Consent Agenda

[JaniceH]

Hello,

We have always made use of a consent agenda inside our full agenda where we place items that do not need discussion such as committee reports, staff reports, financial reports etc. There may potentially be a motion of direction or approval in these reports and the motion that we would use for this would read: THAT the reports, Minutes, and information contained in the Consent Agenda, along with their respective recommended motions be accepted as presented. IF a director wanted to discuss a particular item, then they would move to remove the item from the consent agenda and discussion would take place. 

We now have a new BoD with a new Chair who has told us she doesn't want any items in the Consent agenda that have direction or approvals. She believes that the Consent agenda should only contain items that are for information only. So any item that we know would not require discussion is to now be placed in the New Business section of the agenda. 

We will of course oblige, but I'd like to know if she is correct or if it is okay to have put these reports in the Consent agenda. 

Thank you!!

[Rob Elsman]

If this is an assembly of an ordinary society that has adopted RONR (12th ed.) as its parliamentary authority and regularly meets at least quarterly, it is very likely that it should use neither an agenda nor a consent calendar.  Instead, it should the standard order of business.  Study RONR (12th ed.) §41.

[JaniceH]

On 2/13/2023 at 2:20 PM, Rob Elsman said:

If this is an assembly of an ordinary society that has adopted RONR (12th ed.) as its parliamentary authority and regularly meets at least quarterly, it is very likely that it should use neither an agenda nor a consent calendar.  Instead, it should the standard order of business.  Study RONR (12th ed.) §41.

Thank you - I will look that up. Though it will be difficult to change minds over here....they'll definitely want an agenda!

[Josh Martin]

On 2/13/2023 at 1:11 PM, JaniceH said:

We have always made use of a consent agenda inside our full agenda where we place items that do not need discussion such as committee reports, staff reports, financial reports etc.

None of the things you list should be included in the consent agenda. To the extent an assembly uses a consent agenda at all (which I leave to the assembly's discretion), the consent agenda should only include items where action is required.

On 2/13/2023 at 1:11 PM, JaniceH said:

There may potentially be a motion of direction or approval in these reports and the motion that we would use for this would read: THAT the reports, Minutes, and information contained in the Consent Agenda, along with their respective recommended motions be accepted as presented.

This is a bad idea. The assembly should not be approving reports or information. If a report is for information only, no should be taken on the report, either in a consent agenda or otherwise. Rather, the reports should simply be received and placed on file. If the report contains recommendations, then the motions should be approved, but not the reports themselves.

"A common error is to move that a report “be received” after it has been read—apparently on the supposition that such a motion is necessary in order for the report to be taken under consideration or to be recorded as having been made. In fact, this motion is meaningless and is therefore not in order, since the report has already been received. Even before a report has been read, a motion to receive it is unnecessary if the time for its reception is established by the order of business, or if no member objects (see also below).

Another error—less common, but dangerous—is to move, after the report has been read (or even before the reading), that it “be accepted,” when the actual intent is that of the mistaken motion to receive, as just explained, or of a legitimate motion to receive made before the report is read. If a motion “to accept” made under any of these circumstances is adopted and is given its proper interpretation, it implies that the assembly has endorsed the complete report." RONR (12th ed.) 51:15-16

"Even if a report contains only an account of work done or a statement of fact or opinion for the assembly's information, it should be in writing. Apart from filing such a report, however, no action on it is necessary and usually none should be taken." RONR (12th ed.) 51:53

Accepting unaudited financial reports is especially ill-advised, since this implies the assembly is accepting the report as accurate, which is problematic if that later turns out to be incorrect.

"No action of acceptance by the assembly is required—or proper—on a financial report of the treasurer unless it is of sufficient importance, as an annual report, to be referred to auditors. In the latter case it is the auditors' report which the assembly accepts. The treasurer's financial report should therefore be prepared long enough in advance for the audit to be completed before the report is made at a meeting of the society." RONR (12th ed.) 48:24

Approval of the minutes is a separate heading in the order of business. I do not advise placing minutes under the consent agenda, but at least it's not as bad as reports.

On 2/13/2023 at 1:11 PM, JaniceH said:

We now have a new BoD with a new Chair who has told us she doesn't want any items in the Consent agenda that have direction or approvals. She believes that the Consent agenda should only contain items that are for information only. So any item that we know would not require discussion is to now be placed in the New Business section of the agenda. 

We will of course oblige, but I'd like to know if she is correct or if it is okay to have put these reports in the Consent agenda. 

The member is not correct. The purpose of a consent agenda is to approve in gross items which require approval, but for which no discussion is anticipated. As previously noted, the reports themselves should not be included in the consent agenda, but the motions therein could be included.

Generally, however, the rules pertaining to the consent agenda (which the assembly should have adopted) will permit a single member to pull an item from the consent agenda. Certainly a member can do so if RONR is all that is controlling. So if the member doesn't want items for approval included in a consent agenda, then ultimately the member will get her wish. Of course, in such a case, the assembly may as well stop using a consent agenda altogether.

[Rob Elsman]

The memorandum which the president or secretary prepares as an aid for the president to call up items of business in the proper order can also be provided to members for information only. It should not be adopted, nor is it binding.

 

[Gary Novosielski]

On 2/13/2023 at 4:01 PM, Josh Martin said:

We will of course oblige, but I'd like to know if she is correct or if it is okay to have put these reports in the Consent agenda. 

I concur with @Josh Martin's reply.

But if you "will of course oblige," commands from the chair, then I don't see where it matters much whether she is correct or not.