Conduct of Board members during Virtual Meetings

[Jimmy Holcomb]

To the Board of Commissioners & Planning Board:

I attended the 11/4 virtual meeting (last evening) of the OC Planning Board, with primary agenda item: Zoning Amendment for proposed ‘Efland Station’. I also was among the citizens offering comment on the proposal.

I am shocked and dismayed to see the extent of disrespect displayed to the citizen-speakers and to the magnitude of the project in question.  One Board member visibly dozed through the entire meeting, one member ate food and picked her teeth, and one member could be seen lying in bed with her snoring husband loudly audible. Whereas we are all making allowances for the pandemic, most people in any official capacity are attempting a minimal professional presentation. The out-of-state applicant in this matter presumably witnessed all of this. I am embarrassed for our county. I’m also finding it difficult to find reasons to believe the Board members took the meeting, their positions, or the 18 citizen-speakers seriously.

Ironically, this is what I see on the Board’s official page: "The Planning Board pledges its respect to all present. The Board asks those attending this meeting to conduct themselves in a respectful, courteous manner…”.

I believe a reassessment of these "pledges of respect" is in order - even for a volunteer Board. 

Thank you, 

Jimmy Holcomb

Efland