Birmingham commission sets new meeting time

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham City Commission meetings will be starting, and potentially ending, earlier after commissioners voted to adopt an ordinance amendment during the Monday, November 17, meeting, changing the meeting start times to 7 p.m. and setting a meeting end time for midnight.

Mayor Clinton Baller opened discussions by asking for input on how the commission could “tighten things up” so meetings could be ended earlier, noting the potential for an earlier start time as well as setting an end time. Off the bat, commissioner Brad Host proposed a 7 p.m. meeting start time which received consensus from the rest of the commission.

When it came to other methods, commissioners disagreed on if setting a meeting end time was appropriate. Commissioners Brad Host and Andrew Haig argued that the times that the meetings run late are for good reason, Host adding that they are here to serve the community regardless of how long it takes.

Others noted that meetings running into late night hours could undermine the intention to serve the community if the community is not able to participate or stay engaged throughout the entire meeting due to the time.

“Meetings must be accessible to the public,” said city attorney Mary Kucharek. “If they’re going to the wee hours of the night … is it really accessible for participation? Sure, they can go back and watch the meetings, but they’re not actively participating with their government which is the whole point of the [Open Meetings Act].”

Haig suggested midnight if the commission wanted to impose a meeting end time as it marks the end of the calendar day that was posted in the meeting notice. Mayor pro tem Anthony Long added that language should be added that allows the group to extend the meeting in half hour intervals, similar to how the city’s planning board operates, if there is a majority vote to do so.

In the end, commissioners voted unanimously to approve an ordinance amendment, changing the meeting start time to 7 p.m. and setting midnight as an end time along with the option to vote for additional time.