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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Family Advisory Board 2017-05-03RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, May 3, 2017 Minutes of a regular meeting of the Family Advisory Board of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held in the Room 203 of Town Hall, in said Town of Estes Park on the 3rd day of May, 2017. Present Laurie Dale -Marshall Karen Randinitis Jessica McGee Nancy Almond Courtney Hill John Bryant Bin Greer Floyd Collins Rachel Balduzzi Jodi Roman Marion Stallworth Also Present: Ron Norris, Town Board Liaison Travis Machalek, Assistant Town Administrator Suzanna Simpson, Administration Executive Assistant Absent: Shannon Faith Assistant Town Administrator Machalek started the meeting at 10:03 a.m. Informal meeting with no action to be taken as meeting processes will be set (and officers will be elected) at the first meeting after Town Board adoption of the Family Advisory Board bylaws. Welcome and Introductions Town Board Liaison Norris provided opening comments and thanked members for their participation. He explained his role as liaison was to ensure communication between this board and Town board. This advisory board will set agendas and focus on the pertinent issues affecting families in Estes Park. Trustee Norris also recommended that board members become familiar with the Town's strategic plan as action items from this advisory board will need to be tied to the strategic plan to receive priority from the Town board. Trustee Norris facilitated introductions and roundtable discussion by asking board members various questions about what they feel is most important for a Family Advisory Board, along with general background information for each board member. Responses from the board included communication, openness to put aside bias, accountability, coming up with "outside of the box" solutions, and tapping into individual strengths. Member Collins thanked Trustee Norris for his efforts into putting together a well- rounded advisory board. Trustee Norris stressed the importance of effective communication and fostering an environment of diversity. Member Hill inquired as to whether there was any interest from Hispanic community members to be on the board. Trustee Norris indicated there was possibly interest but also hesitation and stressed that the board has room to grow. Discussion continued on representation of segments of the Hispanic community and how to engage with those community members. This was identified as an immediate priority for the board, in addition to representation from all segments of the community including youth and seniors. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Family Advisory Board — May 3, 2017 — Page 2 Process and Staff Role Assistant Town Administrator Machalek went over the role of Town of Estes Park staff and basic administrative processes of the board. He also advised the board that Colorado Open Meetings procedures apply to all Town of Estes Park advisory boards. This includes having all conversations that include all board members in a public setting — so it is important not to "reply all" to emails. For information that needs to be sent to all board members, please send to Executive Assistant Simpson to send to the board, otherwise, discussions involving all board members should be held until scheduled board meetings. Bylaws The board reviewed and commented on the draft bylaws. Member Hill brought up the need for clarification of the term "working families." The term is intended to address all manner of working families in the Estes Valley. After discussion, it was agreed to strike the term "working families" in order to be inclusive of all families. Member Greer questioned the appointment process and requested clarification on the Town's role in appointing members, both initially and moving forward. Trustee Norris clarified that as an advisory board to the Town board, all members would be interviewed and approved by the Town board. Advisory board members are encouraged to recommend members that they feel would enhance the group and align with its mission. Member Greer further questioned why the processes outlined in the bylaws were so elaborate and why the Town board was so heavily involved. Trustee Norris gave historical context to the current advisory boards to the Town board. Member Almond commented that some level of formality is needed for a board of this stature and that she did not foresee the Town board denying membership to anyone recommended by the advisory board. Member Dale -Marshall further commented that representation is a priority and that advisory board members should trust in the process and continue to build and foster trust as a group. It is most important that to ensure the board is a good representation of the community. Member Bryant expressed concern over the residential requirements as stated in the bylaws referencing the school district; concerned that this could exclude parts of the population. Discussion continued over the best way to ensure members are representing the immediate needs of the Estes Valley. Member Collins reiterated that the requirements are applicable to board members, not the segment of the community that would be represented. No change will be made to this language. Trustee Norris commented that he was impressed by the high level of priority placed in on inclusivity by this board and will be sure to take that back to the Town board. Member Hill requested clarification on language referring to policy development. Assistant Town Administrator Machalek clarified that the advisory board would provide direction for policy changes or creation to the Town board, which would then direct staff. He cited code changes as an example. Member Bryant inquired as to whether it would be required to have a mission and vision. Trustee Norris recommended that the board add it as an agenda item for a future meeting. Member Collins reiterated that a mission and vision were important to convey to the community what the board was doing. Member Roman suggested the creation of a survey to gather input from the public. Member Bryant agreed that engagement should be an important focus for the board to determine the appropriate direction and goals. Member Randinitis spoke about data collection efforts with Communities that Care and how that could tie in to data needed for the board. Further, she would like to use the information to eliminate overlap in the RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Family Advisory Board — May 3, 2017 — Page 3 community with regards to all nonprofits and committees and help them to focus efforts. She recommended that board members view the Lafayette survey conducted through Communities that Care on the Boulder County Public Health website. The group discussed working with other partners that have similar missions to be sure everyone is working together and not duplicating efforts. Member McGee will send the Housing Needs Assessment to the group. Member Bryant expressed concerns about workflow and communication, having to adhere to open meetings and is worried that it will be prohibitive. Discussion continued with the entire board in regards to communication. Assistant Town Administrator Machalek reiterated that the earlier process discussed with Open Meetings refers only to communications with the entire board — working groups of the advisory board are free to have email conversations or use shared work product through services like Google Drive or Dropbox. Member Bryant would like to hear from other advisory boards for lessons learned and recommendations. Assistant Town Administrator Machalek stated that we could invite Public Works Director Greg Muhonen, as well as any members involved since the beginning of those boards. Member Bryant inquired about the agenda process and how items are communicated to the Town board. Assistant Town Administrator Machalek clarified that staff would handle the process of moving items from the advisory board through the Town Board agenda - setting process. Member Almond also inquired if there was any requirement in bylaws to provide an annual report to town board. Assistant Town Administrator Machalek confirmed that the Town board will conduct an annual review of the advisory board and its work product, so the proactive approach of an annual report is recommended. Member Bryant suggested the addition of alignment with the Town's strategic plan be added to bylaws. Member Greer stressed the need for the group to prioritize creative thinking despite the structural restrictions. Trustee Norris agreed that the group should be creative in concepts and discussions, but the procedures are in place to allow effective processes and to be sure that recommendations to the Town board contain the appropriate data and substance. The bylaws will be added to the May 9 Town board agenda. Future meetings Future meetings will take place the first Thursday of each month from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. beginning June 1. Meetings will be held in Room 203 at Town Hall unless there is an existing conflict with the meeting space. The meeting was adjourned at 11:47 a.m.