001So, we're going to resume our uh summer board workshop session for July 23rd at 2 p.m. >> Thank you guys. >> So, up next on the list, we are on number seven of the agenda, operations facilitating bond. And I think that our intention with this discussion is to be mostly about bond and to start not to answer the question of what happened, how do we move forward, but start to answer those questions. Um Nicole's done a lot of nice thinking. I'll I'll send some of you I'll send all of you some thinking she put together around that. But uh I just wrote a few notes and Nicole, can you do you mind tag teaming this with me? Sure. Uh these are I I have started to interview people who are heavily involved in the bond
002and I've come up with a few themes. Um the first we addressed which is that the voter turnout was very high and I was personally naive to that. I was had analyzed other May elections and typically a May election is won with a thousand votes or so and this was quite different than that. >> It became very apparent that we didn't do enough work to make uh to make the 2006 information available to folks and we fell into a self-imposed trap. a self-induced trap on that. And that was that we initially we built a a website that contained a lot of information about the 2006 bond and we submitted that to safe harbor to the secretary of state's office and they said that is not relevant. You are not allowed to put that up. >>
003Oh, I didn't know that. And then that became a real steady theme throughout the process of uh >> we asked for permission. >> Well, no, the the part about the 2006 bond. So, >> sure. >> So, having data up on our website, we we already knew the answer was you can't put that up. We could answer individual questions. We were just illprepared to do so. >> What's >> So, we knew that ahead of time, but we couldn't put like that was a >> why the my dumb questions. Why couldn't we? >> The person reviewing it at Secretary of State's office deemed it as irrelevant to the new bond. >> Because wanted the purity of this being about the current to it leaned too much into advocacy. >> Yes. >> So a big lesson. My fault
004all the way around. My fault on that one. And uh if we go to seek a new bond, we need to be prepared to share a lot of information and make it accessible about 2006. >> Could we put it on our own website? >> Sure. >> As bond oversight historical information, >> especially if we do so ahead of time, >> right? Like if we did >> pre-referral. Yeah. >> Pre-referral. Yes. Yes. And may I ask I guess on that point, but was there a um a an oversight group that was part of that two 2006 bond after it passed to for oversight to make sure that things are happening the way they should. >> Not to the not to the same level we were that we intended to create an oversight committee. Not as substantial.
005And so the recordeping around that is while only 20 years old, 19 years old, >> that's still a long time. >> Yeah. It's just it's just it's a time inensive effort. >> We need to spend that time now. >> You want to say any more about that? >> Uh yeah, I mean I Yes, I would agree with that that as we discuss perhaps going back out for another bond if that's something that we end up doing. Um you know, I think that we should definitely take the time to go through those materials and perhaps put together some sort of formalized report that we can send out to the public and you know, so that we're really being transparent with that, but something that's readable. we can't just scan receipts or, you know, old Excel documents.
006I think that we should probably have someone that can actually analyze and >> put something together that looks um more professional. So, >> it didn't seem like roofing was the hot topic. It was one >> it seemed to a grab traction and everyone was kind of talking about the same thing whether it was >> I don't want to go too deep into that but it seems like yeah we need to bullet point what what we actually did and and what was costly. >> Wait when you just did just that like you mean like people talked about roofing as the only thing that was addressed in 2006. >> That was a hot topic. >> It's a hot topic. Yes. >> How basically that how much actually got done that said that was going to get done?
007Oh, so the the cuz like my my anecdotal sense of it was that like people just didn't want to spend the money and we're spending backwards to build an argument for that. But the hot topic part of the roofing is that the there's an implication that that's all we focused on and it was mismanaged. Is that >> No, the fact is is that we're re- roofing now. We're talking about roofing this bonding the other bond. And so they're not seeing the difference. this time it see >> it's misleading but again those are the challenges overcome >> and I think the key word there is um you know in any group of people um there's likely a certain percentage who's just going to be oppositional period for whatever reason and as ethical as we might be
008and as transparent that for some folks that won't even matter at all um so it's trying to get through those walls if Well, >> and I think that there's there also needs to be some education as far as how the financing of the bonds work because so many people didn't understand that the work from 2006 had already been done. >> And a lot of folks were like, well, we're still paying 15 million, so why aren't we paying for these projects with the 15 million? And just not understanding how that works. >> So, that's another piece of just communicating. I don't want to get the word out, but >> I didn't put anything about that on here, but really I should have. So, listen to Paul when one of the things we were trying to articulate
009was challenging to articulate was this uh this bridge of a two sale first being interest deferred and you probably lost most people once you even started down that down that road um who didn't care to really unpack and understand the depth of it. And for better or worse, unless we were to to hustle up and uh put something on the November ballot or next May like you really uh will have a much simp likely we'll have a much simpler story moving forward which was the bond expires entirely. >> Yeah. Instead of the overlay >> and it gets replaced with a new thing at a different value different tax value per assessed thousand and that's a one-s sentence >> description not a five description. Yeah, >> had a lot of feedback about that messaging being being
010hard when you're tasked with being out on the street and you're trying to explain to folks that was a major for folks. >> Why are we going now when this one's still there, right? >> I I think it's that like when you're talking about funding something of that nature and like how you taper off one interest and then ramp up another one off of property taxes. It feels like the possibility of shenanigans and people don't want to think too deeply about what that actually means. Even though we're communicating something that is literally fiscal responsibility in a way that is maximizing tax dollars on how to transition from one bond to another. It's that thing where if we it's just this is the rate and that's it because it's coming in clean with one having expired.
011You're not having to explain a transition. So therefore it's just simpler. I think something else that worked against us was just the GLAD report coming out with the initial rate and then us changing it which was great that it changed to a better rate but people were still so fixated and like >> as we made a mistake we made a mistake so >> made a decision too late and and and that was driven by lead times both at secretary of state's office to get that text to them >> pre-publication so That leads to another of these skipping down a couple which is to lengthen the runway >> and provide a much longer period of time for people to learn what they want to learn or even learn what they don't have an interest in learning
012but they need to to be informed. >> Absolutely. And I think that a lot of that is just bringing in and you have it here, just bringing in skeptical community members and critics. And there were a lot of folks that at least from what I people that I interacted with who were not necessarily against a bond, but they were they just felt that I don't know they just wanted more information. They wanted to provide more information. And so to bring those folks in and get their ideas would be very helpful. >> Yeah. I I felt like and again I'm going to you know pop to this being entirely anecdotal. Something that I observed kind of happening was that there were a couple inflection points where I think you know as as a board we probably
013could have been more present in the conversation around the bond. There were community events here in town leading up to the actual vote, day of the vote where like we had community members who canvased aggressively and there was no counter from us being physically present to sort of like you know counter the physical that was kind of being spread by the community members that were kind of galvanizing our presence. And then the other thing that I observed is that like in the corners of Facebook that are, you know, very contentious, um it also felt like there we had a couple of people in the community who were supportive of the bond measure that ended up being kind of lightning rods of people not wanting to vote for the bond measure because of what they represented.
