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Resident urges trustees to restore 6 p.m. meeting start time, calls recent change discourteous
Summary
A West Chester resident told trustees moving the meeting start time earlier makes attendance difficult for working residents and urged the board to return meetings to 6 p.m.
Amanda (last name not provided), a West Chester resident, used the public-comment period March 11 to urge trustees to restore meeting start times to 6 p.m. She said residents were given one day’s notice of the change and that a new 4:45 p.m. arrival requirement on Tuesdays would make attendance harder for working people with families.
"Moving these meetings up an hour and telling residents they need to arrive by 04:45 on a Tuesday late afternoon, early evening is pretty insulting," Amanda said. She asked trustees to return meetings to the previous 6 p.m. start time so more residents can attend and be heard.
The board did not take immediate action on the request during the meeting. Trustees acknowledged the comment, and one trustee noted that staff would publicize live-streaming options (Westchester TV app and Spectrum channel 24) for residents who cannot attend in person.
Why it matters: Public meeting times affect opportunities for direct citizen participation. The resident said the earlier start time would reduce the ability of working parents to attend and requested the trustees reconsider the change.
Next step: The board did not schedule a formal vote on meeting times at this session. Trustees signaled availability of remote viewing options and did not announce a timeline for reconsidering the start-time policy.
