QUINCY, Illinois  The Quincy school board held a special Wednesday morning meeting.

Board members spent a lot of time in back-and-forth discussions with board president Bud Niekamp.

Niekamp has told the other members all communication with him first must be by e-mail, not over the phone, because of his hearing difficulties. 

Niekamp says he has the right to expect this change under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Niekmap says, "I think I'm entitled to see something in writing. I have a good memory and I can read something and I know what's coming on. But sometimes if I rely just on people talking, I lose out on some things. It's hard to explain unless you're hard of hearing."

Board vice president Tom Dickerson says Niekamp's request would make it more difficult for the board to get things done.

Dickerson says, "I just think ultimately it's not a tenable situation for someone  to demand that we communicate first in one way before communicating by phone."

Bud Niekamp also wants the ability to create committees and appoint members to them without the approval of the rest of the board.

Several members pointed out that past board presidents always have gotten approval from the board first.

Niekamp says that's not true.

He commented that "I just want everything to be equal like it was before. They're trying to set a policy where I can't name the committees. It's always been done before, the President named the committees. So that's one of my concerns."

Board member Curt Lovelace agrees that committees are important, but he says Niekamp's plan would take the board in the wrong direction.

He says, "As I see the sort of road we're moving down now is that of controversial committees that really aren't going to do anything other than continue to stir controversy, that aren't dealing with the important issues of the school board."

The board did not take any action on the issue.

And  Niekamp motion to make the board members communicate with him by e-mail before speaking with him by phone failed  because none of the other members would second it.