WHITEFISH – An agenda item regarding volunteer board absences at Monday night’s Whitefish City Council public meeting ruffled feathers among board members in the audience, caused confusion on the council and prompted a rebuke from the mayor.
After approving the public budget for the Whitefish Convention and Visitor Bureau, the council was then slated to discuss absences on the bureau’s board. Mayor Mike Jenson opened up the discussion by expressing displeasure that he had not been aware until recently that the matter would be on the agenda.
City Manager Chuck Stearns explained that Councilor Phil Mitchell approached him in mid-March with concerns about volunteers on the WCVB’s board missing too many meetings, possibly violating the city’s bylaws. Stearns learned that Councilor Turner Askew had similar concerns, along with questions about the bureau’s 1 percent voluntary tourism-promotion assessment.
Stearns instructed the councilors how to get the issue on the agenda for the April 5 meeting by explaining that three councilors needed to approve it. Mitchell, Askew and Chris Hyatt approved.
“We’re just trying to talk things through and see if there’s a problem,” Askew explained at the meeting.
But Jenson and the three other councilors seemed perplexed as to why the issue was on the agenda at all. Jenson said he was “mystified.” Mitchell explained he had heard that the absences of two particular board members might be a concern. Those two board members, Nick Spear and Terry Nelson, were in attendance.
Councilor Ryan Friel said “this is a perfectly functioning board; there’s no conflict with this board.” Jan Metzmaker, WCVB’s executive director, echoed Friel’s sentiment and explained she hasn’t had problems with unexcused absences affecting the board’s ability to perform its duties.
Metzmaker wondered why other city committees weren’t being questioned and wanted to see documentation of formal complaints about her board. She said the two board members’ absences had been excused.
Nelson, who is the head golf coach at Whitefish High School, had previously explained his absences in the public comment period at the beginning of the meeting. He said he missed one meeting for a golf event, one for surgery and another for an excused reason.
Jenson said it was unfair to “single” out one board out and reminded that board members are volunteers, participating in meetings on their own time.
“I’m not going to track absences for 34 or 37 boards,” Jenson said.
He added: “This conversation begs motive. I guess I’m wondering what the problem is.”
Askew raised concerns about whether the bureau’s tourism-promotion assessment could be vulnerable to litigation. With the assessment, WCVB’s member businesses place the 1 percent assessment on customers’ bills and are supposed to clearly articulate what the fee is and that it’s voluntary. Jenson said the absences and assessment are two separate issues.
“I’m not correlating the 1 percent and local positions,” he said.
Councilor John Muhlfeld warned that a precedent had long been established for how volunteer boards function in the community and to start altering that now could “open a can of worms.”
Throughout the meeting, there were audible grumblings from the crowd. And for much of the discussion, the two board members’ names were not mentioned, though they were sitting in attendance. But when Phelps explained that to get a motion to take action on the agenda for an upcoming meeting, the board members’ names must be stated. So Mitchell named Nelson and Spear.
It was also unclear precisely what action the council was supposed to be considering, if any. Even Mitchell at one point asked the mayor and fellow councilors: “Do you want a motion, a discussion? What do you want?”
When formal action at a future meeting was suggested, Councilor Bill Kahle was unconvinced.
“My question,” Kahle said, “would be, ‘Why?’”
Mitchell made a motion to further explore the board absences at a future meeting. The council was split, with Mitchell, Hyatt and Askew voting in favor. Jenson cast the tiebreaking vote, killing the proposal.