The Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted on Jan. 7 to change the board's meeting structure: closed session will convene in the morning and the action calendar will begin in the afternoon at 1 p.m., effective Feb. 4, 2025.

Supervisors debated competing priorities before the vote. Chair John Hawk proposed reducing the frequency of weekly meetings (by eliminating the 3rd weekly meeting each month) and reorganizing agenda order to make meetings more efficient. Supporters said consolidating time would let staff and members plan and reduce short agendas that end before noon. Opponents raised access concerns: several supervisors cautioned that fewer scheduled meetings could be perceived as limiting opportunities for public comment and cited potential impacts on departmental workflows.

A separate discussion focused on whether closed session should precede open session or be scheduled later in the day. Supervisor Ryan Kelly argued that closed session in the morning followed by an afternoon action calendar would give staff more uninterrupted negotiation time while also placing the action portion of the meeting in a predictable afternoon slot for the public. Supervisor Jesus Escobar and others voiced concern about shortening closed-session time if special presentations are held beforehand; the board directed staff to refine the presentation schedule and bring those details back.

The motion to adopt the new meeting structure (morning closed session; afternoon action calendar) passed on a board vote. The board agreed the change will take effect with the Feb. 4 meeting and that staff will return with a refined agenda template and a plan for posting presentations and timing expectations.