The Emporia Recreation Commission will wait one month before deciding whether to shrink from nine members to seven.
Several commissioners seemed to favor the measure, which supporters say would make it easier to gather a quorum to do business. On a number of occasions, the commission has struggled to find the minimum five members it presently needs for a meeting and full attendance rarely ever occurs.
"Truthfully, we've been functioning as a seven-member board for the last three years," recreation commissioner Jennifer Bennett said. "I want to see the board move in a reasonable direction, but I don't see how we can do that with nine members."
New commissioner Mike Helbert, a member of the Emporia school board, asked if he could take this back to the school board first. Both the Emporia city commission and the school board appoint the recreation commission's members.
"Before I vote to reduce representation, I want to discuss this with my school board," Helbert said. "Otherwise, as the motion stands, I would have to vote no."
The recreation commission consists of two city commissioners, two school board members, two city appointees, two school board appointees, and an at-large member chosen by the other eight. However, one of the city's appointed seats has been vacant since Harry Waters retired earlier this year and the Emporia school board has only appointed one of its members to the commission, waiting to fill the second chair until a decision is made.
One option, laid out by chairman Roger Hartsook, would be to remove two of the elected officials from the board. That would leave one city commissioner, one school board member, and five appointed community members, one of them at-large.
"Personally, I wouldn't see a problem with reducing the city commission representatives by one," said new recreation commissioner Jeff Longbine, a city commissioner. "I think it would be a mistake to remove an appointed person. You're more likely to find someone there who's got the passion and the time, than from the elected officials who have other duties."
Susan Hernandez, the school district's business superintendent, suggested an alternative -- let the school board and city each name three people to the board, with at least one of the three being an elected official. That intrigued some members, but Recreation Director Tom McEvoy said that could be unbalancing if one body named three elected officials and the other named only one.
Both the city and the school board will get to comment on the measure before it comes up again.
"That works," Hartsook said afterward. "At least it's progress in a positive direction."
The next meeting will be Aug. 20.
In other business:
F The recreation commission approved its budget for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. The budget includes a general fund of $1,943,767 and an employee benefit fund of $304,000.
F Officers for the year will be Roger Hartsook, chairman; Kevin Nelson, vice-chairman; Jim Markowitz, secretary; and Stephanie Fitzmaurice, clerk of the board.
F Recreation officials said after the meeting that host families are needed for the 13-and-under state Babe Ruth tournament this weekend. Eleven families have volunteered, but about 30 are needed. For information or to volunteer, call 340-6300.