Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:	City Commission
FROM:	Thomas M. Markus, City Manager
DATE:	May 31, 2016
RE:	City Commission Meeting Schedule

The City Commission has a meeting schedule that is adopted by ordinance.  The City Commission has been regularly meeting at 5:45 pm Tuesdays, with the exception of months where there are five Tuesdays.  There are usually no meetings on the fifth Tuesday. 

I have now been serving as the City Manager for two months and during that time have observed the great many hours that the City Commission and staff spends in meetings.  In addition to the actual time spent in meetings, there are also many hours behind the scenes with the City Commission preparing for City Commission meetings and for staff preparing the agenda and agenda materials. Nearly weekly, immediately after the Tuesday City Commission meeting, staff is working on the next week’s agenda.  I have observed that this is taking a large amount of staff time that could otherwise be used for staff to work on City Commission priorities. 

I am proposing a new meeting schedule for the City Commission.  Under the proposal, the City Commission would hold regular meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 5:45 pm.  These regular meetings would include consent and regular agenda items.  The second Tuesday of the month would consist of a consent-only agenda followed by a work session, beginning at 5:45 pm.  There would be no formal action on work session items.  The work session format will allow the City Commission time to have more meaningful conversations about important topics prior to having to vote on such items.  There are a number of items that would lend themselves to this work session format.  Finally, I would propose that there be no meetings on the fourth or fifth Tuesdays of each month.  The new format would continue to allow for the City Commission to have special meetings, if needed, upon the signing of a special call by the majority of the City Commission.  Also, there would be an exception related to the second Monday in January, at which a regular meeting will be held.  This corresponds to the new schedule of the timing of when new elected officials would join the City Commission and when the Mayor would traditionally be selected annually. 

The City Commission meeting schedule is set by ordinance.  Attached is an ordinance which codifies the changes to the meeting schedule, as proposed.  Staff recommends that this new format be adopted in June 2016, should the City Commission authorize the ordinance. 

Action

Adopt on first reading, Ordinance No. 9251, adopting a new meeting schedule for the Lawrence City Commission.