MINUTES City of Charlottesville Electoral Board Meeting of January 16, 2019 The meeting was called to order by the Chair at 5:50 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 in the office of the Charlottesville General Registrar. Those present were Electoral Board members Anne Hemenway (Chair), Jon Bright (Vice Chair), and Jim Nix (Secretary), General Registrar Rosanna Bencoach, Election Manager Melissa Morton and Project Assistant Joyce McKenney. On a motion by the Vice Chair, seconded by the Chair, the agenda was approved unanimously without change. On a motion by the Chair, seconded by the Vice Chair, the minutes of the December 18, 2018 meeting were approved unanimously without change. Public Comment No members of the public were present for this meeting. Registrar’s Report The Registrar provided the Board members with a written report, which prompted a discussion of a request for two additional full time positions to the office staff that she had included in the budget submission for the next fiscal year. The board members are not convinced of the need for the two additional positions but are supportive of a proposed upgrade of some current long term temporary positions (which receive pro- rated benefits except retirement) to regular status which would add retirement benefits. Weekly Board Member Meetings with Staff The Vice Chair clarified the policy on these meetings emphasizing that only managers and not the full staff need to be present at these meetings. He further stated that their primary purpose is to ensure that planning is on schedule for the June 11 primary. The Chair added that these meetings also will serve to satisfy the Board that the distribution of duties and tasks among the staff is balanced. The Registrar provided the Board members with a proposed schedule for the weekly meetings for the next six months. While the majority would be held on Monday mornings, as directed by the Board, some would be delayed to Tuesday because of holidays or planned absences by key staff members. There were no Board objections to this proposed schedule. Minutes, January 16, 2019 Page 1 Report by the Election Manager Ms. Morton provided the Board with a draft schedule for actions and deadlines leading up to the June 11 primary election emphasizing that some changes will no doubt be required in the coming months. She also provided some additional information concerning options for the needed replacement of the electronic poll books (EPBs). In response to questions raised by the Secretary, she described potential advantages to be realized by converting to a system using tablet computers instead of lap top computers. Vendors will be demonstrating systems of this type at the upcoming Virginia Electoral Board Association annual meeting and she encouraged the Board members take advantage of this opportunity. Among the advantages highlighted for the tablet-based EPBs is ease of training. The Chair emphasized the need to establish a requirement for EPB proficiency for all officers of election once the new EPBs are acquired. Closed Session to Discuss Personnel Issues At 6:30 p.m. there was a motion by the Chair to close the meeting for the purpose of conducting a discussion of personnel matters. This motion was seconded by the Vice Chair and approved unanimously. The board reconvened in open session at 6:55 p.m. and the Chair moved to certify, by recorded vote, that only matters exempted from the open meeting requirements were discussed in the closed session. This motion was seconded by the Vice Chair and approved unanimously. Copies of the motion closing the meeting and the certification following the closed session are attached to these minutes. Hiring Process for a New Registrar With the current 4-year term of the General Registrar ending on June 30, 2019, the Chair informed the Board that she will meet with the City Manager and City Attorney to discuss the timeline for recruitment and salary range for the position. Ms. Bencoach recommended a change to the official title of the position to “General Registrar and Director of Elections” to comply with recent changes in the title and responsibilities established by changes to the governing statutes. The Secretary will review the current job description and produce a new draft to be shared with the Board members before the next meeting. Following approval of the draft at that meeting the Chair will take the draft to the City HR Department to discuss the timeline and other recruitment details. Next Electoral Board Meeting The next meeting will take place in the office of the Charlottesville General Registrar at 5:45 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2019. Minutes, January 16, 2019 Page 2 The meeting was adjourned at 7:29 p.m. Respectfully submitted: James Nix, Secretary Anne Hemenway, Chair Jon Bright, Vice Chair Minutes, January 16, 2019 Page 3