014And so there's a level of like a weird and again I can get in the weeds in this but like it felt like we could have been better about message discipline but it's like a very soft kind of a way that is like you know how we talk about it how we formalize the information being disseminated and not allowing sort of like the chatter of places like Facebook or you know the the random clusters of community members who are kind of like using disinformation and then you know I don't know it just it just felt like it was messier when like what we needed to to comm community to the community was like we really have need. You know, it is one thing to talk about infrastructure in the form of like HVAC, you know,
015security doors and things like that. I feel like we probably could have done a better job of having more collateral of things like not only pictures of the things that needed to be addressed, but like you know, and again, this is where like I don't know if we have money can fund raise to get this, but it's like we probably needed stuff like, you know, 3D modeling visuals that explain like this is the stuff that happened in 2006, but even we may not have been able to use that, but like a deeper dive into the the the infrastructure of what needed to be repaired and addressed bond measure that made it more tangible for people who kind of don't understand what any of this kind of means. You know, it's one thing to say like
016this roof hasn't been touched in 20 years, but it's another thing to sort of have something that isn't keying into like these parts are disintegrating. This is what's going to happen, you know, and then you use a visual that says that like if we don't address this, a rainstorm is going to come within the next few years that could cause leakage that is going to cost x amount of money. And so that people who own homes in our community kind of understand what that means intuitively. You know, >> when you say widen the base of support, can you say more about that? Like >> uh I feel that >> you know because postreerral I become so limited in what I can do and say >> uh there's only so many Kanas and Rotary meetings. Um
017I what was asked about the political action committee formed >> it was too much on two people >> the widening of that political get getting a bigger group because it wasn't it was >> to make it sustainable and to avoid burnout and to >> um just allow the foot traffic and the time to have instead of dropping leaflets at the very end of it when I on my own time >> my non-district time we non- workinging hours weekend kind of was volunteering to drop leaflets at the very end. I was dropping >> that I wasn't stopping to have the conversation >> because that took so long. >> Well, I found that when I did it, most people actually don't answer their door or actually want to talk. >> Yeah, >> I I don't know how
018many of them was actually just dropped because do you have any questions? Nope. >> Right. >> I don't know. >> Right. So maybe that's, you know, shifting, you know, how the the strategy, right? Maybe it's more direct mail. Maybe it's more, you know, hosting folks to come to us >> versus because people don't want to answer their door or they talk to you through their Ring camera. It's >> Yep. >> Yeah. I it it was that thing where like trying to door knock and like go, you know, door to door with Oliver uh was its own experience, but like it was it was it was just not time effective knowing that like this community of 12,000. This is an election that was what 3,000 votes total for and against, you know, the difference of 350
019people was what would have taken this from a no to a yes, you know, and like even if collectively we could have knocked on 300 more doors, this is where like you get diminishing returns of doing that physically and you start thinking about like we need to use tools of like whether it's social media, mailers, things along those lines. Those all require money, time, and resources. And so lengthening the runway to be able to take advantage of that is like I think it'd be key in the next one. >> I Oh, go ahead. >> I I was just going to say like bond aside, I think if we can um get the community behind the schools more generally um then the bond will be easier to make happen. I feel and in some my conversations
020I folks some of which I was shocked in fact when they shared the that they had these types of views where there's um >> oh it's a dying >> district um and I feel like there this there wasn't >> I feel I do feel like our community has the potential that to really get behind the schools period because we see that within the school but to to your point earlier today to get that out further to the community um I think is a huge step in getting any type of bond put forth because some people I think in their minds especially you know a lot of um you know elderly folks I spoke previously with um they're concerned about the they're like I'm not going to be able to live in Gladstone anymore and this
021is a trend that's happening I think in a lot of places older folks are stay in their homes for longer for different reasons um but a lot of people just there there doesn't seem to be that community buy in to the schools we see it at at football games or all the events we go to we see the support and the love, but um that I don't think that's necessarily true across the whole >> probably needed to galvanize support at sporting events at the district level. I mean like again I think there's a lot I mean like again we we probably should have asked for more support from like and again I don't know what the implications of this are but I mean like you know the the the the uh uh the labor organizations
022having more wholesome support some more collaboration on that front probably would have been very forceful for us and again I don't know what the the like what what the boundaries of of those sort of things would be but I mean like you know we needed more of a forceful presence like that became very very clear I think like speaking for self. I think I kind of took it going in like maybe a month or two before the vote that it was like this seems like a no-brainer. You know what I mean? Like it very much felt like there's nothing that is outside the boundaries of what feels like financial responsibility to address things that will cost more in the future um to maintain continual operation. But you know, I think it it was a big
023shocker for a lot of us that like there was that much you know anti um but I don't know. I mean like part of the thing that I'm sort of sorting through is like um widening the base of support I think is really important. I think that's going to be the major thing. The part where we have to communicate with people who are the skeptical members of the committee. I don't know if those are the folks that would have been won over because like a lot of the arguments I heard it literally just felt like it came down to like I just don't want to pay the taxes. you know, I want the tax relief of that bond measure uh um evaporating and then I just don't want to have to pay more in taxes
024and like I don't know that the their argument went further beyond that. Um and again, this is where like we need community buying to believe in public education and the importance of this district. And I think that's the part where like we have to be more meaningful about that component of like it's not just, you know, this not just a building in your neighborhood. This is where like it connects all of us together. I don't know how big the group is that you know because I heard it about the I saw it on social media. I heard it from people like district's going to be like dissolving. I'm like what? >> No it's not. >> That's the misinformation. >> Um I don't know how big that group is out there talking about that or thinking,
025oh well Gladstone should just go away and join with another district. Um but it is something I do think we need to be prepared for that conversation. And what I don't get is like, well then we just pay taxes to that like community. Like your taxes, >> they have bonds, they have levies. Like that doesn't change. We still have to support our schools. And isn't it better for our kids to go to our neighborhood schools? So being prepped for that is like they don't like why you think that us Joyce joining another district >> makes all so much better >> because it because I think the implication to that line of thinking is that someone else will pay for it or that there's money that already exists that will pay for it. >> No, it
026doesn't. and now all of your kids are being bus to school instead of you know anybody being able to walk to school. Um there's a lot of problems with it but and then the other side is I agree that it was just how much I agree with all these things and the things conversation we're having about >> when we go back back or if we go back we decide to go back out that what we can improve and it was a terrible time and our >> political and economic you know people are scared with what's happening right now and the cost of things rising and >> but to counter that every other metro area district that went out for a bond >> got theirs. So that's a good point. So it's not just >> I
027think this is more of a Gladstone issue and and trying to correlate hey the better our schools are >> the higher your home value is and then when you leave you're going to sell it for more. >> Yeah. >> It's a trickle down effect that >> we just need to be able to articulate. I think this is a difference of a couple hundred voters, not a couple thousand. >> 367. >> Exactly. So, I think the parts of the community that we need to galvanize, I think it is getting out people to vote. I mean, like in that cycle, outside of our bond measure, like I literally watched our uh county clerk talk about the voting rates and it's it was like abysmal for the cycle, you know what I mean? before Clakamus County and and
