We, the undersigned, demand that the Grossmont Healthcare District Board change its regular meeting time from 9 AM to 6 PM.

The current 9 AM meeting time—which coincides with the start of the standard workday—excludes many working families, students, and people with daytime responsibilities from participating in decisions that impact community health. By moving the meeting time to 6 PM, the Board will:

1. Enhance Accessibility and Participation: Evening meetings would allow more residents to attend and have their voices heard in shaping local healthcare policies. Other similar local government bodies (with part-time or volunteer roles) have overwhelmingly set evening meetings so that people who work can participate. For example, the Palomar Health Board of Directors and the Fallbrook Regional Health District Board of Directors meet at or after 6 PM.
2. Promote Transparency and Trust: Evening meetings reflect a commitment to transparency, fostering greater trust between the Board and the community it serves by allowing the opportunity for greater public involvement.
3. Reflect Community Priorities and Improve Representation: Adjusting meeting times from 9 AM to 6 PM aligns with the District’s mission to be inclusive and serve the community equitably. By facilitating attendance outside of standard work hours, the Board can better ensure that its decisions reflect diverse community perspectives and respond to constituent needs.  
4. Respect for the Democratic Process: Nadia Farjood was elected Director to the Grossmont Healthcare District Board in November 2024 and she is a working parent, a fact well known to the voters. Nadia was elected with 55.69% of the vote. Voters chose her to represent them. Refusing to set a meeting time that accommodates an elected Director’s work schedule undermines the will of the voters.
5. Encourage More People to Run for the Board: Many potential candidates hold full-time day jobs. Setting the meeting time at 9 AM sends the message that those who work need not apply. Evening meetings allow more potential candidates to seek the office and ultimately serve without compromising their work.

The Board can easily change the meeting time at its next meeting. In fact, the Board changed its meeting times repeatedly over the course of Director Farjood’s run for office (from 7:30 AM to 5 PM to 9 AM) so there is recent precedent for changing the meeting time. Given these changes, no candidate could have reasonably known when the regular Board meeting time would actually be.

To the extent that any Board member feels uncomfortable driving in the evening to or from a Board meeting, the District can easily coordinate transportation or provide rideshare reimbursement so that member can attend.

We urge the Grossmont Healthcare District Board to honor the results of the democratic process, support public access, and improve transparency by working together to change its meeting time from 9 AM to 6 PM. Anything less is unprofessional, undemocratic, and unacceptable.

Thank you for listening to the public.