The Local Source for News and Information Since 1980
GREENSBORO – The Greensboro Town Council decided at their regular meeting on Thursday, March 19, to formalize an extended time allotment for in-meeting presentations and to do away with workshops in favor of more regular Town Council meetings.
The current policy for presentations, citizen-requested agenda items, and other instances where outside entities or individuals address the Town Council states that these presentations be limited to three minutes. This is the same amount of time given to citizens during the public comment period. However, members of the Council expressed that the three minute limit is too short for those who may have important information to share. “I feel like if you're on the agenda, limiting three minutes like you do a public comment is not enough,” said Councilmember Kim Ernest. Greensboro Mayor David Spencer agreed, saying he is in favor of flexibility with the extended time limit based on the Council’s discretion, “We'd like to give them 10 minutes, but the Council has the ability to let them go on.”
Mayor Spencer went on to say, “I’m going to ask the Council tonight to change having a workshop [to] having two regular meetings.” He noted that having the workshops, which occur on the first Thursday of the month, is “frustrating” because the Council cannot vote on anything at workshops due to open meeting laws. “I don't want to say we're wasting time, but I don't think we're using the time appropriately….we can always schedule a workshop anytime we want to,” he said. The rest of the Council indicated that they’d support this change to a twice-monthly regular meeting schedule.
These changes would be included in a resolution, not an ordinance, so it does not have to go through the formal advertisement and public hearing process. The Council will vote on an amended meeting policy at their next meeting in April.