028that's the part where it's like >> but like you said not for Gladston >> I just say that >> but it's a community of 12,000 3,000 votes that's still not great you know >> well I'm not sure how many registered voters we have to know how registered voters >> yeah I could pull all that data for you yeah >> that would be helpful but I think we need to we need to also the the false claims that are out there that that people are spreading false information and we just need to really really frontload with >> correct data, correct information? Yes. >> Could we have the ability to communicate with critics, the people who were behind the anti-bond campaign to engage in any conversation? I think there are a few who had really interesting valid
029information to share that seemed very um I don't see in the middle but you know could be could go either way if we provide more information right so I think we need to focus on those folks that because to Andrew's point earlier like we already know there's a group that's never going to be >> so to that's banging your head against >> it's the signal and the noise right so we find the signal >> Mhm. Yeah, >> there will be noise. >> We need to kind of sift through the >> cacophony for what is the what what really um resonated with people who voted. We have to assume I assume I don't there's no we I assume that most people who voted they voted earnestly. They you know it >> struck me how much the
030um the turnout how high the turnout was relative to the county. And so that gives me hope that people voted and voted earnestly. Um it's on us as a district and and on a political action committee uh separately to provide them with uh information. It's convincing. >> I think we learned a lot from this. I mean we did a lot of strategy. We pulled beforehand. I mean we did a lot of due diligence leading up to this. We put out I think a really good facilities tour. We had a lot of people. We talked about what they wanted, what they didn't want. like we did engage in the community but the opposition was very loud as well and we didn't have the right answers to some of the questions and I think that some great
031questions by the opposition were brought up that yes we're maybe not the best or the straightest truth but it's great for us to utilize those and be able to come up with answers and say you know what if this were to worst case scenario fall down >> here's a tax rate there here's tax rate there this is what our tax rate is proposed it's going lower than the bond on currently is like we have a another landing to step on to in my opinion. So a platform to start with and we learn some don'ts and we like to do so you know overall I I think that it really just boils down to community engagement that real conversation and >> um getting out there and getting them to come to us as well. Like the
032facility tours were started off pretty good and then they kind of just dwindled down to nothing. >> Yeah. uh the people really wouldn't be there if weren't there at the beginning and that was it. >> Yeah. I mean like if my my if I had to do this all over again um well let me let me start with this. I I still feel very strongly that it was the smart move to put it on the ballot when we did. I think we gained very little by if we have would have waited for the next cycle because I do think that like our need for the bond and the funding for capital improvements and everything intended with it is critical and I I feel even though you know it's bad that it failed. I do think
033it was good that we did this because again if we try again we will have learned a lot to go again. I don't think this is a thing where like oh maybe we should have waited for another cycle. I think it was still a net positive to go when we did. Things that I think we could do if we go again. Number one, I think it's worth maybe having um whether it's through the pack or us as we're putting it together have a mock debate of just thinking about all the different angles of questioning that we got on this the previous goound to address them so we have a fully regimented answer and data and information to present for any line of questioning. >> Town hall of sorts. Well, it's just it's just being ready
034and and and just going through the the thought exercise of like, well, what's the counter to all of this stuff? Let's let's do the homework and and go at it with all the information that we can present. Um, I think another thing that would have been helpful is that we needed more testimonials from people who are sort of like folks that are local to Gladstone. I think getting some of the local businesses along Portland Avenue to sort of be like a hub of information. Like I think about Gladston's Pizza. If we sponsor karaoke night through like the pack, getting really clever about those things where like the messaging is the the support is implicit with sponsorships and things like that that feel regular and people kind of get normalized with a longer runway so that
035they know this is out there and this is needed and that there are community members that support it. Um, and then, um, I think we need more testimonials from like our local, you know, representatives and politicians in a way that is not just like, yes, I endorse this. Here's a post on Instagram or Facebook or whatever. It's like, I think we need video testimonials so that people in the community had faces to put with people saying, yes, I believe in this. This supports our teachers, our students, our community. And having it be very accessible language and feels very direct and most importantly very sharable. You know, I think there's something very abstract about sending people to a website um to sort of get information about a bond measure which like again we're abiding by the
036rules as a school board of like um advocacy but I think for the pack doing that sort of thing that feels very I don't know if if this were like a retail business we would be utilizing influencers and doing things like that and those of those and getting the word out and getting buy in from people. So, I've done uh part of my home making a list of homework area. Jennifer saved me uh one homework assignment. Uh voter turnout in Gladston was 35%. Blackmas County was 21%. Was significantly higher. >> And to kind of that's great. And just to kind of go on what you're saying, I think that something that might be helpful and a question I often got and it seemed I can't answer folks if there was some type of mechan mechanism
037where people could figure out how it will affect their their taxes like what is how much am I actually going to be paying um sure that information is out there but if there was some tool that we had for folks that say well oh interesting this is what this is what they're >> compared to what they're currently paying like is what's the difference there. What >> what is it? I thought there was >> there was a bond calculator. >> Yeah. >> Um someone in the community put together a really lovely um >> spreadsheet that showed but what would that look like over time assuming that your house value goes up, you know, 3% or 5% every year. And so and then and then over the year, you know, the lifetime of the bond, how much
038would you personally contribute to that? So even though most folks can probably do that on their own. Yeah, you would hope. Um some folks thought that the bond calculator didn't provide enough information. Right. >> Well, and then it goes back to understanding a bond because some of the argument was that the we lied about the cost of the bond but not understanding that >> it it changes based on >> interest rate. Well, your home value >> home value goes up, your assess value goes up, so therefore your contribution goes up. So, >> right. >> Anyway, >> I I I I actually am of I am actually of the belief, and again, this is my opinion and anecdotal. >> I don't know that those calculations matter that much. I don't think people are heming and hawing
039about the exact dollar amount of what their taxes are going up or down. I think it's the end. It's I think it's the concept of the thing. I think it's that they don't want to pay for public schooling. there's a segment that just wants the savings because they don't feel a stake in in the district. And I think that's the part that is I think we have to accept that on a certain level that people are going to be against this. It's not about like if your taxes go down by 200 bucks a year, you're suddenly a yes. I think they don't want to pay anything. You know, I think it's going to come down to like it's convincing people or stakeholders in the community that they actually have to get out and vote. You
040know, it with all the folks that are that interact with the school district, whether the families of the students here and the educators and staff and everything, that's 3,000 people easily. >> Any way to pull the people who voted no >> maybe maybe >> because we can speculate, but I don't know that we fully understand it. Yeah, I think uh by polling I think uh so my belief about polling has shifted from scientific polling and the polling is known in the like we did a we performed a poll that was scientifically sound right methodologically it worked. I don't believe it was accurate. Well, it wasn't accurate >> because we got a free poll on May 20th. >> Yeah. That was the that was not even close. >> And I think that starting early enough and
