Winnetka Park Board axes Committee of the Whole, downshifts to one regular meeting per month

Committee of the Whole meetings are officially in the past for the Winnetka Park Board, at least on a regular basis, as commissioners voted to restructure how and when they hold meetings.

Not every commissioner, however, was on board with the change.

In a series of 4-2 decisions at the Park Board’s regular meeting on Thursday, Sept. 26, commissioners voted to amend the Park District Policy Manual to state that Committee of the Whole meetings will now be held on an as-needed basis, as well as to cancel the three remaining regularly scheduled Committee of the Whole meetings in 2024 and schedule three special regular board meetings to replace them.

Commissioners Colleen Root and Cynthia Rapp — who have often been regular “no” votes on issues that have come before the Park Board, including with concerns about the Elder-Centennial beach project and in opposition of Root’s censure earlier this year — were again united against changes to the meeting structure.

Amending the board policy was a discussion item at what ultimately ended up being the final regularly scheduled Committee of the Whole meeting on Sept. 12. Park District Executive Director Shannon Nazzal said at that meeting that the idea behind changing the format was efficiency for both the board and staff members.

In her memo to the board, she further stated that the Park Board is not required by law to hold regular Committee of the Whole meetings, and that other nearby park districts in Northfield, Glenview, Kenilworth and Northbrook hold them on an as-needed basis. Wilmette, however, does hold regular Committee of the Whole meetings, changing over to the practice in 2022.

Root had multiple concerns with altering the meeting structure, one of them being fewer opportunities for residents to share public comment with the board. She specifically mentioned a recent change to regular board meetings to now only allow for one public comment period. Previously, guests could address the board twice during regular meetings.

She proposed an alternative: replacing regular Committee of the Whole meetings with standing committees, a structure the Park Board reportedly had in the past.

“Both Glenview and also Northbrook do have very vibrant and active standing committees,” Root said. “I’d like the staff and the board to consider that because it is another way to involve the public.”

She also expressed doubt that one regular meeting a month would be sufficient.

“Again, going to one meeting a month, I don’t know how we’re going to get our business done,” Root said.

Rapp also questioned why Committee of the Whole meetings would be removed without having a replacement for them in place. She also noted that the Park Board does not vote at Committee of the Whole meetings and shared concern that they would be expected to vote at special board meetings.

“I think it’s helpful for boards to be able to discuss things in committee, knowing that you will not be on the spot to do something and to work through the issues,” Rapp said, while also showing support for Root’s idea to add standing committees.

Park Board President Christina Codo said that she doesn’t believe much will change with the elimination of regular Committee of the Whole meetings.

“We now have a series of weekly reports from the executive director that are written by every single business enterprise leadership team member, so we get an enormous amount of detail each week,” she said. “We (also) get a download of all of the constituent concerns weekly, and that is available to the public.”

She also said that just because regular committee meetings won’t be held doesn’t mean they won’t be held at all.

“We’re not removing the option to call a meeting should a special question arise,” Codo said. “We are certainly not removing the option for regular, frequent emails to the executive director to repeatedly question things that are entirely time-consuming. We are also not removing the ability to call a special meeting or a committee meeting of any type.”

In response to a question from Rapp, Scott Puma, with the Park Board’s legal counsel Ancel Glink, said only two commissioners are needed to both call a special meeting and place an item on the agenda.

Because of concerns surrounding the rules for public comment, the Park Board did amend one portion of the policy manual to state that public comment will be a standing agenda item at all special meetings.

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