City Council Decisions
Ever get the feeling that the decisions at City Council meetings have already been made prior to the meeting? While the final decisions aren’t made until the Thursday night City Council meetings, there is often considerable discussion and sometimes a consensus reached in prior meetings. This is usually done through either a committee meeting or a council work session.
For police issues – either brought forward by city council members or the police department -- the first stop is the Public Safety Committee. The core of this committee is me and the two council member liaisons, Sharon Parry and Ida Hardcastle. Oftentimes other council members and the mayor will attend depending on the agenda.
This committee meets bi-monthly and is open to the public. Notice and an agenda is posted online. We’re meeting tomorrow morning at 9:30 in the police briefing room. It’s rather informal and no decisions are made; however, we keep minutes and it’s a good opportunity to flesh out the issues.
Occasionally, an issue will require in-depth study and discussion with the entire council. Those are conducted at council work sessions, held every other Tuesday as needed. These are also public and notice is posted online on the city's main webpage.