Mill Creek MetroParks board to iron out details of advisory committees

CANFIELD

After Monday night’s regular Mill Creek MetroParks board meeting, the board will meet for a special session to hash out the details of new board-advisory committees slated to form at the start of 2017.

The committee structure, which was approved in July, was proposed by board member Tom Shipka. The approved motion created nine standing committees that will advise the board on various policy matters.

Though the proposal has been enacted by the board, members will discuss and possibly agree on some amendments tonight.

“I’m hoping as a board we’ll accomplish a better understanding of the committees and how they function,” said board president John Ragan, who was the sole board member to vote against the committee proposal, citing at the time a need for additional “clarification.”

Ragan said he hopes the work session will allow the board to figure out the number of committees, their roles, their descriptions, to whom they will report, and what kind of background knowledge applicants might need to serve on a particular committee.

As its currently written, the motion establishes nine, five-member committees focused on these topics: finance, development, employee relations, wildlife, recreation, nature education, environment, horticulture, and volunteers.