Attendance at board, commission, and committee meetings by appointed members

A. It is vital to the proper function of County government that duly appointed members of all boards, commissions, and committees fully and faithfully serve and attend all duly noticed, regularly scheduled meetings of their respective boards, commissions, and committees. B. It is the responsibility of departmental staff assigned to a respective board, commission, or committee to record and document the attendance of members at every duly noticed, regularly scheduled meeting. C. Attendance of each member will be recorded and documented at every board, commission, or committee meeting as either present, absent or unexcused, or excused. D. If a member is unable to attend a meeting of a board, committee, or commission of which they are a member, the member must notify the chairperson and departmental staff of the member's non-attendance, including the reason for the non-attendance, at least forty-eight hours prior to the start of the meeting. Except in cases of an emergency, failure of a member to provide the requisite notice within the time period specified will result in the member's non-attendance to be recorded and documented as unexcused or absent. In all other instances, it is the responsibility of the chairperson to determine whether a member's non-attendance is excused. E. In a six-month period, once a board, commission, or committee record reflects a member's non-attendance of fifty percent or more meetings, or absences of at least 25 percent of meetings, within thirty days of the member's last excused or unexcused absence, the chairperson of the board, commission, or committee must send a letter to the mayor, with a copy to the council, informing of the member's attendance record. F. If any board, commission, or committee chairperson fails to submit the letter to the mayor as set forth in subsection E, departmental staff will submit the letter on the board, commission, or committee's behalf. G. If the absence of members create a lack of quorum for a posted meeting, the absence will be counted as unexcused for those members even if that meeting was not held. ( Ord. No. 5070 , § 1, 2020)