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Council directs staff to set up monthly informal meetings; staff to draft resolution for March
Summary
Council members gave staff direction at the Feb. 25 work session to begin a monthly, in‑person informal meeting (a pre‑meeting dinner/discussion) on the first council meeting night, with written public‑comment options and minutes to be published. Staff will prepare a resolution and return to council March 18 with details.
City Manager (presenting) briefed council on a proposal to add an informal, public dinner/discussion meeting for council members in order to discuss emerging issues and regional topics in a less‑formal setting while complying with the Open Public Meetings Act.
Under the staff proposal the meeting would be scheduled as a regular meeting type (not a work session), held in person on the first council‑meeting night of the month before the regular meeting, include written public‑comment options, and produce minutes for later approval. Staff recommended no formal actions at these meetings; topics would be informational and summarized in a meeting summary. The meeting would be open to the public but would not be broadcast or video recorded, and attendance by a quorum would be required.
Councilmembers debated frequency and format. Options discussed included monthly, every other month, or quarterly. Several councilmembers favored starting monthly with the option to cancel when not needed; others preferred a trial period or quarterly cadence. Councilmember Cox said monthly meetings would allow timely discussion of hot topics; another councilmember favored starting with quarterly to avoid overcommitment. Staff suggested the earliest such a meeting could be held would be April 1 if the council adopted the new meeting type and schedule in March.
Council provided direction that staff should prepare a resolution and bring a red‑lined council‑procedures amendment and a staff report to the March 18 council meeting for formal adoption. Staff said it would propose a meeting time around 4:30 p.m. with a short break before the regular council meeting; room scheduling would be determined based on expected public attendance. City Attorney Dave and city clerk staff would be present when meetings are held, with other staff attending at the city manager’s discretion. Council emphasized the meetings should remain informational and follow basic meeting decorum and chairing rules.
