DMB: proposal for minimum meeting attendance

[Robie Basak]

On Mon, Oct 04, 2021 at 04:51:21PM -0400, Dan Streetman wrote:
> "Any DMB member who fails to attend 6 consecutive scheduled DMB
> meetings (during a period no shorter than 12 weeks) shall be
> considered inactive and removed from membership in the DMB. Since the
> number of members required for quorum is 1/2 the number  of active DMB
> members, rounded up, the change in the number of active members will
> affect quorum. At such time as any DMB member is found to be inactive
> due to this rule, the current DMB chair will add an action item to
> schedule a public vote for a new DMB member. Previous DMB members,
> including those changed to inactive due to this rule, are eligible to
> run in the new election and any later elections. This proposal is not
> retroactive, and the attendance requirement shall start the first
> meeting after this proposal is adopted."

-1, but +1 with an amendment

First, an aside: note that we don't have quorum as a formal concept. We
require an absolute majority to pass a motion, where absolute majority
is defined as more than 50% of all members, not just those present. I
agree with the spirit of your wording though - by making a member
inactive under this proposed rule, that member would no longer be
counted under "all members" under our absolute majority requirement.

Proposed amendment: I don't think this rule should apply if the number
of active DMB members falls below 5[1]. Otherwise, we might end up with
too small a number of remaining members having too much power. There are
two ways of limiting this: A) no more members can be made inactive if
the total number of active members would fall below 5; B) if the number
of active DMB members falls below 5, then the entire DMB becomes
inactive and unable to pass motions until numbers are restored through
elections.

I think I prefer A, but I'm open to discussion on that, and on the 5
number.

[1] I considered 3, but I think that's too low.
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