New council schedule starts in city

SANDPOINT — For the first time in recent years, the Administrative and Public Works committees didn’t meet in the first week of the month.

They won’t be back next month, either. In lieu of committee meetings, City Council members will meet on the first and third Wednesdays of every month beginning on July 18.

Originally, subcommittees served as a buffer to take some of the pressure off of City Council meetings. They accepted matters from the public and got an early introduction to issues that would become city business later in the month.

However, the committees weren’t empowered to make any final decisions and could only pass on recommendations to the full council.

Council members decided to phase out subcommittees in an April vote. They originally began considering the issue early in the year after City Attorney Scot Campbell pointed out systematic flaws that could produce open meeting law violations if council members attended a committee meeting on which they didn’t serve.

Nevertheless, the new format brings along advantages of its own. Since subcommittees couldn’t make any real decisions, the change allows voting to occur with greater frequency.

 It also gives City Treasurer Shannon Syth’s office more flexibility in paying bills. And if council members encounter a complicated issue requiring a vote that will have long-standing implications, they can push it forward to ensure they’ve conducted all the necessary research. The new format may also work better for residents bringing matters before the council, since they will have to wait half the time for a decision on their complaints or business plans.

The transition isn’t without its critics. Council meetings are governed by rules of procedure, whereas subcommittees were permitted a bit of informality. However, those involved in agenda items will find a more comfortable environment in future meetings since they’ll be able to sit at a table rather than standing at a podium.

Although the new structure was approved in April, city staff required a few months to rewrite ordinances and procedures. Now that the books reflect the two-meeting setup, city staff and officials will gauge what impact, if any, the changes have on business in the coming months.