FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
1 AGENDA ITEM #13
MEETING DATE October 4, 2023
PREPARED FOR Mayor and Town Council
PREPARED BY Heather Abrams, Town Manager
Maria Baird, Parks and Recreation Coordinator
SUBJECT Adopt Resolution Thanking and Dissolving the Volunteer Board
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the resolution.
BACKGROUND
The Volunteer Board began in 1988 as a group of residents gathered to initiate and implement volunteer activities and projects that benefited the Town of Fairfax. In 1992, a non-profit 501(c)(3) was created entitled “Friends of the Volunteers for Fairfax”. The non-profit was disbanded in 2015.
DISCUSSION
The Volunteer Board has not been able to meet since November of 2022, due to a lack of a quorum.
Membership has been down for several years, and many meetings were cancelled because there were not enough members present for a quorum. Maintaining the board at this time does not appear beneficial.
A number of the Board’s projects and activities could be absorbed by the Parks and Recreation Commission, such as the annual Town-wide picnic, holiday wreathmaking, community garden, creek clean-up, and pet waste dispensers in the parks.
FISCAL IMPACT
None identified
ATTACHMENT
Proposed Resolution
RESOLUTION 23-__
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX
THANKING AND TERMINATING THE VOLUNTEER BOARD
WHEREAS, the Town Council first established the Fairfax Volunteer Board (“the Volunteers”) dedicated to volunteerism in and around Fairfax in 1988; and WHEREAS, the Volunteers’ mission has been to foster goodwill in the town of Fairfax through implementation of a volunteer program to meet the Town’s and community’s needs; and
WHEREAS, achieving a quorum at meetings became difficult in the past two years due to vacancies and frequent absences, with the result that actions cannot be taken in a timely manner; and
WHEREAS, the Volunteers have actively recruited members from the community; and WHEREAS, in 2022, in response to the Volunteers’ request, the Town Council expanded the Volunteer Board’s membership to include residents residing in the “94930” zip code outside Town limits in hopes that a wider pool would lead to more members; and WHEREAS, the Volunteer Board last met on November 28, 2022, and since that time has have not achieved a quorum; and
WHEREAS, the Volunteers’ annual activities could be absorbed by other Town commissions and committees, as appropriate;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the Town Council of the Town of Fairfax as follows:
1. All of the members of the Volunteer Board, past and present, are thanked for their dedicated service to the Town; and
2. The Volunteer Board is hereby dissolved and terminated.
The foregoing resolution was adopted at a regular meeting of the Fairfax Town Council of the Town of Fairfax held in said Town on the 4th day of October 2023, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
__________________________________
Chance Cutrano, Mayor
Attest: _______________________
Michele Gardner, Town Clerk