Open meetin, a reality...

Discussion in 'Sun City General Discussions' started by BPearson, Apr 9, 2019.

  1. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    It's just before 10 pm on Monday April 8. My plan was to wait until tomorrow morning before sharing my thoughts on today's first ever open work session. I wanted to think about what went down and try and succinctly post comments that were clear. concise and coherent.

    To be clear, it was interesting and a bit disjointed. Nope, not being critical, just more honest about what needs to happen. The simple reality is whether the legislation passes, or doesn't, open work sessions are the order of the day.

    With this brief introduction, i will post the rest of my thoughts in the morning. Still lots to process, much of it good and some curious comments worth noting.

    In due time my friends, in due time.
     
  2. CMartinez

    CMartinez Well-Known Member

    You are so right, watched it on Youtube. And for a change actually got to see a little push back by some of the directors. I, too, and not desiring the USCensus use the RCSC as a base point for counting the residents. Any and all services would be administered through the county anyway, if any monies were ever allocated, so let the County do their due diligence and be the central focal point for numbers and nose counts. We have enough interference going on right now in our little backyard, let them go to the county and get what they need.

    I am also all for Director Vanness for wanting BP32 completely reinstated as written. BP32 was the section about the GM of the RCSC. See this as a segway into larger problems needing to be addressed by the GM and the management team. Also, Entertainment has a surplus of cash for speakers but not for room for the dance clubs? Hmmmm?

    Loved it, despite some of the rocky areas. Those will get ironed out as time continues. Did he say the only was to get a motion to the board was via committee? HMMMMMM?

    Loved how you kept your cool Bill, it is always a pleasure to watch you, even when there appears to be a disconnect on the speakers side of the table.
     
  3. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    A voyeur; that was my initial sensation as i sat there and watched as the first open work session unfolded. And i almost felt those on the stage were sensing some of the same. Starting out, it felt forced. Not a rap on them, but because it was new and different, they were treading lightly.

    I’m sure no one gave them a book on how to function while living in a fishbowl. Think about it this way; every board before them operated behind closed doors in these work sessions. In the past, they were able to speak more freely, argue more vehemently or agree more readily. Of course we never knew what they were doing, now we will.

    I felt as the meeting went on, there was a little more freedom. The problem/biggest difference was in the setting they were in, they were trying to function under Roberts’s Rules of Order. That alone can create a stiffness that makes them appear rigid and unmovable.

    With that said, i found as they went a long, they loosened up. When it is posted, you will see my comments. I would imagine most of us in the crowd felt like i did. At times it was like walking in on the middle of a conversation. Not sure of what they were talking about or where they were going.

    As i noted in my comments, i have probably sat in on 50 working sessions. I have a better than basic understanding than most, and this just seemed disjointed. If this is going to work, they need to figure out a way to get those in the room up to speed on what is being said.

    It is a work in progress, and it will get better. The one really positive was some of the board members were more willing to speak up and out. One of the more telling comments was made about the solar system. I had asked about that at the annual membership meeting that wasn’t and i’m not sure the answer i got was totally accurate. The point here is, now board members are able to speak openly about issues they find troubling. In the past, at work sessions, those comments may have been made but were lost behind closed doors.

    You know i have often said virtually no one is ever held accountable in Sun City. That has to change and under this new format that is more likely to happen. That’s good for Sun City and as we go down this road, board members will come to better understand their allegiance is to those who elected them and not to the management team. Sitting in open work sessions will afford them more freedom to share with us their concerns.

    That’s a really good thing.
     
  4. CMartinez

    CMartinez Well-Known Member

    I was reading several research papers and videos on how to run a successful meeting. The folks which spoke are all leaders in their field, and I really enjoyed listening to their ideas, because they were right on the money for meetings. Do not ask me to find the link again, I am not sure that I can, but I have highlighted some of the topics these people found to be the answers to a successfully run open meeting.

    The first one I really like. The speaker said since an agenda has been prepared, he expects everyone to be on top of the information contained within the subject. So, this means having relevant questions and open discussion about the topic to get the best of the ideas available.

    In the same vein, another commentator mentioned he asks everyone around the room for their opinion and/or feedback. He said having no opinion is not an option, as it means you did not do your homework.

    One of the women stated she does all of the information sharing and questions at the top of the meeting, while everyone is still fresh and the ideas are still on the top of their heads. She stated doing the approvals of notes and other mundane can be done at the end of the meeting, as this information doesn't change.

    Another male commentator says he calls people by name, and asks different questions. So not everyone gets the same question, forcing every member of the board to think about what the other comments were, and seek and find if you really do agree/disagree with the topic.

    Yes, there were a few others, but these ideas really stuck as a way to have an open, informational, involved and clarifying meeting. It is also a way to judge who is and is not keeping informed of the items needing to be addressed and not just passing the buck. I thought the ideas were really creative and could/should be incorporated into the RCSC open meeting agenda.
     
  5. BPearson

    BPearson Well-Known Member

    All good points Carole and i suspect they will find ways to make it more inclusive and informative as they travel down the road. And to be clear, yesterday was a paradigm shift of major proportion. Control freaks love closed door sessions. Those who believe in the power of the community and their enhanced role will quickly come to grasp just what yesterday meant. Nope, not perfect, but a major step forward.

    Imagine Carole if we had been able to hold our work sessions in open door arena's rather than being minimized and shuffled off to the sidelines behind closed doors. Holding discussions in an open setting places a dynamic in play we have not been able to establish when working from a minority position. When they have the votes behind closed doors, they do it because they can. When it is in the open, they have to be able to explain why or look foolish; if it's just because they want to, or worse yet, it's what management wants.


    If the legislation passes and the judge doesn't hammer us because of the RCSC's efforts to escape his ruling, it will be interesting to see if there is a push to retreat behind closed doors. I think more of the current board than that, but we'll see.
     
  6. CMartinez

    CMartinez Well-Known Member

    10-3722. Quorum requirements

    Unless chapters 24 through 40 of this title or the articles of incorporation provide for a higher or lower quorum the bylaws may provide the number or percentage of members entitled to vote, present or represented by proxy, or the number or percentage of votes entitled to be cast by members present or represented by proxy, that shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of members. In the absence of that provision, members, present or represented by proxy, holding one tenth of the votes entitled to be cast, shall constitute a quorum.

    Change the quorum to 500 and change the bylaws to reflect same number. Per ASRS Title 10-3722, quoted above, the bylaws set the quorum. Since the Bylaws already have a quorum number, the number may be changed at any time by vote of the board.

    The default of 10% is not valid, as there exists an arbitrary quorum number set by the RCSC Board of Directors many years ago. The number selected was to ensure Ann Randall Stewart could not take control of the board.

    Therefore, the precedent has been set, lower the quorum to allow for real annual meetings of the members.

    Took me forever to relocate this statute. Since I found it, thought I would put it to good use.
     

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