Turner decides not to serve on two boards; resigns his school board seat

MEEKER — Kai Turner is going off one board, but he will soon be joining another one.
Turner submitted his letter of resignation last week to the Meeker School Board, effective Nov. 28. In January, he will become a member of the Rio Blanco County Board of Commissioners.
Turner said the time factor was his reason for resigning from the school board.
“I put a lot of thought into it, and I didn’t think it would be fair to the school board and, mostly, the students of the schools,” he said. “I don’t think I could give the time that I would need to.”
Turner has served on the school board for nine years. He would have been up for re-election next November, he said.
“I enjoyed the school board,” Turner said. “It has been pretty rewarding.”
There is an ad in this week’s newspaper advertising the vacancy on the school board.
“(Kai) knew that time restraints wouldn’t allow him to effectively serve as both a county commissioner and a member of the school board,” said Mary Strang, president of the school board. “We are advertising the vacancy and asking that anyone interested pick up an application at the administration building.”
Applications are due Dec. 17. Strang said the board will interview candidates at its first meeting in January, and appoint someone to serve at its second January meeting.
“The appointment will run until November 2009 at which time the position will be up for election,” Strang said. “Actually, four seats, including the one vacated by Kai, will be up for election (next) November. School board member terms are four years in length.”
Turner said he was sorry he would not be a part of the school construction projects. Earlier this month, local voters approved a $24 million school bond initiative, which included $17.4 million to build a new elementary school.
“I really would have liked to have been involved with that, the whole construction part,” Turner said. “But there are lots of other people who would be good at that. I think it’s a good time (to leave the board). There are three or four people who have been active school-wise, who are interested (in serving on the board). It might be a good time to let some other people get in the middle of it.”
Meanwhile, Turner is looking forward to his new role.
“I’m really excited about it,” he said. “I’ve kind of fulfilled most of my commitments, hunting and fishing-wise. I’ll start getting more involved this month (with the county commission). I want to be as prepared as I can when January comes. I want to just dive in.”
Turner, who is a hunting and fishing guide, will attend some training meetings in December and January that, he said, will help prepare him for being a county commissioner.
“I will try to attend a couple of those,” Turner said. “Those will be good learning experiences and training.”