The idea of holding night meetings in Oneida county has again been returned to committee.
Over the years, the board has dabbled with the idea of holding the monthly full board meeting and committee meetings in the evening. The idea being more young people and workers could also find the time to participate. Each time the matter was proposed, the full board did not approve changing its 9:30 a.m. start time. The time of the meeting can be moved on an individual basis at the desire of the county board chair, but the resolution before the board Tuesday would have moved the time to 4:00 p.m. or later for all meetings.
Supervisor Jack Sorenson has promoted the idea...
".....my intent is to have more people of younger age to run for county board...."
There was support among speakers asking for later meetings....like Joel Knutson....
"....the idea that with additional night meetings, would more individuals run for the position of county board supervisors or would otherwise be able to attend meetings? The experience of town governments suggest strongly that that would be the case...."
Many supervisors are also town board members and feel it would interfere with those duties...like Hazelhurst town chair Ted Cushing...
".....many of us sit on town boards, I happen to chair a town board, those are evening meetings. I also have three other evening meetings a month as a result of sitting on this board at the Tri-County Human Service Center...."
After long debate, it was suggested the matter return to committee and to have Oneida County University Extension put together a survey to get a sample of public opinion. The survey results are due back to the full board by September...
