BOULDER CITY – The pandemic has changed the way many of us live and work. The City of Boulder City has also changed the way it conducts meetings. All Council, Committee and Commission meetings are broadcast live. The regular meeting time has been 7:00 p.m. since the late 1970’s. City Council members voted unanimously to change the meeting start time to 5:00 p.m. starting on January 11, 2022. The Planning Commission also voted to start at 5:00 p.m. starting in January.
Since January 2020, the regular City Council meetings last an average of just under three hours (167 minutes) with fifteen meetings in that time extending past 10 p.m. This makes it difficult for some people to contribute to public hearings or provide public comment at the end of the meeting. The City Clerk’s office researched City Council meeting times of surrounding municipalities and the Clark County Commission meetings. All of those meetings are conducted at 5:00 p.m. or earlier without negatively affecting public participation.
Today, public participation is possible without residents being physically present in the Chambers. “In light of flexible work options and advanced technologies, constituents can engage and be involved in the meetings through virtual meetings and video streaming, either by calling-in during the public comment periods of the meetings or by submitting written public comments,” says City Clerk Tami McKay. “The 5:00 p.m. start time for Council Meetings will provide greater access for the public to participate throughout the entire meeting. In the end, we achieve more convenient access for public participation, which promotes transparency and accountability for local government.”
Council also approved moving two meeting dates in 2022 to accommodate the 2022 Municipal Primary Election on June 14, 2022 and the 2022 Municipal General Election on November 8, 2022. The elections are being conducted on the same day as the regularly scheduled Council meetings. Council approved moving each meeting one day earlier. The June 14 regular Council meeting will be held on Monday, June 13 due to the primary election, and the November 8 meeting will be Monday, November 7, due to the general election.
The Planning Commission also voted to start their meetings at 5:00 p.m. effective with their next meeting on January 19, 2022. The Planning Commission meets on the third Wednesday of each month.
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