Board members to phone it in

From the BCCT.

Panel to review phone policy again
Posted in News on Thursday, March 12th, 2009 at 9:11 am by Education Reporter Rachel Canelli

A proposed policy that would allow directors to participate in meetings by phone got a busy signal Tuesday night when officials debated the rule’s language.

So, instead of voting on the procedure, Neshaminy school board members agreed to let the policy committee review and revise it again.

As written, the process would let no more than one director per meeting call into a public board meeting and vote via phone. And each board member would be able to make such a request only once a year and at the board president’s discretion.

But board member William O’Connor, who requested the policy so that he wouldn’t have to miss too many board meetings for unexpected business trips, disagreed with the wording. The original draft permitted two people each meeting twice per year, and did not require the president’s permission, administrators said.

“This is to allow a person to participate,” said O’Connor. “It’s not meant as a convenience to phone in from home. And none of us needs permission from the board president to come here. It’s our ability based on the people who elected us.”

Jacqueline Rattigan, director of elementary and secondary education, said the committee made those changes so people wouldn’t abuse the policy.

Board member Irene Boyle said she didn’t understand the big deal.

“When you start something new, you go slow,” she said.

The wording was supposed to mean that directors should request to participate in a meeting via phone, not ask the president’s consent, said board member Susan Cummings.

Board members Kim Koutsouradis and Ritchie Webb said they’re concerned that the rule would encourage people not to come to meetings, or meetings could be moved to the auditorium, where it’s hard to hear on a phone.

“I have no idea why we’re trying to make this so hard,” said board member William Spitz. “What’s the harm in allowing it? If abuse happens, we could change the policy.”

The concept already is used in some districts including Council Rock, where a board member recently participated by phone for more than one meeting after having surgery, officials said. Neshaminy also allowed board member Joseph Blasch to attend an executive session by phone, Blasch said.

After not allowing a councilman who was on military duty overseas to vote from his post, the Tullytown council later agreed to let members on active military duty vote by phone early last year.

But board member Frank Koziol argued that he’s against it because if only five votes out of more than 200 in the past few years failed due to a director’s absence, the procedure’s not necessary.

“When you run for office, you know if you’re elected you’re accepting the responsibility of attending meetings to represent people,” said Koziol. “It’s impossible to feel the passion of a speaker, or the mood of an audience over the telephone. Attendance is not mandatory, it’s expected.”