Just another city council working session
In fact, the only guidance the charter gives is that the chair can recess a meeting for breaks or to another day if business isn’t finished;
- Any meeting of the city council may be adjourned to a later date and time, provided that no adjournment shall be for a longer period than until the next scheduled meeting.
- The city council chair and vice chair shall determine the agenda, with city council input, for all informational meetings and working sessions.
City councilors supposedly received an email from council chair Erickson over the weekend telling councilors that the informational meetings are getting ‘too long’ and too many questions are being asked, and that councilors need to prepare their questions in advance.
I find the rules from the chair interesting, considering she has NO more powers then her peers and that their is no time limits in the charter on meetings. I also find it interesting that the public isn’t granted access to supporting documents in SIRE until sometimes a half-hour before the meeting starts. So how do constituents get questions to be asked during informational meetings on agenda items to councilors before the meeting starts when they don’t know what the presentation is about. There was also the working session last week where two councilors didn’t even show up and the other two had nothing to contribute. Let’s talk about being prepared in advance.
For instance, the Avera ‘core neighborhood’ plans presentation on Tuesday has NO supporting documents right now online. We have NO idea what they will be saying, and most likely councilors no very little also, this is why they ask questions at the meeting.
It’s also important to note that this stuff has to be on record, another reason multiple and thorough questions need to be asked.
Also don’t forget that while the public may make comment at the end of the informational meeting, none of their questions will be answered.
This continuing argument that meetings need to be shorter is tiresome. Charter doesn’t place time limits on meetings. If the council chair is concerned she won’t be able to have a fancy sit down dinner at Minervas in between meetings on Tuesday, maybe she should pack a lunch, order in delivery, or even better, resign.