041>> we get our money back. >> Shifting shifting our mindset about what a poll means might might help to I don't want to probably stay here too long. >> Yeah. >> I I had one more question I had just in terms of moving forward. We won't we would stay if we were to decide to bond again. we wouldn't have to redo all of the planning, >> prioritizing, or would we have to restart all that as well? >> Great question. We have a facilities report. >> Yeah. >> It's evergreen and um becomes even more evergreen as things on that list start to fail, like the community closet rooftop. >> Yeah. >> Um and we're doing things like that now instead of classroom facing work. Yeah. >> So we are actively spending money where we don't have
042to. Um so no the project list will only maybe grow. >> Yeah. >> And the uh but you know that accounted for 15 years out. >> Yeah. >> 10 years out certainly. So what maybe changes is what's what's most pressing. And if you change, if you as a board decide to change the what you're asking taxpayers to approve in terms of the amount assessed per thousand, it follows that you're you're what you will realize that won't drop >> or raise >> and uh then your priorities become even more critical. >> So the cost of doing construction, >> it's only going to go >> only go up from there. So us missing it by we do it next May I mean almost a year that's quite a bit of pricing difference too >> which is crazy
043period right sense >> everything all the material went up >> yeah I know I I I get it >> but they they specifically they were not going to lower it back down it was never going to come back down what it was pre- pandemic which I think is interesting and um >> I think it'll be really interesting to see what happens in November with the uh fire district. >> Yeah. >> And to see how the city council comes together to get the word out about Blackamus County. Um and I think we can learn some lessons for us for the board on how we can collaborate more and just get out there, right? >> Yeah. Well said. Do you have any proto? >> I think some of the ones you just saw. All right, >> I'll
044spare you the big history lesson, but this was an equity stance developed in 2017 rather on the early side uh terms of school districts having an equity stance. It has been looked at, hoped, proud um by lots of different folks including um experts in the field but as well as our staff. Um it's very race forward and in fact there's only two measure two mentions of um you know probably the best critique I've heard of our equity stance is that it's limiting that it doesn't doesn't make explicit our our stance as a disc school district around uh community populations amongst our students families and our staff who uh increasingly in my opinion feel legitimately sidelined. Um so it is very race forward but we have phrases like or other non-dominant groups. Um a lot of
045other documents in other school districts have very explicit lists. There's a there's a plus delta on that. If the minute you create a list, someone's not on it. Uh on the other hand, if you don't have a list, you're not naming uh groups that feel very vulnerable. And so our staff feel very strongly and and um have worked with outside experts. And one of the things I would propose to you as a different strategy is that we we have somebody working with uh some of our equity leaders who works for Clackman CSD. She has more flexibility than do our staff to connect with you as uh board members on the importance of some of those themes, but also just the literal time to sit down and at your availability work through it. Um we've we've
046struggled to pull people together uh to to you know one time Donna and Charlie attended a pretty I don't know is it I thought it was a really intensive session. >> Oh absolutely. >> Um but that was two years ago now at this point >> and so I'm just basically testing the room for are you ready for that conversation. So you're asking instead of having staff work on this that the board a board a subgroup of the board would redo it. >> Yes. With input from staff you know having taken in input from source which we've recorded we have that >> um but actually been bringing in somebody to work with a subset of the board to carry it across the line. Um we've been I think as a board talking about and asking to
047have that process happen for years. >> We have we've talked about it all year and it's kind of gotten sidelines. >> Yeah. It keeps getting silent. And so what actually what Jeremiah is proposing is what I thought was going to always be happening. >> Yeah. So yes. >> Yes. I'm happy to work on it. >> Yeah. >> Yes. That's what I want to think that makes sense. One of the things that got it away is that this year was the phrase other illegal DEI activities. >> Yeah. Well, that's going to be getting our way. >> Yes. >> This is going to put a giant target maybe. Who knows? >> Well, Oregon's already target. But >> now my and my question was going to be regarding the federal guidelines and stuff. how this equity stance kind
048of are there guidelines that they have for schools um or is this and how far out or in the box are we this >> states still control how education is run there's you know the federal level there's only so much they can do >> at the state level that the the state department of education received a letter from federal government >> um asking them to sign off on sign off on a testing that we're not that we as a or individual districts are not engaging in illegal DEI activities. And the definition of that is nebulous on purpose and we'll need to make a decision because I that there's been a state response to that. Um and um you know we don't have quite as high a profile as Harvard. >> Not yet. That's true. >>
049Connection. >> Got the whole Ivy League right here. >> Oh, Columbia. >> We have Columbia. >> Yeah, we have Columbia right up. >> Sorry. >> Okay. >> And then the other thing I think about is that we're not saying so much as policy. We're saying it's an operational >> Guidelines. Yeah. So it isn't I think in terms of that it falls a little further out of the target zone of what would be >> Yeah. I mean I I I I love the equity stance that this district has >> but like I'll be I'll be you know to be bluntly honest like to me this is like a statement that says we're going to do our best to try to take extra consideration in our policym. It's not like a thing this is not driving policy.
050This is not like a you know so I think this is enshrining something that is espousing a value of the board and the district which I think is really really increasingly important but you know having said that you know I just want to point out that like as much as this feels fraught in 2025 it was fraught in 2017 so to me it's kind of like we need to do this has to be a priority >> um >> is this one of our >> I was just going to say we could put a pin on this We've got Donna and Charlie on there already. >> Yep. Yep. >> Looking forward to working more full on it. >> I um Andrew, you were asking right down here at the bottom is are the equity questions. >>
051Yes. >> And that those are the questions that you referring to these four about decision decisions, policies, etc. How do you vote? >> Just >> thank you. >> Next is a strategic planning process. >> Yes. The question is is there I I have an instinct that this is important. We've never had a strategic plan and um there are reasons why. My instinct is that we we we're in a moment in time where we need one that be it a three-year rolling plan or a fiveyear rolling plan that we have where where you always are iterating out one year say yep we accomplish that that and that and you're saying what would year what would three years out from now look like having this a bit more vision and when I initially talked with board leadership
052about adding this to the agenda I had impulse to just create one. I create the whole process, just roll it out as a draft. And I um I stopped myself from that wanting instead to ask of the board what would be important to you in a strategic planning process and to ask the same question of our staff to ask the same like our our teaching staff to ask the same question of our operational staff of what would be meaningful like we don't have enough time or energy or we don't have enough wordsmiths to spend all that if if it just goes off in a direction and just sort of becomes something everyone forgets about. It needs to be very practical in my opinion and it needs to lead to actions that are associated with our
053goals that truly feel like we're we're ticking off things that have to be done. Um, so my question to you is you want a strategic plan and if so, what would you like it to be based on? What founding directions? Um, and how long would you like that to? What are your priorities? So, I've listed off three different things. There was my triple vin diagram with staff last fall of there are the three big buckets of work equity wellness called it MTSS but really it means academics and instruction then you have the five board goals from last year which are moving forward and then we have nine uh guiding principles that developed in 2012 that they are on our website. I did a I did a poll last year of lots of different stakeholders, talked
054to like 40 different people and somewhat in justest asked them everybody to say what are the nine can you remember them and not shockingly nobody could but if you read them they're wise like they hold up there just might be too. So that's my those are my props. So, I've done strategic planning before where we did pigeon 2025 back in 2018. I guess about a year over this time to do it. And year two, we threw it out the window because we were looking so far in the future. We weren't focused on what presently was going on. We get distracted about how are we going to reach these goals that we had set for ourselves. And then we had new leadership come in and you had different changes and then it just became just muddled.
