Spring forward, fall back.
Daylight Saving Time? No. Lawton City Council meeting times.
Several “keyboard warriors” have been “whining and crying on Facebook” about “how horrible it is when nobody can participate” in council meetings and consequently the councilors are “doing things behind the public’s back,” Ward 8 Councilman Randy Warren said.
That triggered debate about whether the council should continue to meet at 2 p.m., or revert back to convening at 6 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.
“There was a reason” the council switched from 6 p.m. to 2 p.m., Warren related. “We have employees who have to be here” to answer questions about policies, procedures and legal issues.
Ward 3 Councilwoman Linda Chapman expressed concern about city staff members “being away from their families two nights a month and going home so late” if the council resumes the 6 p.m. meeting schedule.
The Lawton City Council’s regular meeting May 28 concluded after 4 hours and 31 minutes. The councilors then entered a closed-door executive session.
Ward 5 Councilman Allan Hampton asked City Clerk Donalynn Blazek-Scherler how many special meetings the council had last year. “Twenty-one,” she answered.
Those special city council meetings convened at 9 a.m., noon, 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m., but primarily at 2 p.m., she told Southwest Ledger. And those were strictly council meetings “and did not include the Transit Trust, the Water Authority, or any other body,” she added.
Another issue is public attendance. “I’d be happy to see the council chamber full,” Warren said. “I just don’t see that happening” even if the start time switches back to 6 p.m.
“We’ve had a couple of recent public meetings in the evenings, but they haven’t had high attendance,” City Manager John Ratliff noted.
Lawton City Council meetings are livestreamed and recorded for later playback.
However, as Mayor Stan Booker told the Ledger, the only guidance the City Charter provides on the issue is this sentence: “In determining the time of council meetings, the council shall consider the public convenience.”
Shifting the start time to 6 p.m. might increase attendance and also might entice individuals with 8-to-5 jobs to run for the city council, Booker said.
Warren made a motion to switch city council meetings back to 6 p.m. for six months, and suggested the council “reevaluate equitable incentives” for city employees who would be required to attend those meetings.
The council split 4-4 on the proposal, and the mayor broke the tie in favor of the switch.
Ratliff said the change cannot occur until next January because the council’s official meeting schedule for 2024 has already been established. In addition, state law “requires us to have our annual meeting notice posted by Dec. 15,” said Caitlin Gatlin, the city’s communications manager.