N.C. JPA rejects per diem for non-voting alt. members

The North County Joint Powers Authority will not provide per diem payments for alternate board members who do not vote at a joint powers authority meeting.

The JPA board voted unanimously June 5 that only members participating in a voting capacity will receive per diem payments. “Only a voting member of the board at a particular meeting would receive a meeting fee,” said JPA executive officer Brian Brady.

A 5-1 vote April 3 approved a $150 per diem rate for board members, but that did not include any discussion on whether non-voting alternates who attend JPA meetings should be paid. The matter was discussed at the May 1 board meeting, although it had to be placed on a future agenda for official action.

The joint powers agency board currently consists of three members from the Fallbrook Public Utility District (currently Milt Davies, Al Gebhart, and Don McDougal), three members from the Rainbow Municipal Water District (currently Helene Brazier, Bob Lucy, and Dennis Sanford), and one public member (currently Charley Wolk). Each of the member districts also has an alternate member (currently Bert Hayden of FPUD and Jack Griffiths of Rainbow) who can attend board meetings and vote in the absence of one of the member agency’s primary board members.