055And not saying we don't do that, but I think having more refined and really set and narrowed down a little bit versus just a lot of things, I guess, would be my be fantastic. >> Oh, sorry. >> Oh, I wonder how our integrated plan and what we already provide for the state. Like I just worry about having so many plans that we're not keeping track of what's our plan, you know, like >> which plan are we talking, >> which goal are we, you know, that I I would want to make sure that everything works together and was really clear because that gets really muddy and the state changes their stuff all the time. Um, and we that's required like we have to do that. >> Yeah. and and again ongoing budget crisis. So it is
056also difficult to think about like you know we could build plans and sort of like try to think about like here's the direction we'd like the district to move in but it's like without real resources and money and staffing to throw behind things you know how do you how do you behave pragmatically? >> How different would the district be if we didn't have strategic planning process? Would there be any noticeable difference to operations? >> I don't know. >> How essential is it? I guess >> you mentioned that. >> Good news. Go ahead. >> Oh, just you mentioned before though that there's reasons why we haven't had one up until this point. So, I guess what are those? >> I think that was it. Okay. I think I think some version of that was it from
057Bob's perspective. He he one of the wisest educators I've ever known and he felt very firmly that uh strategic planning was uh self soothing uh pro process over product u something that almost invariably goes on a shelf or worse yet in the maybe it's better to go in the recycling bin than the shelf but um because at least when you're recycling it you're saying no as opposed to pretending. I think it was too thick. I mean, it was about 385 pages of >> from marketing to across the board of everything. I think if you narrow that down where again, I keep talking about this offense versus defense. The last since I've been on the board, it's been a lot of defense. >> And so that keeps the ball from moving forward. all of our focus
058is on this entity item issue versus the bigger picture of all these schools, all these implementations with all these new programs and how can we do better each year? What can we do better for staff? What can we do better for students, parents? So, I think there's some benefit of having a strategy, strategic plan, but keeping it simple. >> Yeah, >> it would be my advice. I I think >> if we go that route, >> I think something that would feel pretty good for this board and for the community is if like you know I think the the district staff areas of focus is a good list of three and that maps pretty well with the board goals. I think if we could talk about articulation around things that could be achievable within like a
059year to 3 years and like think of certain metrics that feel tangible without being sort of like resource hungry. So like I think around I think a lot around the efforts and the collaborations that were centered around Gladston shows up. You know they were very humble and but also still full of ambitious efforts behind raising attendance and having people aware about the importance of having students back in the district and we saw tangible results of that. I think for things like, you know, equity, wellness, and academics. It's like each of those we can come up with goals and the board and think about like what are things that we think we might be able to achieve inside of a year. you know, have a session where we maybe get some presentations around kind of the
060game state of what's played out over the last year, what's problem, and what feels like, okay, let's goal set for the next year and then maybe think about like what are things that we can do to allocate resources towards achieving a goal and then what the implications of that in success. Can we boost off of that to a three-year goal? You know, if I think about things like wellness or mental health or disruptive classrooms, what if we set a goal around like, you know, we do an audit around how many classroom disruptions, what can we do with the resources around us that feel like a small lift achievable within the next year and like sort of articulate that as a board or at least figure out, you know, directing the district to give us scenarios
061that might be achievable, how it would happen, what would need to happen, you know, something along those lines so that we plan towards a goal that's reachable rather than something that feels abstract. Does that make sense? >> I think if a if a strategic plan will allow you and and your and minimal cabinet, very minimal or group of folks, right? that allow the leadership in our district give them the guidance achieve the things we want to achieve which is clarity like um communication, transparency, um focus if it and makes and improves as a process to improve and isn't overly complicated and isn't a lot of extra and is I loved your word evergreen is really what they're intended to be, which is a living document that is actually used and the intent of them is
062always good, but what ends up happening why people don't like them and why they get them on shelves is because that doesn't play out. So, um I guess for me I'm like I if it could achieve the goals we want back from our conversation around the board goals aligning with superintendent goals aligning with it like right if it could achieve that alignment for it that then I'm all for it. If it's another you guys there's not enough people in our district anymore to do that work to just have it be extra work. >> That's the good news. I don't have the staff or capacity to to do um something that isn't uh pretty spartan >> and pretty um meaningful. >> Or or pay for a consultant come in and do such like none of that
063exists, >> right? >> But how do you feel do you about your capacity to do it? I'm not totally sold this like there it's a red in some sense it's redundant to a lot of the stuff that is already out there that I think the district was for I'm not sure I'm totally sold on just the true benefit of the aside and because I mean I feel like we're already doing all that work um well like I'll give you an example right so even on the information that we have today um you know I'll look at equity as the first thing on this list right I look at this this conversation we had earlier about uh bias incident reports you know centered around sort of reporting you know this number from one semester to or
064from one period to another is doubled because the the level of reporting has changed and like something that might be an achievable goal is that like is there a target for how much reporting we want to feel to have our data be solid a year from now so that we can put together an action plan that can let us move past and to address some of these issues. You know, again, I don't know what kind of a lift that's asking for. Is that as simple as like, do we need to have an audit with some of the staff to see like, hey, are you guys using these tools? Are they useful? You know, what can we do to to make sure reporting is accurate? So, we have data to to to to act upon. Um,
065and I don't know if that requires a ton of resources beyond just asking a question and just seeing what feedback we get and then proceeding from there. Again, I'm just throwing that out there, you know, modest You know how we have our board goals. >> So could the strategic plan be how we are going to address each of those goals this year, next year? It's you know like have a a point under academic excellence and what are we what are what's our goal? What are we trying to achieve this year as a board as a district under equity and inclusion? What's our So that those those together would become our strategic like how we're going to achieve those goals. >> You saying there's nothing sacred about odd numbers of years, you know, so if we
