Published: Thursday, January 7, 2010
Everett council reduces night meetings
EVERETT — With zero notice to the public, Everett leaders decided Wednesday night to reduce night meetings to once a month, effective immediately.
Last year, the City Council decided to move all its morning meetings to the evening so more people would have a chance to sit in or speak up about city business.
The newest member of the council, Jeff Moore, was barely sworn in at Wednesday night’s meeting when a resolution was brought forward to repeal the night meeting ordinance.
After a contentious debate, the council voted 4-3 to move meetings to 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays, except for the third Wednesday of the month which would be at 6:30 p.m. The resolution included a stipulation that the council would do its best to keep issues members felt were important to the public at the monthly night meeting.
Before the vote, Councilwoman Brenda Stonecipher, who favors night meetings, said the last-minute timing of the resolution and lack of public input was an insult to citizens. She made a motion to table the resolution until the public had a chance to weigh in but that was voted down.
Councilmen Arlan Hatloe, Ron Gipson, Shannon Affholter and Moore voted for reducing night meetings. Stonecipher and councilmen Drew Nielsen and Paul Roberts voted against.
Hatloe said night meetings aren’t necessary for public participation when people can watch council meetings on television or via the Internet. Before last year, the council met for decades in the morning and there appeared to be no better participation by the public in the evening.
Night meetings are an important function of open government, Nielsen said today. He also said day meetings function as “an incumbent protection machine” that discourages working people from serving on the council.
Last year, the City Council decided to move all its morning meetings to the evening so more people would have a chance to sit in or speak up about city business.
The newest member of the council, Jeff Moore, was barely sworn in at Wednesday night’s meeting when a resolution was brought forward to repeal the night meeting ordinance.
After a contentious debate, the council voted 4-3 to move meetings to 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays, except for the third Wednesday of the month which would be at 6:30 p.m. The resolution included a stipulation that the council would do its best to keep issues members felt were important to the public at the monthly night meeting.
Before the vote, Councilwoman Brenda Stonecipher, who favors night meetings, said the last-minute timing of the resolution and lack of public input was an insult to citizens. She made a motion to table the resolution until the public had a chance to weigh in but that was voted down.
Councilmen Arlan Hatloe, Ron Gipson, Shannon Affholter and Moore voted for reducing night meetings. Stonecipher and councilmen Drew Nielsen and Paul Roberts voted against.
Hatloe said night meetings aren’t necessary for public participation when people can watch council meetings on television or via the Internet. Before last year, the council met for decades in the morning and there appeared to be no better participation by the public in the evening.
Night meetings are an important function of open government, Nielsen said today. He also said day meetings function as “an incumbent protection machine” that discourages working people from serving on the council.
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