Council votes to set regular meetings to 6 p.m.; members discussed earlier start times and public access

The Scottsburg City Council voted on June 8 to set its regular meeting start time at 6 p.m., after councilors debated earlier options intended to improve public attendance.

Councilor Kevin Smallwood introduced the idea of adjusting the meeting time so more residents and people who work out of town could attend. "I've talked to several people, and I know that we've put the meetings on YouTube where people can view that. But, I've talked to several people, and they they said that I could attend the meetings when they have an issue or that I could attend the meetings to get more knowledge," Smallwood said.

Members considered 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. starts as alternatives and discussed impacts on city employees who might have early shifts. One councilor said a 5:30 start still posed commute-safety concerns for workers traveling on Highway 65 and noted conflicts with staff schedules; others said the council could revert to a different time later if attendance did not improve.

The council moved and passed a motion setting the meeting time to 6 p.m.; the presiding official called the ayes and the item passed by voice vote. No roll-call tally was recorded in the public transcript.

Why it matters: regular-meeting times affect public access and participation as well as staff scheduling. Councilors emphasized trying a new time and monitoring attendance before making any further changes.

Councilors said they would revisit the timing if public attendance did not improve after the change.