066could have a two-year >> I mean I'm just thinking of how we could just kind of merge it all together so that it's all working toward the same >> Yeah. I mean I I think from a practical perspective something that is like achievable modest goals that speak to giving us illumination for larger you know things that are core to the values of the board would be you know maybe a middle path knowing that we're resource po right now like it's it's really trying to be practical with what's achievable. What when you say do we have the like what would be the the commitment of the board's involvement in a strategic plan like as you envision a strategic planning process? Are we starting back from community engagement like all the way back? Is that what you're
067envisioning? >> That would Sorry. Sorry. because that changes potentially what your goals are. Are we starting from we already have goals and priorities from staff area focus and board area focus and we're moving from there and then we get some input about how we achieve those. I'm coming into this pretty purely um as kind of a blank slate despite my earlier in you know my early mindset about it is uh to keep it skinny but you got think we have to guard against if we don't ask the questions we don't know what the how the community feel we don't know if we we stay too myopic then we don't know so there's probably a hybrid, but it does lead me to um it it does drive me right to the next two topics. If can
068I just repeat back what I've heard and written down so that um there's Matt's comments about um being being narrow as opposed to being too broad and too ambitious about being able to forecast like something you really can't control. Mhm. >> Um CC talked about well we have a lot of like hard one data and inputs around the integrated plan and we don't want to confuse too many people or exhaust too many people. Uh Andrew's skepticism of what's the what's the what's the benefit of having one? Is it just sort of like a feather in the cap and more self soothing? Um Charlie's can arranging around what exists already on his page is specifically the the areas of focus and the goals and how similar those are. Uh I think Stacy provided a test if
069it improves capacity then do it and if it doesn't don't. Um there's I think a healthy skepticism of not being sold on the food benefit kind of going back to that like we let's just plating ourselves or community and Donna talked about um my words were keep it skinny use the existing direction that we have >> and u don't be don't kind of back to what Matt was saying don't go too far out try pretend that we have this um beautiful glossy document at the end of >> spreadsheets and smiling children. You can already picture it in your mind, right? all hands in or >> becomes the you can go through the process and create one and it's it's the plan for after it's after we have this is our strategic plan how does it
070get used how does it get stay alive um >> it's that it's that thing where like not wanting to just talk about a thing but what are we doing >> is it is it truly our action plan. >> Yeah. >> And that's where I'm like, if it if it helps us do the work that we want to do that we talked about this morning that, you know, then then I'm in support of it because I I can see the benefit of it. I can also see the was a lot of work and didn't, you know, and then it got dropped. So it just would need I I'm more on the what's the after like the you know like your superintendent plan of like okay what once I get superintendent this is what I'm going to
071do. It's the once I have a strategic plan this is what we're going to do. Um >> Donna is may I shift to the um committees? >> Yeah >> because I feel like this leads to that. Okay. So, first thing I when I retyped the existing committees, first thing I noticed was that actually Nicole seems to have been uh the president of a committee that's not listed here, which is a bond. >> Oh, sorry. >> Bond committee. Um, and the other question is like is there a stop doing list? Are there are there committees here that need don't need to exist so that you can throw your hat more firmly into where you want to spend your energies as board members? >> Well, I have to be honest. I joined the workload committee and I
072don't think we've ever had >> that was a gift to that was a gift to me by GTA. Got it. Okay. I don't think it'll last. Okay. So, so you'll need somebody else for that. >> Actual. Yeah. Got it. Okay. because most of these committees generally meet. I mean, I know it varies, but I guess I I'm not familiar with all of them. >> Some of most of them are ad hoc. >> Yeah. Like the policy, we don't actually need a committee unless we're actually doing a full policy rewrite >> because they just come to us enough that they're part of the board packets. >> I agree with you. >> So, I feel like that can go away. >> We don't know. I think it's about they suggest about every 10 years. We did it
073during co so uh we're about five years away from needing >> I feel like that goes away >> eliminate that one and the ASP funds. We just had a we had a question about some ASP funds and and how how the funds were being spent and if it was equitable against gender and and sport and activity and that. So I don't know that we >> it's fulfilled. It's already completed. Yeah, I think it I think it's complet. >> May I kindly ask uh ASB stands for >> Oh, thank you. Associated Student Body. So, funds that are fundraised by athletes and other groups, clubs, and are those being distrib for uh when you advertise we're raising money for X, it must be spent on X >> towards children, towards students. and the question related to title
074nine and gender equity and and are we are we doing the right thing by our female athletes >> and this is separate to like the booster club or anything like that >> in the house. Okay. >> Yeah. And I would I would suggest that for city council instead of just assigning one person I would suggest and we did this a few years ago. who just signed up to attend a meeting and we just we just rotate it and if everybody takes a month or two >> then we just have sign up. I mean even if not everybody wants to attend. >> I don't >> we [Laughter] saying you love good meeting. I love good meeting. >> So in in terms of a committee it >> I don't just I don't know that we need a
075committee. >> Is it now redundant because city council member? >> Well no I think we should still do what we see. I I agree. I think we should >> just like it's it's really nice to see a city council member or super or Yeah, >> I mayor here at our at our meeting. >> I like >> and it can be I wouldn't even mind doubling. >> Yeah, >> like to put together and then we can Oh, right. >> then we can >> and then I get it on my calendar. That helps with my calendar. Yeah, that's what I was thinking. The date should be published on the city council. >> It's a Tuesday, right? It's typically the Tuesday before our meeting. >> That's what I don't like. >> Me either, but it >> is there
076a bond is there a bond committee? Is there is does there need to be a committee that's thinking? And is that the same thing as a facilities committee? >> Well, I feel like the facilities could go away. We could change it to a bond is my opinion because facilities we've done our facilities work. >> True. We have the report. >> Yeah. Yeah. I agree. >> We accomplish that. >> I agree. So we can cross out facilities and and we can just have a bond or protect bond committee. And while I I love the idea of Nicole being the key on there, she can't do it by herself. Yes, >> we do need more. Um, I I would move to that one. >> Cool. And I'm an IE, by the way. Just fix it. >> That's
077That's my fault, too. I know that. >> I would like to help out on on the bond committee, but I don't know if we >> I got carried away. >> Can we do more than two people on a committee? >> I will remove myself. >> Well, you're going to get be pulled in one way or the other. So, just consider yourself like an orbiting uh celestial body. >> Yeah. Okay. So, >> so who's going to be on workload? >> Uh Nicole currently. >> I'm happy to be on there, too. >> And I'm sorry, Bond was Sny. >> And then we also have our new member Clark that may want to join a committee. So we do need to just leave a little room for him to >> Is budget committee still a thing? >> Right.
