Robert's Rules in Real Life

The Seattle Times describes today how a former program manager for  Senior Services has been charged with theft of $91,000.  

We thought blog readers might find our recent newsletter article on this topic of interest, as given below:

The weekend paper brings yet another sad story of theft from a nonprofit – sadder in this case because the thief was a deaf employee, working for the Vancouver Association of the Deaf. Fortunately the amount involved was small, only $6,527. It’s not like the national nonprofit organization I was a member of some years ago, whose energetic and simpatico treasurer was funding her condo in Hawaii and her fancy car from the accounts.

What is it about the nonprofit world that makes its board members so trusting? We are working to improve the human condition, I guess, and don’t like to look at those aspects that need correction rather than improvement. It’s also true that thinking about money is unpleasant, because there’s never enough. And it’s usually a challenge to make sense of the financial statements. If you’re not a trained accountant, you may want to throw up your hands and take the executive director’s word that all is in order.

But embezzlement is all around us. If you serve on a nonprofit board of directors, you have a duty to make sure that theft isn’t taking place under your nose. Make it your New Year’s resolution to get a firm handle on your nonprofit’s financial workings. All that’s necessary is to pay attention and ask questions. Here are some useful resources, all available without charge:

• Who’s responsible for the money?
• Nonprofit embezzlement: more common and more preventable than you think
• Five internal controls for the very small nonprofit

We salute Blue Avocado, which offers great information on this topic, and wish you a productive year that betters the lot of humankind while seeing all the affairs of your nonprofit organization in good order!

Ann G. Macfarlane
Professional Registered Parliamentarian

(c) Jurassic Parliament 2012. All rights reserved.

Tuesday’s training session brought many questions. For example, if  an eager (not to say obnoxious) citizen gives his comment, and then raises his hand before the vote, does he have the right to speak again?

For members of the Association of California Water Agencies Joint Powers Insurance Authority, it is the Ralph M. Brown Act that determines the answer to this question. Section 54954.3(a) begins, “Every agenda for regular meetings shall provide an opportunity for members of the public to directly address the legislative body on any item of interest to the public, before or during the legislative body’s consideration of the item, that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body…” Reading this clause as a lay person and not an attorney, I would think that “an opportunity” means “one opportunity.” If the agenda includes a designated period, and a member of the public speaks, he’s had his chance. The council is not obliged to listen to him again before voting - although it may choose to do so, by majority vote, if it wishes.

The Brown Act further allows legislative bodies to adopt regulations limiting the total amount of time allocated for public testimony on particular issues and for each individual speaker. That’s a darn good thing. It is not easy to enlist capable and dedicated citizens to give their time to the special districts, commissions, councils and committees that make our web of governance hum. Providing for some kind of reasonable balance in time allotted to public input versus time spent in actual deliberation seems essential.

The key point that we urge on all elected and appointed officials is to distinguish between getting the public input necessary to make good decisions, and holding the council discussion that leads to making the decision itself. Public input is vital, but it is not the same as deliberation – when the members of the body discuss the question, weigh its different aspects, and then decide. Allowing the public to speak during the council discussion period confuses people about who has the actual authority, and makes it harder for the body to do its work. We say, let the gadfly have his full allotted time, but no more than that.

Our Tip Sheet “Running Successful Public Comment Sessions at Council Meetings” offers a host of suggestions for councils, commissions, committees and other bodies. It’s a great starting point – and do be sure to consult with your attorney, to make sure that the guidelines you adopt conform to your state’s law and regulations.

Ann G. Macfarlane, PRP

(c) Jurassic Parliament 2011. All rights reserved.