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Mayor Reeves backs moving meetings to 6 p.m.; work sessions to start at 4:30 p.m.
Summary
Great Falls Mayor Cory Reeves proposed shifting Commission work sessions to 4:30 p.m. and regular meetings to 6:00 p.m.; the Commission asked staff to draft a resolution and to determine whether changes to public-comment timing require amending the rules of conduct.
Mayor Cory Reeves proposed changing City Commission scheduling so that work sessions begin at 4:30 p.m. and regular Commission meetings begin at 6:00 p.m., citing a review of sister-city practices and a desire to test whether the change improves attendance and productivity. The Commission reached consensus directing staff to draft a resolution to implement those start times and to investigate whether shifting the timing of public comment requires an amendment to the rules of conduct and procedure.
Supporters said the change would reduce burdens on staff who now often work a full day and then wait for an evening meeting. "An earlier start time would be better aligned with staff work schedules, allowing them to transition directly into the meeting and reduce unnecessary waiting," Commissioner Shannon Wilson said. Commissioner Casey Schreiner also supported moving regular meetings to 6:00 p.m., saying it could make participation easier for parents and families while noting the current start times date to 1981.
Opponents cautioned the change could make serving on the Commission harder for volunteer members who balance public service with jobs and family responsibilities. Commissioner Joe McKenney said the Commission needs to consider how an earlier start could affect the pool of residents able to serve. Commissioner Rick Tryon said he would accept a 4:30 p.m. work session start if the Commission scheduled public comment at the end of the work session rather than the beginning and suggested that speakers be allowed to finish remarks during the regular meeting if time runs out.
The Commission did not take a formal vote; instead members agreed by consensus to have staff draft the resolution and report back with recommended language and any required procedural changes. The next steps are for staff to prepare the draft resolution and an analysis of whether altering the timing of public comment can be done administratively or requires an amendment to the rules of conduct and procedure. That draft will return to the Commission for consideration at a future meeting.
