New regs approved for citizen volunteers

After a lengthy discussion, the Maricopa City Council put new rules and regulations for boards, committees and commissions into the city code.

The revised rules were the result of a task force formed by Mayor Christian Price in June in response to volunteers concerned council members weren’t listening to them.

Over the course of two meetings, the mayor and Councilmembers Julia Gusse and Bridger Kimball sat down with the volunteers who served on the boards and discussed how to improve existing policies.

An eligibility requirement that said direct family members of city council members could not be nominated by council members to a sub-group spurred a lengthy discussion.

Gusse said one reason that requirement was put on the list was because the people at the task force meeting — many of whom were serving or had served in one of the sub-groups said they felt intimidated by having council members’ family members on the board.

“They do feel intimidated,” Gusse said.

Councilman Alan Marchione was opposed to any restrictions on citizens volunteering to serve.

Marchione said “these people are volunteering their time” and he didn’t want to deprive anyone of the chance to serve the community.

Councilman Marvin Brown, whose wife has served on several of the sub-groups, said he didn’t think nepotism was an issue.

Nonetheless, Price said, “it was their perception it is.”

“Some people on the board(s) did not think they could speak openly because their comments would be ferried back to the council,” Kimball said.

Gusse said because she participates in the task force meetings she felt strongly about the issue, “I will vote nonfamily every time” on such nominations, which, in accordance with the revised policy, are now subject to approval by a majority of the council.

Vice Mayor Edward Farrell changed his mind during the course of the discussion.

Another issue brought up was that there was often a lack of available volunteers to fill the required seven seats on a board.

Initially, Farrell was opposed to the nonfamily members rule. He pointed out that his own mother had served the community as a volunteer for various boards and committees for more than five decades.