University Place Council Votes to Hold Fewer Public Meetings

The University Place City Council voted Monday to reduce the number of public meetings every month by about half.

Now, the council will meet the first and third Mondays of every month, at 6:30 p.m. 

Mayor Ken Grassi said the new schedule will make City Hall business more efficient and assured there are still opportunities for the public to discuss issues with the council. The changes would also reduce the amount of paid time off city employees must schedule to make up for attending the night meetings.

"I want to go on record saying that the council was unanimous in its discussion that if [extra] meetings are needed, they will be added without hesitation," said Grassi. "The perception of canceling meetings is very negative. When the agenda is light, we'd rather put everything into one meeting, to make our meetings more efficient, with more put in to them."

Grassi added that the council will now allow public comment during its study sessions, when it wasn't allowed before. 

The council also plans a quarterly coffee meeting with the public, where citizens can drop in and speak to council members about anything on their minds. Two council members and a city staffer will make themselves available in the Atrium and Frog and Kiwi every couple months for casual conversation. 

"I hope this isn't coming across like we're limiting opportunities--we want this change to be seen as more opportunities," said Grassi.

What do you think of the changes to University Place's public meeting schedule? Tell us in the comments.