LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
27 AUGUST 2024
Chair Commissioner Matt Rubelsky opened the meeting by providing a prayer and leading the pledge. The minutes of 12 August 2024 were moved for approval by Commissioner Caleb Savage, seconded by Commissioner James Lathrop, and were approved unanimously. With the County Executive (CE) Graham Stowe having no announcements, the Chair asked if the public had any comments. Commissioner – elect Carmen Brown stated he had no comment at the time but could he speak later with the Chair saying yes.
With that the Chair moved to the first agenda item, Committee Integration and Regularity of Committee Scheduling. The CE gave some preliminary information on why this item was being reintroduced, i.e., considerable comments/proposals occurring over the 1 ½ years on scheduling and committees. The CE provided a digital presentation showing a proposed committee integration chart, grouping like committees together under three larger umbrellas. Those were Finance & Administration that would include business from existing budget, school, legislative and other committees; Public Safety including for example Emergency Services, and others; and Infrastructure including for example Building & Property, and others. Discussion included: With three proposed larger groups, rather than current 11 individual committees, how would commissioners serve, seven commissioners one from each district on a larger group, or would there still be seven commissioners serving on the current committees enveloped in the bigger group. Why change when status quo is working fine; School board and Commission working better than ever; Chairs have always chosen time of meetings. With 21 commissioners there will always be some that are inconvenienced given the chosen time of the day. Difficult to set personal future obligations with uncertainty of when county committees would meet. Availability of meeting room(s) after typical working hours. County employees needed after typical working hours. Concerns about more than two meetings in one day, with mental fatigue with three in one day. Consider work sessions similar to city of Pulaski. Set time limit on individual committee meetings. Whatever decided, would be a rule change and would require 2/3 members of full commission to support in order to be approved. Some time-blocking has been considered before, but with limited success. Certain committees, i.e., Highway and Sheriff’s, and their meeting times are jointly worked between commissioners and elected officials. Questions on pay with current $40 per committee meeting, but after next election will be a flat fee, and will have deductions if don’t attend (how would that work under the proposed three blocked areas). Considerable discussion as noted above including a couple of motions. At this time a motion by Commissioner James Lathrop, seconded by Commissioner Caleb Savage, was made to call for the question. The motion was approved. The final motion, amending an earlier motion, by Commissioner Terry Jones, seconded by Commissioner Evan Baddour, was restated, i.e., Block Finance & Administration at 9 o’clock on first Friday but driven by budget/school dependent on school board schedule; block public safety at 9 o’clock first Monday; and block infrastructure at 9 o’clock on second Tuesday, with understanding Highway Department and Sheriff Department will have options. Voting in full commission requires 2/3-member approval. Motion approved unanimously.
Next agenda item: Reducing Commission from 21 to 14. The CE noted this had been run up to the AG, with no new opinion issued but previous opinions only addressed redistricting. Areas discussed by commissioners: more representation people have, better. Fourteen more efficient but 21 provides more diversity. Odd numbers vs even with even ties being broken by CE. Could pick some at large commissioners. Giles a big county and even with three per district, sometimes those three are not spread evenly across their districts, but gives people more representatives for communication. With three per district, more input provides a better understanding of the challenges, so a learning plus too. In today’s makeup some if not all of the third-place winners are valuable participants in the discussions. Let people decide through a referendum (CE said based state guidance on referenda, that is not an optionin this case.) Perhaps table again since there is time before would be put into effect. (Member of public, Ellen Abernathy, and husband Joe, commented as new citizens of Giles, and with previous applicable experience, felt that a decision on fewer commissioners would result in more power being placed with fewer representatives. She supported having the 21 representatives.)
Unfinished business. Commissioner Terry Jones discussed a previous resolution developed by Commissioner Evan Baddour about beer permits and using distance requirements for approval, with some of those requests already having Liquor by the Drink state approval. He mentioned a drive to obtain 700 signatures opposing any changes to the distance ruling, and he said that had failed. Commissioner Terry Jones moved for a renewed consideration, and with Commissioner Evan Baddour providing a second, roll call was taken and with three for approval and with Commissioners James Lathrop, Annelle Guthrie, Caleb Savage and Matt Rubelsky voting no, motion failed 3 for and 4 against. Commissioner Terry Jones asked it be put on the full commission agenda in October.
A motion to adjourn was made by Commissioner Caleb Savage, seconded by Commissioner James Lathrop, and was approved unanimously.
ATTENDEES: Members of the Committee – Chair Commissioner Matt Rubelsky, other Commissioners Caleb Savage, Annelle Guthrie, Judy Pruett, Evan Baddour, Terry Jones, and James Lathrop (for Joyce Woodard, absent) Other Commissioners in attendance – Shelly Goolsby, Erin Curry, Gayle Jones, Rose Brown, David Adams, Tracy Wilburn, Tim Risner and Carmen Brown Commissioner-elect Others in attendance – County Executive Graham Stowe, EMS Director Bill Myers, members of the public who spoke Ellen and Joe Abernathy, and Scott Stewart.
