Removing Town committee term limits pondered: BOMA
Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen considered removing term limits on some of its committees during a workshop Thursday, June 8.
However, the committees’ charters will be on the Board’s agenda for its Thursday, June 22, meeting.
While many of the Town’s committees do not have term limits, such a decision would affect the following committees: Arts and Beautification, Museum, Tourism/Visitor Advisory and Parks and Athletics Council — each does have term limits.
The Arts and Beautification Committee has eight years total; Museum, eight total; Tourism/Visitor Advisory, four total; and Parks and Athletics Council, four total, according to Town administrator David Smoak.
As the Board reviewed its committee charters, it took no action but was in consensus on removing the limits as introduced by Mayor Ron Williams.
“We would get somebody onto a committee and they would spend the first year or so learning about the committee and then it’s time to get off,” Williams said. “You always have a learning curve, where most of the time, if it’s for two years or four years, as far as what you’re appointed for,” he added. “Once that ends, if there’s a problem with the committee member, believe me, the chair tells me about it.
“I think that would be a better way to handle it is to continue on with some of the people who are on the committees. A good example would be the Museum Committee.”
Saying Farragut Museum will be “closed for a year,” Williams further noted that committee “is a four-year term. … Really, there won’t be anything for them to do.
“That, right there, is one that’s extremely hard to educate the members on because there’s so much to do with the museum that there’s quite a bit of learning involved,” he added.
Williams said changing the term limits would not involve the Planning Commission or Board of Zoning Appeals, while the Tree Board has not even been started.
Regarding Parks & Athletic Council, Alderman Drew Burnette, who sits on that council, said removing the term limits works for him as well.
Alderman David White said some committees, such as Municipal Planning Commission, should have term limits so the Board can get fresh ideas.
Williams said the Planning Commission is “radically” different from the other committees in that he appoints the members, as opposed to the whole Board appointing them.
“The Planning Commission is different because it’s regulated by state law,” Vice Mayor Louise Povlin said.
Concerning the Education Relations Committee, Povlin, who sits on that committee, said some of those committee members cannot always make it so they have someone attend as a proxy.
“I’d really like to get rid of the absence requirements,” she added.
