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Commission schedules special meeting next Thursday after lack of quorum
Summary
The commission paused action at its meeting after a family emergency left it without a fifth member and agreed to post a special meeting for next Thursday at 6:00 p.m.; the city secretary is reviewing rules on remote participation and staff will post the agenda tomorrow.
A meeting that opened at 6:00 p.m. paused formal action after officials said one member could not attend because of a family emergency at a hospital, leaving the body without a quorum. Members agreed to post a special meeting for next Thursday at 6:00 p.m. and to post the agenda the following day.
The presiding official opened the gathering by calling the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. and leading the group in the Pledge of Allegiance to both the United States and Texas flags. When roll call was taken, three commissioners answered "Present." The group later said they had received a message that a fifth member would not be able to attend due to a family emergency, and that without a full quorum they could discuss items but could not take formal action.
"We can wait. Patience is a virtue," the presiding official said as members discussed options for handling the agenda. Commissioners considered either postponing the contested items to the next regular meeting or posting a special meeting; several members recommended holding a special meeting next Thursday. "We will post tomorrow. This will be the agenda and we will post for next Thursday evening," the presiding official said, and members confirmed the meeting would be at the same time, 6:00 p.m.
Staff noted that the city secretary and legal staff are reviewing rules for remote participation so that, in narrow circumstances, a commissioner might join by phone or Zoom. "They'll be reviewing the legal and city secretary and hopefully when they finish the review, they'll give us some guidance on that," a staff member said.
A motion to adjourn was offered late in the session but participants indicated the motion "died," suggesting it lacked a required second; no formal vote on adjournment was recorded. Participants were asked not to leave while plans were finalized to post the special meeting.
No formal votes were taken on agenda items at the meeting. The commission directed staff to post the special meeting notice for next Thursday at 6:00 p.m. and to return with any procedural guidance about remote attendance once the city secretary completes the review.
