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Committee debates adding a fourth seat to committees amid Open Meetings Act concerns
Summary
Members debated a proposal to add a fourth member to each committee so two members could work on projects without forming a quorum; concerns included tie votes, potential extra cost per meeting, and compliance with the Open Meetings Act; the committee asked for legal clarification before any structural change.
The committee considered a proposal to increase committee membership from three to four seats. Proponents said four-member panels would allow two members to collaborate on projects without creating a quorum and thus reduce delays in preparing ordinance language. Opponents warned of frequent 2–2 ties and recommended placing tie decisions before the full council or creating ad hoc committees instead.
Members also raised practical concerns: more committee members would increase the number of paid special meetings, potentially adding costs; the Open Meetings Act constrains pre-meeting collaboration, and committee members asked the city attorney to confirm whether additional members would ease or complicate compliance. No structural change was adopted; the committee asked staff and legal counsel to provide formal guidance.
