Anaheim City Council members will consider reorganizing their meetings and limiting how long council members can discuss items, after a series of marathon meetings that crept past midnight.
Since the new city council was sworn in December, it has become common for meetings that start at 5 p.m. to stretch close to midnight, or at times even later, with just a handful of members of the public sticking around until the end. The council usually meets every other week.
“The length of our council meetings are exceeding any acceptable level…and are frankly becoming abusive to the public and to the staff,” said Councilwoman Kris Murray, who asked the council to discuss and take action on the potential changes at their May 23 meeting.
Murray is requesting the consent calendar, largely procedural items that are approved in one motion, be moved to the end of the agenda so public hearings and items requiring more discussion can move toward the beginning of the meeting.
She also wants the council’s parliamentary rules to include a three-minute limit on how long council members can ask questions and comment on individual items, an informal change that Mayor Tom Tait has made at some council meetings.
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