Councilmember Nadeau: Ax Frequently Absent ANC Commissioners

Watch out, frequently absent ANC commissioners.

D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau today introduced a bill that would ax commissioners who miss meetings for three months in a row.

The bill, called the Advisory Neighborhood Commission Absenteeism Penalty Amendment Act of 2015, was co-introduced by councilmembers Anita Bonds and Elissa Silverman and aims to “make it easier for ANCs to reliably have the quorum required to conduct official business.”

“Like several of my colleagues, I was an ANC Commissioner,” said Nadeau, who served on ANC 1B from 2006 to 2010, from the podium. “I found, as many commissioners can relate to, it can be difficult to enforce attendance among a group of volunteer leaders.”

As written in the bill, any commissioner who fails to attend official public meetings for three months will “be considered resigned from the position.”

“District residents and business leaders should not be penalized for poor attendance of their representatives,” Nadeau added from the dais.

Nadeau said that the legislation was requested in a resolution from Columbia Heights and Park View ANC 1A, and that it “mirrors similar language already in the procedures governing ANC 1B.”

Final bill will make it easier for ANCs to do business. Commissioners can’t miss more than 3 meetings in a row. Bill requested by @ANC1A.

— Brianne K. Nadeau (@BrianneKNadeau) September 22, 2015

As former ANC, I appreciate their hard work as volunteers. This bill will ensure they have quorum to do imp’t community business.

— Brianne K. Nadeau (@BrianneKNadeau) September 22, 2015

I also want to commend the work of @ANC1A Chair @KentBoeseDC for his leadership on the ANC absenteeism bill I intro'd today.

— Brianne K. Nadeau (@BrianneKNadeau) September 22, 2015

Photo courtesy of Brianne Nadeau