Even though Lake Metroparks, the Geauga Park District and Cleveland Metroparks share a lot in common there are differences.

Among them for me is how they go about conducting their respective monthly board meetings and the issuance of pending agendas.

Lake Metroparks tries to keep them short and sweet, though the agency tends to hold two meetings a month - one a regular and the other a "special." Lake Metroparks also has park board members publicly vote on such things as individual park alcohol requests and rentals of the system's two cabins.

This agency also waits until the day of the park board meeting before sending over the meeting agenda - and this by fax. The other two agencies send via e-mail the up-coming agendas and always a few days before the meeting.

The Geauga Park District tends to to see its meetings last hours, not minutes. That is because its three park board members have set up a system whereby just about all details are ironed out during the administration's presentation.

For its part the Cleveland Metroparks also has a host of matters that it monthly presents. Among them is the recognition of all retiring employees and the introduction of an agency guest. Which is cool.

In the end, however, business gets done regardless of the individual parks system's meeting and agenda quirks.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischkorn@News-Herald.com