Clover Park School District announcement.
LAKEWOOD, Wash. — The Clover Park School District (CPSD) Board of Directors will hold its regular board meeting on Monday, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m. It will be live-streamed on Zoom.
Individuals can attend online by visiting the meeting webinar link. Attendees will be asked to provide the following password to join: 929326 or via telephone at 253-215-8782.
Detailed remote access instructions are available on the district website.
For more information, contact the CPSD superintendent’s office at 253-583-5190.
How can we have open comments if the district is ‘holding’ the mute button?
1. Try turning off your mute button while on zoom.
2. If you don’t know, learn. Google how.
3. If you can’t learn, call a friend to help.
4. If you have no friends, hire someone.
5. If you have no money, then get a job.
6. If you can’t get a job, then make a cardboard sign that says, ” Help! I can’t turn off my mute button and I need assisstance.” Stand by a busy road holding the sign and wait for a kid or a good samaritan to stop and help you.
7. Sign up to speak and stop being helpless. The world has been holding virtual meetings for way over a year. My guess is that you already knew and just enjoy complaining.
8. Problem solved. You’re welcome.
An illegal move by soon to be irrelevant Board President Marty Schafer who violated both Board Policy and the RCW by going “virtual” and limiting public comments to one hour max allegedly for “safety and civility”. Did he bother to bring this to a vote by all Board members in a public meeting as is required or just “consulted” with other Board members in private? The former is the right way to enact such policy; the latter a violation of the Open Meetings Act! The new Board will get to the bottom of this.
Board Policy 1430 para 4 and 5 states:
4. Individuals will be given an estimated time period for the comments, taking into consideration the complexity of the topic, the number of other persons wishing to be heard and similar practical considerations. When necessary, the board president will set a maximum time for each speaker’s presentation. The board president may interrupt or terminate an individual’s statement when it is too lengthy, personally directed, abusive or irrelevant.
5. The board as a whole shall have the final decision in determining the appropriateness of all such rulings by the presiding officer.
Note para 5: the Board as a whole never had the opportunity to vote on this in a public meeting.
Pertinent RCWs: Legal References:
RCW 42.30.050 Interruptions — Procedure
Interruptions—Procedure.
In the event that any meeting is interrupted by a group or groups of persons so as to render the orderly conduct of such meeting unfeasible and order cannot be restored by the removal of individuals who are interrupting the meeting, the members of the governing body conducting the meeting may order the meeting room cleared and continue in session or may adjourn the meeting and reconvene at another location selected by majority vote of the members. In such a session, final disposition may be taken only on matters appearing on the agenda. Representatives of the press or other news media, except those participating in the disturbance, shall be allowed to attend any session held pursuant to this section. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the governing body from establishing a procedure for readmitting an individual or individuals not responsible for disturbing the orderly conduct of the meeting.
Note: that the excuse given by Schafer was that of “safety and civility”. You don’t “punish” an entire audience for the alleged disruptive behavior of a few.