Saratoga News Council expected to approve change in meeting start time By Steve Enders It's going to be a busy 1999 for the Saratoga City Council and other city commissions. That's one reason the council will consider at its Jan. 6 meeting whether or not to roll back the starting time of regular city council meetings by half an hour to 7 p.m. instead of the usual 7:30 p.m. starting time. The council is expected to pass the measure, which requires a new city ordinance. If passed, the ordinance won't go into effect until March. But the change may not simply be a case of a heavy workload; it's also a sign of the shifting demographics on the council. Nick Streit, the councilman who brought the item up for discussion, is the father of two young children and is sympathetic to other Saratoga parents who might want to attend meetings and still get home in time to tuck their children into bed. "The demographics of the city council have changed," Streit says. "The whole city is changing." Streit says that public hearing portions of meetings don't typically start until 8 p.m.--too late for some parents to be waiting their turns to give their say on any particular issue. New councilman John Mehaffey is another parent of a young child. Mehaffey says he'll probably support the measure as well, but notes that the change in time is geared toward people who want to attend the meetings rather than toward his own agenda. "I'm still struggling with my schedule," Mehaffey says about leaving time for work as well as civic and personal responsibilities. He says that he's not concerned about whether he gets home from meetings any earlier. "I honestly haven't really considered the downside to this. I suppose if you make it half an hour earlier, that will cut into some people's dinner times, but you can't please everyone," Mehaffey says. Streit says that residents' and council-members' young children are not the only reason for pushing the meeting time change. "The city's residents are requiring more of the city and city staff. I thought changing the meeting times would allow more people to participate," he says. Streit also says the change will help eliminate confusion about when meetings start. He says that in his short stint with the council so far, he's seen groups come late to the "adjourned" meetings that take place on the second and fourth Tuesdays. Those meetings start at 7 p.m. and allow citizens and city commissions to present various reports to the council. The council is also expecting some late meetings in the coming year. Streit says they'll be public hearings about the Parks and Recreation Commission's proposal to build more playing fields. If public hearings didn't start until 8 p.m., those expected debates could last well into the night and delay discussion on other equally important agenda items. Mayor Jim Shaw also says he will likely support the ordinance. In the past, he says, various councils have toyed with the idea of changing meeting times to suit their particular needs. "It seems to vary from council to council," Shaw says. "Some members have found it difficult to make the 7 p.m. start time. But I think it's worth a try, and if it doesn't work out we can change it again." [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, January 6, 1999. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.