Properly organized meetings provide the structure through which a board of commissioners may debate an issue and come to the decisions that are necessary to manage the affairs of a county. A commission meeting that is well organized will be more productive, more effcient, and above all, more businesslike than a commission meeting that is unorganized. Contained within is a model ordinance that focuses on the organization of and preparation for a meeting.
Keep in mind, however, that this is a model ordinance. As a model, it suggests one approach to meetings organization. Provisions should be changed to conform to local legislation, existing meeting structure and local preferences. For example, some counties have local legislation enacted by the General Assembly specifcally requiring the Chair to vote as any other commissioner, while other counties have local legislation that only allows the Chair to vote in case of a tie. In other instances, local legislation may provide quorum or majority vote requirements that vary from the model. Consequently, this model may need to be amended to conform to local legislation. Other provisions of the model, such as order of business, how public participation is accommodated, use of a consent agenda, work sessions, whether the county manager or clerk prepares the agenda, and other matters refect personal preferences of the writers of the model and consideration should be given to revising the model language to match local requirements and preferences.
It is critical that the county attorney be directly involved in the adoption of any meetings procedure or rules of order since defective procedures may negate decisions made by a board during any such meeting. In addition to avoiding conficts with local legislation, those counties that have adopted zoning ordinances should consult with their county attorney to ensure that the model does not confict with the requirements in their zoning ordinances for meetings and hearings. Also, note in particular that Sections 1, 2, 12, 14, 20 and 21 of the model
address, in part, requirements of the Open Meetings Law found at O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1 et seq.
