Who can participate in Terrebonne Sanitary District meetings and conversations?

The answer to this question is very simple: EVERYONE, and yes we mean EVERYONE. You do not have to live in the district, Terrebonne, or even in the State of Oregon. Oregon’s Open Meeting Laws allow for all citizens to attend, read about, participate in, and be informed about most all public meetings. We will now talk a little about what you can and can not do at the meetings of the Terrebonne Sanitary District (TSD).

• You can attend all meetings for the TSD board in person. The meetings are on the third Thursday of every month at the Smith Rock Community Church, 8344 11th Street, Terrebonne OR. We are not pleased that the meetings are held at 3:30PM but feel free to comment to them about this.
• In addition to attending meetings in person Oregon Open Meeting Law requires that all public meetings be available to the public by electronic means, Zoom (or Zoom like) and phone. The TSD posts the numbers and instructions on how to attend by these means. If you are planning on attending this way it is a good idea to call early and contact them if you have any problems, it can get tricky.
• TSD does, to our understanding, allow for a public comment period at every meeting. This is your opportunity to voice your opinion to the board on any subject. Always remember to alway be civil and to respect your fellow citizens at all times.
• Most boards will request that the public keep their comments to a certain time frame say 3 to 5 minutes. Make every effort to adhere to these times and again alway be respectful.
• With respect to asking questions at any open public meeting you need to understand that the board is not required to answer any questions. This may sound counterintuitive but there is a very simple reason for this. This is a business meeting. If the board was “required” to answer every question they may not be able to conduct the business they are there to discuss. A meeting could be hijacked and no one wants that. You can politely ask a question but the board may or may not answer it. Do NOT get mad, just make your point and as always be civil.
• There are some meetings that the public is NOT allowed to attend and these meetings are called “Executive Meetings”. There is a list of reasons that a board is allowed to go into executive session and they are very specific such as communication with counsel, personnel issues and sale of property. If any board says they are going into executive session alway ask if it is an allowed issue.
• There are other types of meetings that are open to the public and are required to have an agenda posting and minutes taken. These meetings include budget meetings, work sessions and special meetings among others. The rule is, “anytime a quorum (a quorum is a majority of the board) of the board meets in person, virtually, by phone or any other means it is a public meeting and requires an agenda and meeting notes.
• In talking to people we know that serve on public boards we understand that most of these meetings are sparsely attended. Many issues that do or could affect you are decided at meetings such as these. We feel that everyone should attend at least one meeting to understand what is going on. There is no requirement that you speak and argue or raise your voice. Whether you believe that or not they want to hear your opinion and will welcome your participation.
• One last note concerning board meetings and that has to do with being a board member. Like a lot of small districts, the Terrebonne Sanitary District is in need of at least one board member. Anyone that lives in the district is allowed to be a board member. If there is one great way to get your opinion and ideas heard it is to sit on the board. If you have a little time (a few hours a month) please contact them and they will be happy to hear from you.

Feel free to visit the Terrebonne Sanitary District website for information on Board Meetings and review copies of all past meeting notes.