Re: RAB Bylaws

[isisGU@hamp.hampshire.edu]

From: Aimee Houghton <aimeeh@igc.org>
Reply-To: ISIS Guest Account <isisGU@hamp.hampshire.edu>

Dick,

Thanks for your comments on your RAB!

The Westover ARB RAB toughed it out and ended up with short Mission
Statement that's not unlike yours. We agreed to address pretty much
anything that Westover may affect in terms of the "health and safety of
people and the environment." 

But we're having a hard time keeping the meetings productive. We have
some procedural problems -- including meeting announcements that go out
only a few days before meetings (the guidance says two weeks!), minutes
that are distributed AT the meetings where they are to be approved,
unclear processes for making agendas and decisions, and documents that
don't get distributed when they are up for review. These things eat away
at everybody's trust and willingness to cooperate. 

Our RAB is large -- 25 people regularly attend meetings and about 50
people are on the roster, and good communications and clear, functional
procedures are crucial. Also, there is oppositional history between the
Base and some members on the issue of flight noise, and it takes constant
effort to keep people in a cooperative mode. At our last meeting, we
agreed to work through formal Bylaws as a way to get some of the bugs
worked out. We'll see how it goes, we meet again on the 18th! 

Jeff Green