Riga passes citizen advisory committee law

It was a formality, and adherence to state law, that prompted the Riga Town Board to hold a public hearing to formally adopt rules and procedures governing the formation of citizen advisory committees. By unanimous vote, the board adopted a resolution at the March 14 meeting to establish citizen advisory committees.

"Once we find the need for a committee, members will be chosen and the committees will be formed," Supervisor Pamela Moore said.

Following the passage of the resolution, the board made the decision to dissolve the town's recreation board as it was never properly constituted. The motion was ultimately tabled.

"This town board had no authority to form the recreation board," Moore said.

Councilman Bob Ottley argued against dissolving the recreation board saying in order to take away a paid chair and board positions should have come before the public in a public hearing. "We should have gauged public opinion on this," he said, calling for the motion to be tabled. "You folks ran on open government and now you are dropping a bombshell like this. It's wrong."

Moore said she sees the move as an enhancement to the town.

John Hartman, whose wife serves on the recreation board said, the motion, "came from left field" and that he thought the recreation board was a more permanent entity than a citizen advisory committee sounds. "I think it sends the wrong message to change from a board to a committee."

Moore said she hopes the idea of not receiving a stipend would stop people from serving. "I come from a personal background filled with personal service and I don't see that a stipend would make a difference to those who are interested in volunteering," she said.

Hartman said he felt the decision needed more public discussion. Moore explained that the law is the law and the town board erred initially in forming a recreation board the way it did. "This is housekeeping," she said.

Ottley made a motion to table, which was passed by a vote of three to two. Ottley, Councilmen Jim Fodge and Dave Smith voted to table; Moore and Councilman Ken Kuter voted against tabling.

March 19, 2006