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The Woodside Town Council held a study session on June 25 to consider the effectiveness of maintaining a council-appointed committee system to engage volunteers. Residents see value in the committees and expressed concerns about the council’s discussion on changing the committee system. According to Council member Chris Shaw, the biggest problems that volunteer committees face are: the requirement to attend meetings in person, trouble making quorums, loss of membership and review of committee applicants.
The discussion was intended to “ensure that the town is making the best use of valuable volunteer hours being offered to the community,” states the staff report.
“I don’t believe that any of us have any intentions of disbanding or dismantling or ending volunteer committees,” said Shaw in response to public commenters.
A meeting was held on June 12, 2023 with volunteer committee chairs, the town manager, council members and other town staff for volunteers to share their thoughts and ideas.
The Brown Act, California’s open meeting law, currently prohibits the attendance of local advisory board members from attending meetings remotely, which was allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote attendance for local advisory boards was taken away in February 2023 when California’s COVID-19 State of Emergency ended. The lack of flexibility has made it difficult for members to maintain their commitment to attend meetings and therefore, causing challenges to meet quorum, according to the staff report.
Assembly Bill 817, which would extend remote meeting policies to local agencies, failed passage during a June 5 Senate committee hearing but will be reconsidered.
Ideas were presented for committees to be independent from the Town Council and staff to avoid formal requirements to make quorum, hold meetings under the Brown Act and be able to select committee members. Town Manager Kevin Bryant clarified that independence would not prohibit the town staff and council from attending and advising the committees.
During public comment, committee members called for more guidance from council liaisons, more communication with council members and town staff and for the committees to participate in the appointment of new volunteer members rather than the appointment by council members.
Anne Kaston, a former Woodside Mayor, highlighted the “sense of belonging” and the power to make a difference that residents feel when they participate in committees. “The best thing I have ever done in my life, even beyond my career, was volunteering for this town,” said Kasten.
Residents value their ability to serve on multiple committees but are worried about the council making changes to the current system that are unnecessary. “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” said Arts and Culture Committee Founder Tom Johnson.
“There’s nothing in the report, either alone or in combination, that can be called a problem. I’d like to know why we’re even spending time on this when real issues pose threats to the community such as severe drainage issues,” said Maggie Mah, a member of the Trails Committee.
Council members encourage committee chairs to hold discussions with their committees to consider how the proposed changes would benefit their work.
“I do challenge committees to have these discussions within their own meetings and really think about whether they are serving the community the best way they can within the structures of Woodside’s town government,” said Council member Ned Fluet.
Mayor Jenn Wall expressed her appreciation for the volunteers and the enthusiasm they have for serving the community.
“We heard a lot of frustration tonight but at the same time, a lot of you showed up and I think that really demonstrates just the level of commitment that all of you have for the experience of being on the volunteer committees,” said Wall.
Editor’s note: Maggie Mah is an Almanac contributing writer.
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Anne Kasten, spelled with an e, not an o.