TITLE: Title
Appointments to the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) Board of Directors
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is for the Town Council to consider making appointments to both Town seats on the OWASA Board of Directors.
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DEPARTMENT: Clerk’s Office
CONTACT INFORMATION: Wesley Barker, 919-918-7309, wbarker@carrboronc.gov <mailto:wbarker@carrboronc.gov> or Mayor Damon Seils
INFORMATION: The OWASA Board of Directors is made up of a nine-members. Chapel Hill Town Council appoints five board members, Carrboro Town Council appoints two board members, and the Orange County Board of Commissioners appoints two board members. The OWASA Board adopts the annual budget; sets rates, fees and charges based on cost-of-service principles; approves bond issues to fund capital projects; makes policy decisions; and appoints the Executive Director, General Counsel, and independent auditor.
The Town of Carrboro has two seats on the OWASA Board of Directors. One of these two seats is currently vacant and has been since June 30, 2021. The other seat is currently held by Yinka Ayankoya, with her term expiring June 30, 2022. Yinka has served two full terms, and OWASA Board Members ordinarily only serve two three-year terms. After June 30, 2022, Carrboro would not have any representation on the OWASA Board, until appointments are made by the Town Council. Appointed members serve a three-year term.
Applications were received from Katherine Baer, Joe Brown, W. Patrick Gale, Melody Kramer, and Elmira Mangum. These are included as attachment A.
According to the Town Code Chapter 2: Procedures of Governing Body, Article V: Miscellaneous, Section 2-41: Appointments-
Unless the Council agrees by majority vote or consensus to follow another procedure, the Council shall use the following procedure to appoint individuals to various subordinate boards and offices:
(1) The mayor shall open the floor to nominations, whereupon the names of possible appointees shall be put forward by the members and debated. Upon the conclusion of the debate, the mayor shall propose each name in alphabetical order, and the members shall cast their votes.
(2) If only one appointee is to be selected, the voting shall continue until one nominee receives a majority of the votes cast, where-upon they shall be appointed.
(3) If more than one appointee is to be selected, then each member shall have as many votes as there are slots to be filled. A member must cast all their votes and cast them for different nominees. The nominees receiving the highest number of votes shall be appointed. <https://www.carrboronc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/98/Chapter-2---Procedures-of-Governing-Body-PDF?bidId=>
This also aligns with the procedures set out in the Town of Carrboro Advisory Board Recruitment and Appointment Policy, pages 4 & 5:
a. The Town Clerk will provide a ballot listing the names of all applicants presented in the agenda packet to each Council Member.
b. Prior to voting, the Council shall open the floor for discussion of the applications.
c. Each Council Member shall sign their name to the ballot and indicate their choice in candidate(s) by marking next to the candidate(s) name.
d. Each Council Member will vote only for the number of candidates that there are vacant seats to fill.
e. The Clerk shall collect the ballots and announce the candidate(s) receiving the highest number of votes and indicate the position that each candidate has been appointed to fill.
f. The Town Clerk shall then read into the record the names of the candidates receiving the highest number of votes. The Town Council shall then make appointments per motion and second. The minutes shall indicate fully the written and verbal voting record of each Council Member. <https://www.carrboronc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5358/Town-of-Carrboro-Advisory-Board-Recruitment-and-Appointment-Policy->
OWASA has confirmed that the two Carrboro seats on the OWASA Board will have varying expiration dates. One seat will have an expiration date of June 30, 2024, and the other seat will have an expiration date of June 30, 2025. Voting ballots will be created and distributed to the Council at the meeting for voting on these appointments. The applicant receiving the highest number of votes will be appointed to the full three-year term ending in 2025, and the applicant receiving the next highest number of votes will be appointed to the partial term ending in 2024.
Current OWASA Board of Directors demographics, provided by OWASA, are included as attachment B.
A matrix of the applicants received are included as attachment C.
A resolution making appointments to the OWASA Board of Directors is included as attachment D.
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: There is no fiscal or staff impact associated with these appointments.
RECOMMENDATION:r Staff recommend that the Town Council vote on these applicants via voting ballot at the June 21, 2022 Council meeting and adopt the attached resolution making appointments to the OWASA Board of Directors.