Johnson County staff presented a resolution Tuesday to reorganize the Johnson County Transit Council, trimming membership to one appointee per county commissioner, adding attendance requirements, and updating the council’s responsibilities to align with a forthcoming multi-year transit strategic plan.

Erin Otto, assistant county manager, told Vice Chair Hanslick and the Board of County Commissioners that the Transit Council was created in 1979 and that the reorganization follows the board’s review of boards and commissions. “Number 1, it changes the membership down in size that each commissioner gets 1 appointment that's consistent with the number of other boards and commissions that you have,” Otto said.

The proposed resolution also would add an attendance rule and broaden the council’s charge to review the goals and objectives of the county’s transit strategic plan — a multi-year document staff said will be before the board for final adoption next month. Otto said the council has previously advised on route modifications, microtransit pilots and major investments in county transit.

Commissioners discussed the resolution’s language that would prevent individuals from serving simultaneously on more than one county board or commission. Commissioner Brewer and others said the provision was carried over from the council’s prior bylaws; some commissioners said they were open to testing whether the single-assignment rule hampers recruitment and suggested reviewing the policy at a future board retreat.

The board did not vote on the resolution at the agenda-review meeting; staff said the matter would remain on the consent calendar for the next business session so new appointees could be approved and the reorganized council seated if adopted.