Council debates earlier committee start time; keeps 7 p.m. start for consistency

Councilors on Sept. 17 debated a motion to move committee meeting start times from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. The motion’s sponsor said earlier starts could reduce long late-evening meetings and give staff and councilors more predictable schedules; a second was made and the motion was put to a vote.

Several council members argued a 6 p.m. start could make it harder for working residents to attend. “I worry about people getting off of work at 05:30 or 6 and they can't make it in time,” one councilor said. Another noted the city intentionally set earlier start times to benefit the public and cautioned that changing times could create confusion about when meetings occur.

Multiple councilors proposed alternative fixes: strategic agenda placement to ensure lengthy topics receive adequate time, and better agenda management so important items are not rushed late in the evening. One councilor suggested saving major orientation or strategic planning changes for January when new council members take office.

By voice vote the motion to move committee meetings to 6:00 p.m. was approved at the meeting; several speakers immediately reiterated a preference for keeping consistent times and for addressing long meetings through agenda management rather than time changes alone.