Participating in Meetings
Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) Board and Committee meetings are open to the public. It can be confusing and even intimidating the first time you attend a DSRSD Board or Committee meeting, especially if you’ve never attended other formal public meetings such as a city council or school board meeting. These tips will help you understand the process and know when to speak up. It’s your right to express your opinion on matters of District business with your elected Boardmembers. They want to hear from you and value your input.
When are the Meetings?
The DSRSD Board meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Boardroom at the District Office, 7051 Dublin Blvd., Dublin. Special meetings may be held at other times. Board Committees meet as needed. Days and times of all meetings, as well as the agenda packets, are posted in advance on the Meetings Calendar. Public Wi-Fi is available in the Boardroom with a guest login.
What's on the Agenda?
Each item on the Agenda is numbered. Use the bookmarks in the online Agenda Packet to find the documents that relate to each item. For Board meetings, there will be a Staff Report prepared by staff to summarize the topic and any recommendations to the Board. For Committee meetings, a Staff Report or Memo usually fulfills the same purpose. To receive meeting agendas by email, subscribe to eNotifications.
When Should You Speak? What’s the Procedure?
Time is always reserved for public comment on any matter of concern to you and within the District’s jurisdiction. Every Board meeting agenda includes a Public Comment section, usually at the beginning of the meeting, when anyone in the audience can speak on a topic not on the meeting agenda. You may speak on any topic related to the District's jurisdiction—water, wastewater, and recycled water services. You may contact District Secretary Nicole Genzale at 925-828-0515 if you’re unsure. If you want to comment on a topic on the meeting agenda, wait until the Board gets to that item. You may also email written comments to the Board of Directors at board@dsrsd.com. Written comments received by 3 p.m. on the day of the meeting will be provided to the Board.
To speak during an in-person Board meeting, you would fill out a blue speaker card as soon as you arrive. These will be available on a table by the room entrance, along with the extra agenda materials. Give your speaker card to the District Secretary prior to addressing the Board. Feel free to walk up to her quietly during the meeting. She sits on the right side of the dais. During the meeting, the Board President will recognize each speaker from the speaker cards. Upon calling by the Board President, you should walk up to the lectern, introduce yourself (optional), and then proceed with your comments.
If the Board of Directors has declared the need to meet remotely to protect the health and safety of attendees, join the meeting using the instructions on the agenda and listen for directions from the Board President for making comments.
Your remarks may feel more like a mini presentation than a question and answer session. Boardmembers will listen and may respond briefly or ask clarifying questions, but the Ralph M. Brown Act (the law that governs public meetings) prevents them from engaging in extended dialogue with the speaker or discussing the matter. Plan to speak for less than five minutes. Your remarks may be summarized in the meeting minutes.
Committee meetings are less formal but follow a similar procedure as Board meetings. Public comment on items not on the agenda is usually taken at the start of the meeting. You will not need to fill out a speaker card. The chair of the meeting will acknowledge you if you indicate that you want to speak.
Why Doesn’t the Board Discuss Everything on the Agenda?
Items listed under Consent Calendar are routine matters that are not discussed individually. However, any Boardmember can ask that a Consent Calendar item be discussed individually, and this sometimes happens. Items listed under Board Business are discussed individually.
The Board will discuss items listed under Closed Session privately in a conference room and summarize any “reportable action” after the Closed Session ends. The Ralph M. Brown Act allows the Board or a Committee to discuss only very limited matters in Closed Session such as those related to litigation, personnel, property, and security.
What Type of Agency is DSRSD?
DSRSD is an independent special district, a government agency that is separate from the cities and counties in its service area. A five-member Board of Directors governs the District, sets policies and direction, hires its General Manager, and is ultimately accountable to the people of the District.
Directors also serve on Committees as assigned. These meetings also are open to the public and are listed on the Meetings Calendar.
Each person sitting at the Boardroom dais is identified by a name placard. As you face the dais, the District's senior staff will be on your left, elected Directors in the middle, and the District General Counsel and District Secretary on your right. The Board President conducts the meeting (or in his or her absence, the Vice President).
For a more detailed description of how the DSRSD Board functions and its responsibilities under the Ralph M. Brown Act, read Guidelines for Conducting Dublin San Ramon Services District Business.
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