Governance Committee

of Reorganization Planning Committee (RPC)

Lisbon/M.S.A.D. No. 75

 

Minutes

October 3, 2007

 

The Governance Sub-committee of the Reorganization Planning Committee (RPC) met at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 3, 2007, in the Superintendent’s Conference Room of the M.S.A.D. No. 75 District Office in Topsham, Maine.

 

Committee members present were  Joanne Rogers, Chair; Robert W. Hill; Tim Lavan; Dan Billings and Charles Smith.

 

Also present were M.S.A.D. No. 75 Superintendent Dr. J. Michael Wilhelm,  Prudy Grant and Jim Henderson.

 

The meeting was called to order by Chairwoman Rogers at 6:30 p.m.

 

A review of the current governance structure of Lisbon School System, Union 30 and M.S.A.D. No. 75 was discussed by committee members.

 

Mrs. Rogers briefly reviewed Subchapter 3 (beginning on page 20), identifying the requirements for size, term of office and methods of apportionment.

 

Dr. Wilhelm provided a working template for apportionment identifying the population of all five communities and the percentage of population to the whole represented.

 

Dan Billings provided a remarkable similar worksheet for apportionment that carried the calculation to total votes with an example of weighted voting for 12 Directors.

 

Mrs. Rogers led a discussion of committee members that weighed the pros and cons of various different configurations and total numbers of directors.

 

Dr. Wilhelm will obtain clarification of sub-section 1472 (2) C and the impact of the “2%” calculation.

 

Mrs. Rogers asked for and received the consensus of the Committee to recommend to the RPC an apportionment plan for weighted votes as follows:

 

Town                    Population         Population         Total Votes Total Directors        Votes Each

Bowdoin             2727                     9.48%                   95                           1                              95

Bowdoinham    2612                      9.08%                  91                           1                              91

Harpswell          5239                     18.22%                                182                        2                             91

Topsham                9100                       31.65%                  316                         4                              79

Lisbon                    9077                       31.57%                  316                         4                              79

TOTAL                  28755                                                   1000

 

                                                                                                                                                Continued reverse …

At the request of Ms. Grant, a discussion of local school committees was led by Mrs. Rogers.  The Committee reviewed current committee structure of Lisbon and M.S.A.D. No. 75.  A copy of M.S.A.D. No. 75 committees and membership was provided to all present.

 

It was recognized that if a sub-committee were formed for one town, a sub-committee would be needed for all towns leading to a confusing and layered bureaucracy with yet-to-be-determined authority.

 

Mr. Lavan suggested that an effective committee structure could be organized by subject area versus community and that those committees would be representative of all common interests of all schools and communities.

 

Mrs. Rogers asked for and received the consensus of the committee to recommend to the RPC a committee structure that is based on subject area.

 

The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p.m. to watch the remainder of the Red Sox game.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Robert W. Hill, recorder

Governance Committee

 

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