At Thursday’s meeting, Lyman raised a point of order, claiming that the board did not have a quorum because most board members had not met the requirements that would allow them to vote. Continuing through the agenda, he said, would constitute an illegal meeting.

Lyman left the building a few minutes later.

“It was really beyond my thinking, outside of my thinking, that they simply wouldn’t do the trainings,” he told The Astorian. “I mean, that just had not even occurred to me as a possibility.”

The remaining board members listened to initial faculty presentations, but ultimately chose not to move forward with the meeting. Many, however, expressed frustration that they felt doing so worked against the interests of the college, especially as it enters a budget season that will require them to work efficiently and cohesively.

“This is an unfortunate situation,” said board member Jody Stahancyk. “It’s embarrassing, and it is not, in my opinion, in any way helpful to any of us as board members.” However, she felt continuing the meeting would allow Lyman to make a “mockery” of the board. Stahancyk was not present at the October board meeting.

Ashley Flukinger, another board member who also missed the October meeting, expressed similar concerns.

“It’s just so counterproductive to what we’re here to do, which is help the college and help the students,” Flukinger said. “Especially coming into budget time, we have things we need to get accomplished, and I just think this is insane, but I wasn’t there for the vote, and that’s on me for not being there to speak up against it.”

According to October meeting minutes, the board approved requirements for four different trainings: an ethics commission public meetings law webinar or in-person training, an ethics commission executive session webinar, an ethics commission webinar for new board, commission or council members and a Clatsop Community College cybersecurity training. Only one of those trainings — the ethics commission public meetings law training — is required by law.

Board members pointed out that the law requires them to complete the training at least once during the duration of their term, but doesn’t specify a deadline. The Feb. 28 deadline was self-imposed. Some also said that training sessions before the deadline had already filled up when they went to sign up.

The board initially scheduled an in-person public meeting training for Feb. 4, which was canceled due to snow. Stahancyk said board members have already taken the cybersecurity training. It was her understanding that the in-person training would meet all of the requirements. Board member Mitra Vazeen added that she felt members’ failure to take the trainings came down to the change of schedule, not a lack of willingness to comply.

Lyman argued that board members had more than enough time to meet the requirements.

“They had five months to take this training,” he said. “I mean, the fact that I took all the trainings in October and November, that’s something that any one of them could have done.”

He said the lack of follow-through fuels existing concerns about the board’s performance.

“We can’t have people breaking the law, ignoring the rules they set for themselves,” Lyman said. “I mean, what kind of example does it set for everybody at the college when we sit up there and pontificate about all the rules that they have to follow, but then when it comes to following our own rules, we just completely blow it off?”

Stahancyk confirmed after the meeting that she had worked with board secretary Felicity Green to create a plan for helping board members get their required training through a combination of classes on Youtube and formal webinars. She anticipates the work will be completed within the next one to two weeks so the board can convene at its regular meeting next month.

While Stahancyk doesn’t agree with Lyman’s legal argument, she said she didn’t feel it was worth it to continue with the meeting.

“I do not believe he has legal leg to stand on,” she said. “I do believe it gives him a bully pulpit to create chaos, make for confusion and spend unnecessary time.”

Josie Kero, the college’s associated student government president, said watching that type of chaos is disheartening.

“When we don’t have a productive board, it really hurts students,” Kero said.