On July 25, 2014, I submitted to the Board in writing, that I was planning to start videoing and audio record the Board meetings. Prior to the Board meeting starting around 8:45 am, Board attorney Jeff Jernigan, told me that he had received my letter concerning the video and audio recordings of the Board meetings. He stated that there are no rules that would prevent me from doing so. However, the Board may adopt some rules to ensure that the recordings did not interrupt the meetings.
I asked Jeff if the Board kept the audio recordings. He replied that he advised the Board to destroy the recordings once the minutes were approved. I told him that I could not believe that they were not kept. He then replied “If it’s not in the minutes it didn’t happen” and I responded “that’s why I want to record these meetings“…….. So hopefully I will be able to upload video clips from upcoming meetings…
Board meeting started at 9:10 a.m. All Board member were present. The Board approved prior Board meeting minutes for 3/12, 4/21, 5/19, and 6/2. However, they did not approve the meeting minutes for 3/21…. If you look at the Board website, as of today, NONE of the approved minutes have been posted to the website. I just checked!!!!!!
First Item of business was for the Board to review duplicate license request. This process is finally moving much quicker now…..
I was actually on the Board Agenda this day with several questions….
1-Where is the Board office with putting our Post-Secondary status on our licenses.. I got nothing but the same ole run around NO ANSWER… However, I did ask several times when could I expect an answer . The Board then made a motion for the Board Attorney to work on this so we can bring this to a final resolution.
2-Where does all the voted on MOTIONS that pass go… I really got no answer on this question either. The Board Attorney stated that Ideally they would go in to the rules and regulations. I responded that I am sitting through these meetings listening to all the approved motions and I really need to know what happens to them. Why should we have to re-visit what prior Boards have already made motions on??????
3-Does the Board office have a Policy and Procedure Manual and if so can I see and have a copy of it and if NO then Why…. Executive Director Cynthia Johnson stated that she had never seen one. Dot Ennis stateed that the Board office does have one but does not know where it would be at in the Board office but in the past it has always been in the Executive Director’s office. A motion was made to locate and review and update the existing policy and procedure manual and to also publish this manual on the Boards website. Who want to take bets on how long it will be before this happens. I’m betting it never will!!!!!!!
4-This question was why do we not have current meeting minutes posted on the web site…. Well we know the outcome on this one already…. GOOD LUCK
5–Board approving Continuing Education hours…. In my opinion there is way too many request for continuing education hours. There is some good but a lot of bad that is getting approval. I made a suggestion to the Board that (individuals, suppliers, organizations, e.t.c.) making request for continuing educational approved hours must be affiliated with one of the 4 associations SOTA, MCA, MIBA or MCSA and have the request presented on behalf of the association which it is affiliated with. The Board is not out in the field and often unaware of the type of education that will be provided at these events. Board President Leisa McElreath stated that this is something that would need to be decided by the Cosmetology Council. I told Leisa that I would do my best to get that on the Council agenda.
Now for the good stuff….. It is coming down to the wire for the Board to vote on the upcoming budget. You know that one that I showed you in my prior post. Well here is the vote…Dot and Waylon voted NO… I heard both of them state that they had not received the detailed budget report within a responsible amount of time to completely go through it. Dot further objected to an additional employee that was added “Special Project Manager” aka Cynthia Johnson’s personal assistant…. Shelly and Teresa voted YES…. And do you need to know how Leisa voted….She voted YES!!!!!!
Next item of business was the decision whether or not to send any of the Board Members and/or Employees to the annual “CLEAR” conference in New Orleans September 11-13. “CLEAR” stands for Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulations. Last year the Board agreed to send Executive Director Cynthia Johnson and the Inspectors to this conference. You can google this agency and it is a good thing for our Agency to receive educational training for the task that they are to preform. Cynthia was wanting to go again this year because there are two different classes that they offered that would benefit the Inspectors. She wanted the ones who went last year who took the Basic Program to take the Specialized Program and the ones who have not been to take the Basic Program. This one really confused even me…. Dot made a motion not to approve anyone to attend at this time…. Motion Died Waylon made a motion to pay the dues and to only allow any of the Board members who wanted to go attend. Dot Seconded and Kay and Shelly voted NO….. Leisa voted YES with Waylon and Dot… I just about WET myself… And I will be Damn when Leisa realized that she voted against Kay and Shelly she changed her vote to NO!!! Now you see why I want to VIDEO tape these meetings…. Kay now makes a motion to pay the dues and send basically whom ever wants to go… Shelly seconds…. Dot and Waylon vote NO and Leisa votes YES with Kay and Shelly…. Kay’s motion passed…
Karoline Finch was present and addressed the Board with a comment. She want to know if the Board realized that enrollment information was being checked only once the student had applied for examination. She further stressed to the Board the importance of validating the enrollment information prior to the student making application for testing. Karoline was upset because she was training an esthetics instructors for 600 hours but when the student instructor made application the Board denied her 2 year work affidavit and told the student she must re-enroll and complete 1000 hours before she could test. What is so bad about this is that the work affidavit was sent in with the enrollment information and all the hard feelings could have been avoided if the Board office checked the paperwork when it comes into the office…. I mean really what is the point in sending the paperwork at the start of the enrollment if it is not going to be checked until the end of the enrollment??????
The Board took a lunch break from 12:10-1:10 to return to hold the Oral Proceedings on the new Rules and Regulations….
3 Comment(s)
I would love to be able to view the meetings. I am the only teacher and it becomes a burden for my students if I have to leave to travel to Jackson… [we have class on Monday] This is the main reason I rarely make the trip. In this day and age there is no reason for them not to be not only video taped, but a live feed! [personally I’d hate to be video taped!] I think this would be a GREAT way for our students to be able to view this and make them more aware. What a great and valuable learning tool this could be for us!!! I sure hope they [lawyers] don’t screw up this opportunity for us!
why do we even have a board, they do as they want to, sorry some of them, and I am talking about the ones without a mind of their own and they have to follow the one in front of them, because they do not have a brain of their own. HOW DID THEY GET ON BOARD ANY WAY??????????????????????????????????
For the record, as of today, August 25th, I have not received any word from the Board regarding student enrollments not being reviewed until FINAL reports are submitted. Oh yeah, the Board didn’t give any of us a chance to address them today, because our Acting President decided to act like a child and storm out of the “executive session”!!! Leaving the rest of us attending high and dry!
By the time I do get a response from this Board, my Teacher trainee will have completed the additional 400 hours they now say she needs. This is unacceptable, to allow this to continue. I sure do wish more schools would get involved and speak out to this Board. They change rules and policy like they change clothes. Example of this is the darn soil towel containers. After we ALL go out and spend hundreds of dollars on what they decided to require……..they change the rule back to the original. Hey, did you get that memo??? Actually, did you ever get the first change memo??? I bet not, not until your inspector showed up to write your citation.