Board Organization

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Board Organization Board Dynamics

• Presented by FDAC

2
Class Objectives

• Participants will
• Understand what a board is
• Understand Board Organization
• Understand perceptions problems of
  organizational success
• Understand relationship with Fire Chief
• Understand Board Meeting Dynamics
• Gain some tools in how to work together as a
  board
• Gain insight in how a board should handle a
  crisis
• Understand process of performance evaluations
• Understand the process of replacing a Fire Chief
• Become familiar with trends in Human Resources
  and Employee Benefits

3
Horse Sense

• Dakota tribal wisdom says that when you discover
  you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is
  to dismount.
• Today, however, we have developed new
  organizational strategies that we can use with
  dead horses, including the following

4
Horse Sense Today

• Buy a stronger whip
• Change riders
• Say this is the way we have always ridden the
  horse.
• Appoint a committee to study the horse.
• Visit other sites to see how they ride dead
  horses.
• Expand standards to include riding dead horses.
• Design training to include dead horse riding
  ability.

• Hire contractors to ride the dead horse.
• Increase funding for dead horse performance.
• Change standards to declare the horse is not
  dead
• Revisit the policies for horses.
• Harness several dead horses together to increase
  performance.
• Promote the dead horse to a supervisory position.

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What is a Board?

• A Legal Body
• A Functional Body
• A Symbolic Body

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A Board is a Legal Body

• Legislative Body of District
• Authorized by the Fire Protection District Act of
  1987 (Health Safety Code 13800 - 13980)
• Provides Governance

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Board as a Legal Body

• Can have 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11 members
• Serve 4 year terms
• Governed by Conflict of Interest Laws Brown Act
• Can be at large or by divisions

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A Board is a Functional Body

• Part of the Fire Service Delivery System
• Stewards of the Districts Finances Assets
• Participates in Committee Assignments
• Elected to Act on Behalf of the Community

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Board is a Symbolic Body

• Has Leadership Role with Fire Chief
• Reflects Districts Importance to Community
• Reflects Districts Mission, Vision Values

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Board Governance

• Boards exist on behalf of a larger group of
  people who give the board the authority to govern
  by
• Voting to form the district
• Electing the board
• Providing the funding

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Who are Board Members?

• Citizens who
• Want to do something for their community
• Have a vested interest in the Fire Service
• Have an interest in taxation issues
• Have an interest in a specific issue

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Who are Board Members?

• Fire Service Retirees wanting to keep their hand
  in
• Firefighters elected to represent interest of
  paid staff (Labor Unions)
• Older volunteers looking for another way to serve

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Why are you a Board Member?

• Public Service?
• Political Starting Place?
• Fire Buff?
• Personal Agenda?
• Other Agenda?
• Taxpayer Group
• Community Group
• Labor Group
• Right or Wrong??

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Remember

• You represent all the customers of your
  district,
• Not just the special interests of those who
  elected you.

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Board Make Up

• Number of board members can range from 3 to 11
• Can be at large or by divisions
• Raising the limit to 11 was to ease political
  problems associated with consolidations
• Directors must be residents
• Registered to vote

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Board Make Up

• Officers of the Board include
• President
• Vice President
• Secretary or Clerk
• Can be a hired position

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Perceptions of Organizational Success

• District hasnt gone broke
• District isnt being investigated by grand jury
• District hasnt been
• in the headlines lately
• The public doesnt attend board meetings

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Perceptions of Organizational Success

• Public image is strongly linked with perceptions
  of what is informally heard, witnessed, and
  interpreted when read
• Perception of quality is often based on something
  other than emergency response because most
  citizens never have to call the Fire Department
  for help

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Problems Occur When Directors

• Work outside their roles
• Make decisions based on a narrow constituency
• Micromanage
• Pursue private agendas
• Do not stay informed
• Play gotcha games with Fire Chief at board
  meetings

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Problems Occur When Directors

• Abstains from voting - wont commit
• Criticizes or humiliates staff in public
• Director is neighbor or friend with staff member

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Problems Occur When Fire Chief

• Withholds information from board
• Does not understand political influence
• Does not view directors as part of leadership
  team
• Wants to run district their way

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Problems Occur When Fire Chief

• Befriends and informs certain specific directors
• Runs district like he owns it
• Undermines board credibility to staff/public

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Board Roles and Responsibilities

