Covington County commission votes to end every‑other‑Thursday workshops at fiscal‑year end

The Covington County Commission voted to discontinue its scheduled every‑other‑Thursday workshops at the end of the current fiscal year and directed staff to gather input from department heads before the commission adopts a replacement schedule.

A commissioner said the Thursday workshops were originally intended to shorten Tuesday meetings but that receiving meeting packets only on Thursday limits commissioners' ability to review materials in advance. "We're not allowed by law to discuss anything prior to," said Commissioner (unnamed), explaining the need for commissioners to have documents and time to prepare. Commissioners discussed alternatives including holding workshops before each meeting, changing the workshop day, or convening workshops on an as‑needed basis. One commissioner suggested waiting until the new fiscal year or until Oct. 1 to finalize a replacement schedule so department heads could provide input.

The motion to end the scheduled every‑other‑Thursday workshops at the end of the fiscal year was made during the meeting and was seconded; the motion passed on a voice vote. Commissioners asked staff member Rachel to continue compiling and distributing meeting packets and requested department heads provide availability and preferences so the commission can finalize a long‑term workshop schedule.

During the discussion commissioners emphasized the need to receive packets with enough lead time to research agenda items; staff noted the current deadline for agenda submissions is Wednesday, which provides several days before Tuesday meetings for review. The commission also noted they may continue to table or postpone items when additional review is necessary.