Remarks by Tara Waters
101 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 5
- Play at 38:07
“Thank you. I just couldn't think of one that fell in that category.”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 52:04
“Thank you for all of this information. It certainly is sobering. Could you go back to the traditional approaches slide? And it is noted that these will not be sufficient, but could you speak to where we are in implementing any of these four if we are currently?”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 1:03:15
“I just wanted to circle back to my earlier question. I know this conversation is centering the FY 2028 budget development, but in response to Manager Ellis's comments around the hiring freeze could potentially happen. What are triggers that you are kind of looking at to see before this FY2028 cycle comes in that may cause you to start looking at some of these measures? Are there triggers that you are keeping your eye on, monitoring? What does that look like?”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 1:04:41
“And any of the others on the list is that, I'm guessing this list is not in priority order in terms of where you would look to make any changes in the meantime.”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 1:05:47
“Thank you. I know that sometimes, as you said, the current state of affairs can cause changes to happen more quickly, and I know that folks are always attuned to concerns about employment, and I appreciate that update.”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 1:21:50
“I would prefer a consistent time slot. It just makes it easier to plan, particularly for those that may have outside employment. Having a regular time is beneficial. And I do see the value in making sure that our new commissioners are in different sessions to help acclimate them to the process.”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 1:22:23
“Yeah, I think having the chair and the vice chair in different sessions I think is beneficial.”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 1:32:32
“I just had a question on the slide that's marked 2027 changes, the bullet point that we'll use time for some small group updates. Can you clarify what that means again?”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 1:33:33
“Thank you. And one other question on this. For consent agenda items, you're just going to allow for questions. But regular agenda, you'll still go through those items? Is that the plan?”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 1:41:14
“No, Option A, there was some advocacy around that one because of the growing board and the opportunity to be in person and to have those strong conversations that we often... aren't able to have because of our different schedules and not being in person as frequently. That was a big selling point for me, just to being in the same room and space more frequently. But I would say if that is the route, I'm still interested and I don't think we ever came to a resolution in our retreats and other meetings about how something ends up on a work session. So that would be something I would hope that we…”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 1:50:57
“In terms of our existing committee meetings, is there a sense of how frequently outside folks join those committee meetings? Yes. No, no, I mean the public. Yeah, the public joining those meetings. And I just say that, you know, as a point for the work session, because particularly when there's a topic that is of great interest, unlike today, you'll see a lot of people coming in to... Thank you, thank you, thank you. Coming in to, you know, show their opinion around that topic. And I'm still... having a hard time seeing how keeping the committees gives you more time because particularly if…”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 1:53:50
“Well, thank you. That's helpful to know. I'd just be curious to see some of the stats on what that looks like, because I know that sometimes the same thing happens in work sessions, or any of our meetings. They clip any portion of it. May not get the best shot of you, but they certainly do clip any of our meetings.”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 2:01:45
“At one of our retreats, I forget which one, there was, you know, energy around having more formalized processes around how something does get to a work session. So at the appropriate time, whether that's at the next work session or some point, or I mean at a retreat, I'd love to revisit that and really firm up what it is. looks like to get something on the work session. I think that was a plan of discussion that we had had. And then for the work session or the committee meetings, typically, well, not always, but since there are often two committee meetings and then sometimes a regular meeting…”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 2:02:49
“And I think Emily was chiming in, but you can.”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 2:03:07
“Yes, and even on October the 5th, we had Health and Human Services and then also the Affordable Housing Committee. It was a busy day. It was a very busy day.”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 2:04:10
“And then another question around something going from a committee to a work session. If there's discussion within that committee around a particular topic, then is it left just to the committee members to then help navigate what the next steps are as opposed to like a work session where everybody's there, you get a thumbs up on what the direction or how to move forward on something that has a next step.”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 2:05:02
“Which would... give me pause because of different, you know, being a full board of at this, at that point next year, being nine, then only a small fraction of the whole board deciding sort of the next step. If there's not also another process, because I know Commissioner Jackson or Vice Chair Jackson and I had, you know, advocated for a long time to have work session topic around the arts plan and so just kind of understanding what that process and I think we had three we're trying to get you know a fourth person to help move that along but if something is in committee it only takes three I…”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 2:06:24
“But that has been kind of the challenge of navigating how that happens. I haven't found success in understanding what the trigger is to get something into a work session.”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 2:07:25
“And just also thinking about not everything fits neatly into one of the current committee, categories again with the arts trying to figure out where that fit in and trying to help navigate where that moved along and or even with discussions around libraries when you know that was you know a topic trying to decide you know what the process is has has not been as clear to me on what gets to a work session and how especially when it didn't originate in a committee right”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 2:08:42
“Which doesn't always happen. But, yeah, so, okay. Thank you.”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 2:20:28
“Well, it sounds like there's that energy for the option that I'm most interested in, but I would still like to make an appeal, and I appreciate Commissioner Evans highlighting some of the practices that are available to commissioners. So particularly as we are welcoming our new commissioners, if there is an opportunity for commissioners a work session topic early in their tenure to talk about those things. I know there's the orientation where those things come up in the orientation, but collectively to have some discussion around the path, the options as a collective group outside of their…”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 2:27:37
“I also didn't understand how B got out if there's an increase of meetings with C and folks were looking to have fewer meetings. But I think either way I am outnumbered with option A. But I appreciate Commissioner Tawas stating perhaps of the November meeting having more discussion around these issues. processes, that is, if that can happen, that would be very beneficial to me because it's important to me to clarify these processes.”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 2:30:27
“Can we get a sense of whether folks are interested in having those topics come back in November for clarification around some policies? Which particular topics? Yeah, workflow.”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 3:14:14
“I just wondered, just a quick question on the opportunity list for the federal. Have we heard any anticipated cuts or changes to WIOA funding?”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026
- Play at 3:14:56
“Is that from the big beautiful bill cuts?”
Board of Commissioners · Oct 12, 2026