• Steward the districts finances and preserve
  districts assets
• Adopt an annual budget
• Define critical issues
• Monitor progress toward established goals
• Guide development and adoption of the strategic
  plan

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Board Activities Should be Focused On

• Ensuring all functions and decisions are weighed
  against a standard of purpose
• The future and the long term strategic view
• Creating, not approving
• Defining and monitoring mission, vision and values

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Fire Chief Roles and Responsibilities

• Educates, informs and communicates with the board
• Staff oversight - hires, disciplines and fires
• Oversees management of daily activities

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Fire Chief Roles and Responsibilities

• Analyzes needs and develops annual budget
• Develops and recommends policy
• Appropriately utilizes and preserves districts
  assets
• Oversees implementation of strategic plan

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Communication

• Good decisions are not possible when the Board is
  provided with bad or no information

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Board Dynamics Summary

• Districts exist for only one reason To serve the
  public
• Public has entrusted its assets
  responsibilities to a Board of Directors and Fire
  Chief - No mine or ours
• Public expects efficiency - wants communication
  teamwork
• Board and Fire Chief must be aware of how they
  work together - and correct problems before they
  arise.

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Class Exercise
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Ethics

• The decisions, choices, and actions (behaviors)
  we make that reflect and enact our values..
• The study of what we understand to be good and
  right behavior and how people make those
  judgments. (From "What is the Difference Between
  Ethics, Morals and Values?", Frank Navran,
  http//www.ethics.org/ask_e4.html)
• A set of standards of conduct that guide
  decisions and actions based on duties derived
  from core values. (From "The Ethics of Non-profit
  Management," Stephen D. Potts, http//www.ethics.o
  rg/resources/speech_detail.cfm?ID821 )

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Ethics

• There are many definitions as to what ethics
  encompasses
• The discipline dealing with what is good and bad
  and with moral duty and obligation
• Decisions, choices, and actions we make that
  reflect and enact our values
• A set of moral principles or values
• A theory or system of moral values and/or
• A guiding philosophy.(From "Creating a Workable
  Company Code of Conduct," 2003, Ethics Resource
  Center)

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Applied Ethics- In Government /Politics/ Fire
Service, may include

• Social responsibility
• Standard of Practice
• Employee rights
• Affirmative Rights
• Conflicts of Interest
• Special Interest
• Openness
• Property Rights
• Safety

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Board Meetings

• Must meet at least every three months
• Subject to Ralph M. Brown Act
• Four Types of Meetings
• Regular
• Special
• Adjourned
• Emergency

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Board Meetings

• Have an effective board package
• The tone of the meeting should be businesslike
• Follow the agenda
• Get all directors involved in deliberations
• Remember There are no stupid questions

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Purpose of the Board Package

• To Communicate!
• To concisely and accurately explain staff
  requests, issues and information.
• Obtain approval and/or direction of the board

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Board Package as a Communication Tool

• Keep information clear and concise
• Make sure board has enough time to read it
• Fire Chief should be available to answer
  questions
• Use committee process for complex issues
• Revenues/Warrants should show source of
  funds/approval
• Staff should make recommendations for action
  items with alternatives

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Class Exercise
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Agendas

• The starting point of a successful meeting
• Must be posted in a location freely accessible
  to members of the public
• Regular- 72 hours
• Special- 24 hours
• Emergency- ?
• Must identify Date, Time, and Location
• Include public comment period (Regular meetings)
• Identify Action Items
• Must be detailed enough
• Reference supporting documents

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3 Key Elements of a Board Meeting Agenda

• Consent Calendar
• Action Items
• Information Items

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Follow the Agenda!

• Action items must be identified but action does
  not have to be taken
• Discussion items cannot be acted on by the board
• Items not on the agenda cannot be discussed or
  acted on. No EXCEPTIONS!
• Chiefs Report is not a discussion
• Can ask for agenda items for the next meeting

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Minutes

• References past meetings
• Varies by District
• Can be very detailed or only describe Actions
  Should Be Readable and Understandable

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Conducting Board Meetings

• A quorum consist of a majority of the district
  board
• Board acts only on Ordinances, Resolutions or
  Motions
• Majority of total board membership is required on
  each action (2/3s sometimes)
• Roberts Rules of Order- Optional

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Closed Sessions

• Only for certain subjects Identified in Fire
  District Law
• Negotiations
• Performance Review
• Real Estate Negotiations
• Personnel Matters

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Board Workshops

• Common Direction
• Strategic Planning
• Organization
• Conceptual
• Limited Direction to Staff
• Brown Act issues
• No Action Items!