078>> Let them do audit. I'll come up. >> Is that just like we're >> many members too. >> That's only a one time. We need we need outside community. >> Oh Stacy. I'm sorry. >> I've done that so many times. I've done Huh. >> I'm embarrassed about the spelling. >> It's okay. >> I went to school with four Stacy's. >> I was not the EI. There wasn't Eli. It was not me. >> We're taking Stacio. >> Clark and putting Clark and Matt on. >> Unless Matt doesn't want to stay on it anymore. >> No, I enjoy that one. >> I've done it enough. I'm like, h >> I would just like to mention I have no like strong feelings towards any of these, so I'll fit into anything that you guys would like or or
079whatever. >> That's what I said last time that my name came up on everything. >> Matt. Matt. Um well we've got so Donna Charlie equity Donna Nicole workload clark audit and may I ask these committees um generally when do they >> Tuesday before a meeting >> well it depends like like licensed bargaining is >> seasonal yeah classified bargaining same thing bargaining >> seasonal >> yeah workload would be the We've not done the >> Did I miss the meeting? >> The short answer is that it's pretty much ad hoc. So, it depends on what's going. >> Yeah, the equity one's going to be task oriented. So, it'll be >> We haven't met for equity in a very long time because there's been so much other stuff going on, but we need to get back. So, yeah.
080>> Question about workload. Is that classified and or or is it just >> it it comes out of the the licensed uh contract and it call that that call the current language calls for there to be uh it's what it is is an at base level way I understand it and it's only existed since I've been here so we kind of invented it but it is an opportunity for staff licensed staff to tell truth to are about what are the working conditions uh and what is the staff perspective about how they could be approved. >> This is workload. >> Yes. >> Throw my hat for that one. >> When's the last time this committee meet didn't meet last year but otherwise met >> annually >> if it I might pull myself off. I my I
081I have a little conflict with I I am a a licensed certified teacher in a different district. So I I try not to have a conflict of interest when it comes like I I won't be on the licensed bargaining because I'm part of licensed >> union that so I try to be real. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I think we're >> we'll have a a revised version of this for the next board meeting and then and then that gives Clark an opportunity to think about >> okay >> board are >> and then we'll also include a sign up for city council meetings. >> Yeah. Mhm. >> Do we is there any way we could create like a maybe like a password protected like Dropbox folder of some sort so that they're all relevant documents we could
082just go look at or is that already exist I just said last >> the shared document I was looking up the last assign bit we had that active >> yeah yeah I know we have one ages ago but >> the board calendar that I uh have and I haven't create a new one for this year or changed that one over but it has the board calendar it has a committees tab and it as a city council deb last year >> and we can hyperlink in >> so have it all on there I think >> yes that people can sign up on that >> I'll get it updated and organized >> okay >> that flows pretty well onto you 25 26 calendar which is just for your review because you've already voted on And so here
083for discussion if you have any changes. Um the only thing I see is the springtime beereft of any uh work sessions and we've got stacked backtoback backtoback work sessions which could work for folks. But um how how do you want to process that? Um, >> and but >> my big question, bird's eye view, is that if we're going to continue a conversation around a bond measure potentially, that's multiple, that's a lot of work coming up. And I wonder if that's like something that might be worth planning a flag on the calendar, but I don't know what anyone's appetite is today. >> Play the plague. >> That's fine. Well, just thinking about like if we go again for a bond measure. I'm not necessarily saying advocating that we go like November or anything like that. Um,
084though I'm actually not against that if that's possible, but hypothetically that might be worth considering for like a work session just again putting a marker down. So, I don't know. But I may be getting a couple of steps ahead. >> No, I think from from our perspective when we're planning these meetings, it's helpful to to start to >> this one is going to address this. Then we can plan for it. >> Yeah. >> So if you want to discuss bond in the fall, >> we can do that if you want to. >> Was it intentional that they were grouped like that? >> Um >> or just calendar wise how it falls. >> It was I think my >> Thanksgiving the holidays impacted a lot. Spring break impacts a lot. >> Yeah. And then March. Yeah.
085>> And March is spring. But then we want a summer session again in July. So then that puts another one. >> We could add an April either April or May work session. >> The bond if we're going for a bond we're super busy in April >> unless we push it out a year. >> Mhm. >> And do it at the midterms. >> I mean if we looked at that. So then we could look at a work session focus on the bond in the spring and then that would help lead into >> Yeah. us voting, you know, potentially. >> Here's here's a thought. Maybe and again, this is me leaping maybe a little fast, so you tell me otherwise. Maybe bond committee should have a quick coffee and talk about like what the implications of some
086scenarios are and then we come back to the district and be like, let's let's model out some scenarios of if we go this date, this state of this date, what will we need to do and then go from there. Can we look at historical data from other bonds that didn't pass and how quickly they reacted and repushed their bond? That might be helpful in seeing what happened after that. >> Yeah. There's there's a part of me that also wants to try to sit down with like Oregon City because they passed one. >> We actually need to look at when when there are election elections, >> right? >> Yeah. I think we could provide to a bond committee a kind of overview of all that. Yeah. And then they can that group can come back and
087tell the board what they they think. And >> yeah, >> y sounds good. >> So if we left it like this, if we wanted to add another work session in the spring, we could do that. >> We can always do that versus putting a placeholder on there for right now. >> Yeah. >> And these work sessions all have subjects associated with them yet? Not yet. These are >> Yes, that's the question. topics. >> I mean, does board chair and vice chair want us to come up with that idea and then write a rough draft? >> If we're doing a strategic plan, >> well, I was going to say >> that our board goals some more. >> Do we want to have sessions work sessions around like one work session? It would take five work sessions,
088but one around each of our goals. >> Certainly rhymes. >> Yeah. >> I mean, I mean that in a serious way. >> Yeah. >> Um, is it okay if if we work with board leadership to bring something back to the group to say >> poke at it and say, "No, that belongs." Yeah. it's poorly ordered or maybe we won't have enough data for the >> Yeah. Yes. >> Um >> I I like that because then I feel like we can interact with the information a little bit more. >> Can I can I ask a a a little bit of a timing question? You know, one of our bold goals is financial stewardship. Knowing that we have a new director of finance, is it worth having one of our work sessions sort of like a >>
089Oh, going over kind of new format. Well, just thinking of a No, no, but like having a subject matter that is like whether it's talking about budgets, a transition introduction. It'll be like a low-key introduction, but also kind of like a nice work session to sort of talk about whatever is relevant because it'll be sort of setting the table. Like there's a part of me that thinks maybe that's something to get, you know, uh to address earlier. Um it'll just sort of make everyone comfortable with the new transition. But beyond that, I'm kind of open for everything. I I support that. >> If we were to add a work session, so to make it five, should we add should be April or May? >> I think April. >> April 22nd. >> May just seems to
090get early. >> Maybe it seems like May the time just really speeds up. May in the end >> we want it added and brought to the board meeting August 6th the calendar. >> I think let's let's do that and then we'll Okay. Yeah. You said April 22nd. >> Yes. >> Okay. And then >> Yeah. Yeah. was just those two those pretty we had discussed in the oh >> and board leadership we had considered shifting a practice midwear around consent decided not to do so because it felt weird to do to make a shift >> midstream without talking to everybody. >> So um some districts have the practice of going through their consent agenda and just grouping together. Yes, >> all of the consent agenda items, right? And and then we having one motive voting just
