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Loomis council shortens meeting start time to 6 p.m. and approves manager COLA
Summary
After public comment both for and against accessibility concerns, council voted to move regular meetings to 6:00 p.m.; the body also approved a cost‑of‑living adjustment for the town manager effective June 9, 2024, citing budget availability and standard CPI indexing.
The Town Council voted to change the regular meeting start time to 6:00 p.m., a shift some members argued aligns Loomis with neighboring jurisdictions and better accommodates staff and consultants, while several residents urged retaining later starts to preserve in‑person accessibility for commuters and those with unreliable internet access.
Debate included public commenters' concerns about in‑person attendance challenges for rural residents and workers with evening schedules. Council members noted attendance patterns on significant issues and said the schedule change is a council policy decision. The motion passed by roll-call majority.
On personnel matters, the council approved a cost‑of‑living adjustment for the town manager based on the Western States small‑and‑medium‑city CPI index. Staff said the increase was budgeted and consistent with the index used in the town’s memorandum of understanding; the manager’s new compensation was reported as $186,660 effective June 9, 2024. Public commenters both supported and opposed the adjustment; supporters argued retention of an experienced manager is cost‑effective, while opponents questioned timing and scale.
Next steps: staff will implement the start‑time change in council policies and meeting notices and include the manager COLA in the coming budget documents; council members indicated revision of public‑notice language and continued public outreach about meeting accessibility.
