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Board & Committee Meetings, Documents

To view past OWEB meeting recordings visit our YouTube page.

How Board Meetings Work

OWEB welcomes comments and topics before the Board. Public comments may be made in two ways:

Written Testimony
Nicole Bettinardi​​​
775 Summer Street NE Suite 360
Salem, OR 97301-1290

OWEB will set a specific deadline for the submission of written testimony.

Public Testimony
The Board offers a general public testimony agenda item each day of the Board meeting as an opportunity for the public to speak directly to OWEB's Board members. Please see the section below that walks you through the steps of public testimony and provides tips for being effective.​​​​​​​​​​

Written comments and requests for public testimony may also​ be sent through the public comment form​ on the OWEB website.

Public speaking can be an intimidating experience. These tips are provided to help you prepare and communicate effectively.

Arrive early.
OWEB Board meetings begin at 8:00 a.m. and usually proceed through the agenda items in order. However, in special cases, the Board may take items out of order. Also, if the Board is aware that you are going to speak on a specific agenda item, they may request that you testify during that agenda item rather than during the more general public comment session.

Fill out a Comment Request Card.
There will be a table with printed copies of the staff reports usually in the back of the room. On this table are Comment Request Cards; please fill out one of these yellow forms and hand it to a designated OWEB employee. When it is your time to speak, you will be called forward by one of the co-chairs.

Begin by stating your name.
Start your testimony with, "For the record, [insert name], from [your affiliation]." Speak into the microphone. We suggest that you don’t provide the Board with printed materials.

Make a specific request.
You should be able to state your request in one clear, declarative sentence. All of the points you make in your testimony should support this request. For example, if you want them to move your grant application "above the line," state so directly, and provide reasons why they should do so.

Make it interesting.
Realize that Board members are people and have been sitting in a meeting for hours. They may hear many different (sometimes contradictory) ideas. In addition to facts, tell a story about real people and show the Board why they should​ listen to your perspective.

Practice.
Write out what you’re going to say and practice it aloud several times until you can do it smoothly. You might try using a digital device (cell phone, etc.) to record yourself so you can hear yourself speak. Do you speak in a monotone? Do you repeat fillers (um..., and...,so...)? The best message may lose meaning through poor delivery.

Keep it short (3 minutes).
Substance, not length, determines the value of testimony. While the Board asks that testimony be kept to 3 minutes or less, if you aim for less, you may have time to answer a question or two from the Board. If your statement is unclear or takes more than 3 minutes, you may be asked to conclude before you are finished with your comments.

Avoid repetition.
If others have raised the same points, simply endorse what they've said rather than repeating prior testimony in detail. If you come as a group, designate a spokesperson who can take the lead in introducing the issue and other members of the group. Group members are generally given the same amount of time as an individual speaker, but may be asked to limit their time in order to accommodate all who are interested in speaking to the Board.​

OWEB staff report to the Board to provide information, staff recommendations, and/or updates on previous decisions or processes. Staff may also request Board action such as the following:​

  • Approve grant awards.
  • Allocate funds to a program.
  • Delegate authority to the Executive Director for a specific activity or distribution of funds.
  • Approve proposed administrative rules.

Board Meeting Dates & Documents

Each link goes to a page with agenda, staff reports, presentation slides, and minutes as applicable. Documents and pages for future meetings are posted as they become available.
Visit the OWEB calendar to see OWEB events.


Committee Meeting Dates & Documents

DEI and Environmental Justice Committee

Contact

For questions about board meetings and documents, please contact Nicole Bettinardi, Executive and Board Assistant, 503-428-1804.