violation. Yet, Larry did say that the public will be watching and will be judging.

Larry pointed to a case recently of what he felt was a violation of the Brown Act by the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors when three Supervisors attended a meeting with a representative from the state yet the meeting was private and bared media access. "That was a clear violation of the Brown Act."

The meeting began at 9 am and continued throughout the morning and into the afternoon.

Four of CFPD Board Members attended this workshop, Cheney, Maness, Andress and Marks, as well as acting Chief Cantrell and Office manager Belva Bristol.

For more information on Crabtree Consulting visit http://crabtreeconsulting.net/