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Recreation Centers of Sun City members can now speak to the board about agenda items at meetings prior to a vote.
A motion to allow that was made by board member Darla Akins during the board’s Sept. 9 meeting. It was approved then by a 5-4 vote and again during the Sept. 26 meeting by the same vote count. On the third and final reading during the board’s Oct. 14 meeting, again by a 5-4 vote.
But the passage did not come without a minor change and some discussion about other options.
Prior to the final vote, Ms. Akins made an amendment to the motion to change the word cardholders to members.
“It was never my intention to have cardholders speak to agenda items rather than members,” she said.
RCSC members are property owners who meet the qualifications, including age and residency requirements, while cardholders are unqualified owners and/or non-owners who meet the requirements to purchase a privilege card, according to Joelyn Higgins, RCSC communications and marketing coordinator. Cardholders cannot vote in RCSC elections, speak at board or membership meetings or serve on the RCSC board or committees, she added.
Prior to the Oct. 14 approval, members could speak to motions before a board vote but not agenda items.
Before the board approved Ms. Akins’ amended motion, there was some discussion about keeping the status quo, at least for a while. RCSC officials switched in April to a more open meeting format, eliminating its closed door workshops and the member/director exchange meetings.
“When we started this, our president said it would be a learning curve and we would make mistakes along the way,” said Dale Lehrer, RCSC board vice president. “I think we should give this process more time.”
Board member Rich Hoffer agreed.
“I’m going to stun a lot of people and agree with Vice President Lehrer,” he said. “There has not been enough time to see if this works. We should give it more time.”
He said before the April format change, the board had the exchange and regular board meetings where motions could be discussed. Now there are three opportunities as motions must be approved three times at separate meetings before they are final.
Board member Michael Kennedy offered another alternative.
“We could allow members to speak only on the second and third readings,” he said.
In the end, however, the motion to allow members to speak to agenda items before a board vote was approved.
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