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Common Internal Issues

• Politics
• Labor influence
• Agendas/ Gain
• Personality
• Ax to Grind
• Others?

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Boardsmanship

• Informed
• Does their homework
• Keeps Mission in mind
• Whats right for the community
• Independent thinking
• Professional manner
• Willing to change
• Flexible
• Integrity

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Avoiding/Solving Internal Conflicts

• Be Honest-Be Polite
• Work within Board Policies
• Workshops
• Agree to disagree
• Value debate
• Job One success of organization
• Common Goals/ Direction

48
Boards in Crisis

• Disaster
• Loss of Chief/leadership
• Financial Crisis
• Death of Personnel
• Political crisis

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External Objectives

• Openness to the public
• Positive Political activity
• User Friendliness
• Fair Elections
• Represent and work for the constituency

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How the Board Interacts with the Community

• Two-Way Communications
• Gather input from and rovide information to
  constituents
• Let people know you are on the Board
• Have cards and printed info
• Identify yourself at service clubs, etc.
• Be an ambassador for the Fire District
• Dont try to be the Authority
• Dont make promises!

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External Impacts to Board Members

• Budget Impacts
• State
• Rising cost
• Standards- NFPA
• Regulations- OSHA, FSLA
• New Accepted Practices
• Is there a method to the madness?

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Board Relationship with Fire Chief

• Can work in many different ways.
• Does it work?
• What is Ideal?
• Separation of Roles and Responsibilities
• Board sets policy
• Chief implements
• Clear Communications
• Fire Chief
• Only person who is supervised by the board
• Direction
• Evaluations
• Negotiations
• Chief has two Jobs
• Work for the Board- Looking outward
• Direct Fire Department- Looking inward

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Performance Evaluations

• Why do it?
• How to do it?

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Hiring a Fire Chief

• Plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead !
• Succession plan?
• Grooming someone from the inside or going to the
  outside depends on your plan.
• Moving people up from the inside tends to
  preserve the present culture in your district.
• Plan for all Key positions

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Hiring a Fire Chief, contd

• Do you want to change the culture? Or does the
  culture need to change?
• Going outside your district to find a new leader
  is a way to change the present culture.
• Including how the board operates.
• You lose your chief without a plan or someone
  ready to move into the chiefs job.

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Succession Planning

• This needs to be a conscious effort and cover all
  positions in the district.
• Developing a career tract for all employees to
  move up
• Hopefully a few will be interested in management
  and 1 or 2 in the chiefs job
• Give those senior people experience and exposure
  to the chiefs job
• Develop and implement projects
• Board presentations
• Community events
• Participate in fire service associations

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First Steps

• Determine the State of the Department
• Changes needed?
• Desired Traits
• Qualifications- KSAs
• Compensation Package
• Direction for new chief

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Assessment Center

• Multiple exercises each with raters
• Intended to measure specific job skills

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Typical Assessment Center Components

• Oral interview
• Written exercise
• Incident simulation
• Oral presentation
• Training demonstration
• Employee counseling

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Assessment Centers

• May be any or all of the components
• May be weighted based on job specifics and board
  values
• Best if there is a cross section of raters

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Recruitment Firms

• Professionals with contacts
• Typically will use one of these identified tools
• Services based on needs
• Flyers and brochures for mailers/marketing

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Fire Chief Contracts

• Able to articulate goals and expectations
• Outlines pay and benefits
• Not required, but can provide clarity

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Human Resources

• What is included?
• Organization/ Positions/ Descriptions
• Recruitment/ Hiring
• Controlling
• Training,
• Labor Relations
• Compensating
• Benefit Management
• Retention
• Retirement/Separation
• Safety/ Work comp

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Personnel Benefits Trends

• Salaries
• Base
• OT
• Specialty
• Longevity
• Work Schedules
• Retirement Plans
• Medical Insurance
• Deferred Compensation
• Other benefits

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Retiree Benefits

• Who represents?
• Are they still employees?
• What obligations do we have to them?

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Future Issues in Employee Benefits

• Defined Contribution Plans
• Contract services
• Housing
• Movable employees

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