Council adopts rules for Fifth‑Tuesday open‑house meetings, approves hybrid Q&A and time window

The Laramie City Council on April 15 adopted Resolution 2025‑529 to create rules for Fifth‑Tuesday open‑house meetings intended to increase community engagement. Councilors amended the proposed rules and approved the resolution as amended by unanimous vote (9-0).

Councilor Bea Hill presented the resolution, which follows a prior work session. The proposed rules include traveling the location of meetings around the city and allowing public participants to speak for set time periods. Councilor Vigil moved an amendment to set meeting hours from 6 to 7:30 p.m. when a fifth Tuesday occurs; that amendment was seconded and approved by roll call (9-0).

A second amendment, proposed by Councilor Bea Hill and seconded, required that any structured question‑and‑answer portion of the Fifth‑Tuesday meetings be available in hybrid format — including web conferencing for online participation and viewing. City staff clarified that recordings would be placed on the city’s agenda center for public viewing; staff said they would work with IT about other broadcast platforms. That amendment also passed 9-0.

Councilors and staff discussed whether the resolution should contain tightly prescriptive timing for presentations and Q&A. The mayor and several councilors described an anticipated format — an initial period for informational displays or presentations, a structured Q&A segment, then informal mingling — but several councilors urged flexibility so future meetings can be adapted to local needs. The final vote on the resolution as amended was 9-0.

Councilors said they expect to test the format and refine rules after experience with the first meetings. Staff will handle notice, posting and any technical arrangements to provide hybrid participation for structured Q&A sessions.