Council pushes back meeting start time to attract new candidates
Published 1:37 pm Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The City Council decided to adjust Wednesday’s meeting schedule in hopes a broader segment of the community could serve on the council.
“We are unique in that 60 percent of [residents] work off-island,” said Councilor Bob Scales. “With most commuting tied to the ferry schedule, if I were looking at the council schedule I probably wouldn’t run.”
With the current council schedule, the governing body holds study sessions at 4 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of the month. A regular City Council meeting follows the study session, and usually concludes around 9 p.m. The council also holds business meetings at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday, unless otherwise noted.
The council decided during their retreat last week to push study sessions back from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. to allow more time for a broader range of community members to attend meetings. Regular meetings will start with the executive session at 6:30 pm. and the regular meeting following at either 7:00 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. depending on the length of the executive session.
City staff is drafting the ordinance to change the policy, and will set a date to review and approve the time change within the next several weeks.
Scales, who is the only current councilor with a full-time job in Seattle, said that for many the 4:40 p.m. ferry boat is their only option to complete a full-day of work and make it back to the island with enough time to attend the council meeting.
Mayor Kirsten Hytopoulos agreed that moving the start to 5:30 p.m. may give parents extra time to arrange child care for meetings, and that a 4 p.m. availability wasn’t realistic for many in the community.
“I have been concerned that the broadest possible base of candidates from all different ages and walks of life could not run for council and it’s about allowing the public to actually participate,” she said.
The Kitsap County Auditor’s Office is accepting filings for City Council and other elected offices this week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, June 10.
As of noon Tuesday, Kimberly Hendrickson (at-large) and Anne Blair (North Ward) have filed for a council seat. Incumbent at-large Councilor Barry Peters announced several weeks ago that he will run for re-election, but is waiting until Friday to decide which position. John Green has also announced his candidacy, either in the Central Ward or at-large.
Three councilors decided not to seek re-election: Kim Brackett representing the South Ward; Bill Knobloch for the Central Ward; and Hilary Franz for the North Ward.