091once to group those together. Um we thought about that at our last meeting because we had so many things that um >> you know that we needed to address that were just routine things that really didn't much conversation. >> Is this like approving trips and things like that or is it like like here's a certified staff member wants to retire or something? It would be grouping together kind of bundling together. >> Think about the the the number of proforma um um votes he took in June to say >> uh Regina is the new uh >> signatory on this bank account. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. what what bundling bundling things that typically districts bundle a number of items that feel non-controversial aren't likely to spark a lot of discussion and then what they often do is
092they'll take them they'll they'll do so in the agenda lump them as such u meaning that they can be they can be carried forward with one vote for and then at the approval of the agenda a board director can say I really feel like that's lumped in with the consent agenda and I feel like it needs more discussion. Can we pull it out of it? >> So, so basically we would be approving at the agenda level and then if someone wants to push a discussion, we can still do it. Is that correct? Okay. >> Yeah. >> And it's for planning the agenda. We'll see. Okay. These things really seem to be very similar. No, I I'm I'm just trying to think about what's a scenario that's on the line that would be if someone wanted
093to have a grievance over whatever just like what could someone complain about us voting on and feeling like we just slipped it in. >> Good question. And so I think that these are more procedural. >> I mean I'm fine with it. >> And then we've had some discussion about public comment. So, we um we don't have to have public comment. We don't have to allow public comment. We do it to give our our constituents an opportunity to share questions, concerns, comments. Right. And um but do we continue to allow public comment? Do we uh do Jeremiah? Do you have any Well, we're not deciding anything. Um, we're not taking any emotions in the speed, but taking the temperature that we instead of just kind of staying making didn't want to make any assumptions, right? >>
094I think the one thing that I would lay out there is because there's a legal matter out there, I'd be wary about changing anything midstream, >> at least until um some level of somebody has decided on something related to it would be my one my one caution. Another thing we could do is revisit what our what our guidelines are and we could we could re >> What's the implication of having public comment being exclusively in written form submitted and read aloud during a meeting? >> It does. >> Do we not do that? Couldn't we not do that now? Is it only for people in person? >> I don't know. I mean that's We're assume we have people in person. >> I think are what are we trying to solve >> like are we just trying
095to like >> trying to prevent having >> want to we want we talked earlier about communication and transparency and about like we have to work from a base of what are our priorities and >> I worry about taking public comment away. Looks like we're trying to do the opposite of that. >> Agreed. I'm probably of the unpopular opinion. I not only do I want to keep it, but I want to allow folks to actually name people by name. I but but changing our policy perhaps where it's where there's stricter guidelines on you know what you know what can and can't be said as far as um you know just being egregious. And yeah, >> I I my my concern is that like we've had community members violate the policy multiple times with no real consequences.
096And I want and again I don't know like again I'm also very like you know I don't have a strongly formed opinion as of right this second. I just like I don't like having you know the policy where like staffers being named in grievances being aired in a public forum constantly you know and and I feel like without like a consequence of that like what's like this is just going to go on indefinitely. Yeah, and I agree with that too where it's just repetitive. Then something needs to be, you know, put perhaps in the policy where we put some guidelines in that, right? And because it's hard right now because policy says we can't name people by name, but then does that mean that we can't say positive things about people? So the yeah I
097mean I think the intent going back to the intented is that we don't ever want to create a scenario where an employee um could sue us because we allowed for >> Sure. Right. >> Very true. >> Um and I think that we um could put things in place that disallow someone from continuing on comments that's unrelated. So there is a practice of allowing again I I go back to my core belief of transparency and uh communication and then that is people's way to access the board and I hate to shut it down >> um because one person doesn't follow the policy. I don't >> I don't want to p I don't want to cut the community off because of one person. Can we um can we get more information on how other districts are doing
098this in a way that follows you know recommended OSBA guidelines like this? >> What I was going to say was that um you can restrict your comment to be related to the agenda and we had had that before and we've changed it and we could go back to it because then it isn't just these random things. it is related to because there's people who want to come and talk about the things that we're talking about and I don't want to stop people from being able to do that but >> I agree and also when someone starts I think that puts the kind of a tough situation of figuring out that line I'm kind of in the mindset minus you know I I don't know if I'm support calling out ind you know individual names and
099stuff like that three minutes and talk about true whatever what happened when you were in 67 how important this issue is or this I'm all about it um that public comment I think it's great the um is it always productive no is here sometimes well it's kind of our as public official it's part of the deal um I think a good question is when in the meeting do we have >> um and if that has any influence on kind of what happens or >> and that's been it's and bounced around. >> I'm sure different reasons, right? >> As I recall, it was moved uh toward the front. >> Yeah. >> Uh as a reaction to feeling to feelings as though it was being tucked >> Yeah. >> toward the back. >> You have to wait
100for the whole meeting. >> If we're going to be here for two hours, so is commenter, you know, and this was before co >> um yeah, we can we can get a variety of practices. I'll just reiterate, I don't recommend any. We've had we've had legal counsel advise us not to change very much until we have the case before us somewhat settled and then >> yes, >> with with more information we can. So, I think this is probably gives us kind of the general feel. >> I don't I don't want to abolish any public comment by any means. I was just curious if there's any districts around us that have implemented that. And I mean, to me, it'd be a really tough sell to tell the community why you're doing that, unless you're, you know,
101not being as transparent or there's other it just it looks off to me in my in in my opinion. >> Um, can we refine the rules a little bit? Can we refine it to try to lock in and make it as pertinent and and to the point as possible? Probably. Um, but that's just my thoughts. >> Some even do two minutes. Some do two. And I I also think we should we need to reook at the at our guidance and our guidelines and maybe reword. I think >> you know one of the items that you one of the things you said was saying some a shout out right or kudos to to people. So we need to make sure that in our guidance it's it says that that it's so I I just think we
102need to maybe refine. That would be my suggestion. I do know that um part part of the well a paradox is as good as kudos feel in public comment once you've allowed that and not any anything negative you have showed prejudice on it. So you you need to be if if the comment is going to be not going to name anybody. It's neither neither for take issue with them nor to apply. >> Yeah. The board needs to be equally ready to say I'm sorry. We would love to have heard that. However, you can submit that in writing, but we cannot hear that. We cannot hear that commentation in public. >> And again, I I'm not by any means advocating a change right now. I'm just looking at like what are options. I feel like this
103this subject comes up often and I feel like, you know, us us just kind of knowing what the boundaries and what's appropriate and effective or >> one one way to to kind of guide our public comment would be to just be able to comment on agenda items. >> That might be one way of >> I'm not sure I'm not totally supportive of that. >> But they can also people can always email public comment. They can also email us. Yes, I >> I could foresee a situation where maybe there's a future agenda item or something that the committee member knows is coming up that they'd like to get ahead of the ball, if you will, in a meeting. So, >> I see I see what you're saying. So, >> yeah. Okay. I think that was good
104good input. They know kind of touched to the water. Uh with that at the end of our agenda, if it's okay at at 3:25 p.m. >> 128