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Survey shows 137 responses; 76 favor moving one Harnett County meeting to evening
Summary
Staff reported 137 survey responses (76 yes, 61 no) about moving one morning meeting to evening; the regular meeting was the most commonly selected to move but would conflict with planning board and Harnett County Schools' meetings at 6 p.m.
Desiree Patrick, a county staff member, told the Harnett County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 4 that a public survey launched Sept. 19 had collected 137 responses as of 8:12 a.m. the morning of the meeting and will remain open until Oct. 27.
Patrick said 76 respondents favored moving one of the county’s morning meetings to an evening time, while 61 opposed the change. When respondents were asked which meeting they would prefer to move, 54 selected the regular meeting (the county’s first Monday meeting), 8 selected the first work session and 14 selected the second work session.
Patrick noted that moving the regular meeting to 6 p.m. on the first Monday would conflict with the Harnett County Planning Board and Harnett County Schools, both of which meet that evening at 6 p.m. She said staff published the survey via a county press release, the county website and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, X, Nextdoor and LinkedIn) and included the link in the county’s October newsletter.
Patrick summarized common comments received: many respondents said an evening meeting would not increase overall attendance because people are still busy in the evening; some suggested a mix of daytime and evening meetings so that different people can attend. She said staff will compile and email the full set of responses to the commissioners after the survey closes.
Commissioners discussed alternatives, including moving a work session to the evening to allow the public to see issues before a regular meeting. No formal change was adopted at the Oct. 4 meeting; commissioners requested the final survey results before making a decision.
