Public comment reordered at Board of Trustees meeting

The public comment section of February 28’s Board of Trustees meeting was moved to be the last item on the agenda, an unprecedented move in recent history of Board meetings. Previously, community members were allowed time to speak at the start of the meeting.

Mike Waggoner, Chairman of the Board, rearranged the meeting order to encourage speakers to keep their comments relevant to items on the meeting agenda, which he said has been difficult “for the last two meetings.”

“We were going to try it tonight and see how it goes,” said Waggoner.

Public Comment affords community members two minutes to speak about items on the meeting agenda. “Open Meeting Law does not expressly require the opportunity for public comment,” according to the Idaho Open Meeting Law Manual.

With this new agenda order, speakers had to wait until all items were discussed before they could provide their input. Despite the nearly three-hour wait, consistent commenters Robert Shepler, Jamie Berube, and Teresa Borrenpohl all made their voices heard.

It’s not yet confirmed if this agenda order will continue in future Trustee meetings.

Matt Piekarski, Chairman of the Staff Assembly, reported a resolution agreed to by the Staff at their February meeting. The resolution demanded an apology from the Board for comments made by Trustee Banducci at the January Board meeting.

Pierkaski’s statement read that the Staff were “deeply disappointed regarding Trustee Banducci’s behavior” and that it created an “uncomfortable environment”.

This resolution refers to a comment made by Banducci at the previous Board meeting, in which he responded to a public comment by saying “I have to laugh when you say such stupid things.”

Immediately prior to the regularly scheduled meeting, the Board met to vote on going into executive session to discuss potential litigation against the college. The vote failed 3-2, as a supermajority of at least 4 affirmative votes is needed. Trustees Tarie Zimmerman and Brad Corkill cast the dissenting votes.

This marks the 6th occasion the Board has voted against going into executive session since August of 2023. The meeting agenda read the purpose of this session would have been to hear a complaint and discuss potential litigation regarding a personnel matter.¹

Last week, former employee Laura Rumpler filed a complaint against NIC and a demand for jury trial with the Idaho District Court. Rumpler named all the Trustees in her complaint for damages and injunctive relief.

In her complaint, Rumpler claims Zimmerman and Corkill have “maintained a clear bias against Rumpler and her Grievance, and have refused to vote to go into executive session regarding Rumpler’s Grievance” It goes to say that the two Trustees are conspiring against Rumpler and any attempts by [her] to resolve her Grievance in a reasonable manner.”²

1. Idaho Code §74-206(1)(f) reads that executive session may be entered to “communicate with legal counsel regarding pending/imminently-likely litigation.” ↩︎
2. Idaho Code §74-206(1)(b) reads that executive session may be entered “to consider the evaluation, dismissal, disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against a public officer, employee, staff member” and others. ↩︎