Council delays decision on moving regular meetings after public pushback

Mayor Pro Tem Leo Medrano proposed that the council "explore Tuesday or Wednesday, to give residents more time to contact and discuss agenda items," arguing that an extra 24–48 hours would improve transparency and reduce staff stress.

The proposal drew sustained opposition from residents and some council members who said the long-standing Monday schedule is familiar to the community and avoids conflicts with regional boards. Resident Anne Mallory told the council to "pause changing the date of the council meeting" and to provide long lead time if a change is made so nonprofits and other groups can adapt. Councilmember Pete argued he "doesn't see the problem" that would require changing the schedule and raised concerns about downstream conflicts with regional meetings and added staff workload.

City staff confirmed they would accommodate whatever schedule council sets but warned that moving items forward might push some items to later meetings. Councilmember Chang asked for more time to consult personally and requested the item be tabled. The mayor proposed an amendment to make the change for the first and third Wednesdays to avoid conflicts with the Orange County Sanitation District; the item ultimately was withdrawn and a motion to continue it to the next regular meeting passed unanimously.

What happened next: The council voted to continue consideration of changing the regular meeting day until its next scheduled meeting so members, staff and stakeholders can gather additional information and assess calendar impacts. The vote to continue the item was unanimous.