No return to weekly meetings

Whitman County Commissioner Greg Partch Monday was re-buffed by fellow commissioners in his request to return to a weekly meeting schedule.

“We are a full-time board,” Partch told commissioners Michael Largent and Pat O’Neill in a workshop session Monday. “To only meet only two weeks is just too long to deal with anything.”

Commissioners earlier this year opted to switch from meeting every week to every other week to reduce the workload of Maribeth Becker, commissioners’ clerk.

At the start of the year, commissioners decided not to fill a receptionist position in their office. That increased Becker’s daily workload.

However, since that switch, Partch has noticed less talk among the commissioners.

“What I see here is a lack of communication. We just don’t talk,” said Partch.

He said communication will be a key in the coming months, the county enters a 2010 budget with low revenues and possibly contentious salary negotiations with the courthouse employees’ union.

“We’re going to have a lot of stuff coming at us this fall,” said Partch.

He said commissioners’ docket typically gets less busy in the summer. He added e-mail communication has eliminated much of the need for commissioners to converse.

“But it just brings better continuity to our county if we can discuss matters every week,” he said.

Partch added the two-week schedule has posed particular problems to the county’s Public Works Department.

Largent said the bi-weekly schedule is working, and added that public works just needs to act with more foresight on issues that need commissioner approval.

Largent added that meeting every week would require the county to “staff up” and would increase their costs.

Commissioners could not pinpoint the amount of money saved from the switch to the bi-weekly schedule.

Largent suggested setting up a workshop session on off-Mondays, where commissioners could officially meet to discuss county business.

The state’s open public meetings act forbids a majority of members of a governing body from meeting together without notifying the public.

O’Neill liked the idea.

“At least then we have a chance to talk about whatever we might be looking at,” he said. “So when we decide, we’re on the same page and verse.”