Each year, the Board of Supervisors adopts a meeting schedule that designates regular meeting dates and any dates on which meetings must be canceled in anticipation that a quorum of the Board will not be present. The 2017 meeting schedule, as modified by the Board of Supervisors on October 25, 2016, was prepared in consultation with the incoming Board Chair, Fire Chief and the Housing Authority Executive Director. The schedule provides 34 meetings for the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and 12 meetings for each the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors and the Housing Authority of Contra Costa Board of Commissioners. The Fire District and Housing Authority will take independent action on December 6 to adopt their meeting schedules.
As in past years, we are recommending that the Board cancel those meetings that fall during a week with a County holiday, the fifth Tuesday of a month, and Tuesdays that fall during those weeks in which the annual policy and legislative meetings of the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the California State of Counties (CSAC) are held:
| Conference |
Dates |
Location |
| NACo Legislative Conference |
February 25-March 1, 2017 |
Washington, D.C. |
| CSAC Legislative Conference |
May 17-18, 2017 |
Sacramento, CA |
| NACo Annual Conference & Exposition |
July 21-24, 2017 |
Columbus, OH |
| CSAC Annual Meeting |
November 27-December 1, 2017 |
Sacramento, CA |
In the past 10 years, several seasonal breaks have also been designated in the Board's meeting schedule, in recognition of both time away needed for vacations and of the time demands on the Board members due to their participation on Board standing committees, and numerous regional and local legislative bodies and task forces, which require preparation, attendance, and involve travel. We are recommending eight seasonal breaks to accommodate these needs. Experience has shown that 32 meetings per year has generally been sufficient to effectively conduct the County's business. However, should it be necessary, there are legal provisions to schedule a special meeting to address any urgent need that cannot be accommodated in the standing meeting schedule.
Early adoption of a meeting schedule enables staff to effectively plan and manage the Board's calendar and obtain the necessary authority to conduct the County's daily business. To the extent that the Board does not adopt a new year meeting schedule, staff will be hindered in these efforts.