| | Published July 3rd, 2024
| Earlier Town Council meetings on the horizon in Moraga
| | | By Vera Kochan | | |
The Town Council is expected to authorize an earlier start time to its meetings, moving them up an hour from the current 6:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. In order to do this, the Ordinance needs to be approved during the next Town Council meeting scheduled for July 10. The chain of events would then require an update to the Town Council Protocols through a Resolution. Conveniently, a Resolution amending the Town Council Protocols was adopted during the Council's June 26 meeting in favor of the new 5:30 p.m. meeting time. The new meeting start time will become effective 30 days pending the final adoption on July 10.
It wasn't that long ago when Moraga's council meetings began at 7 p.m. and would often last to 11 p.m. In February 2021, the meetings were moved to 6:30 p.m. in the hopes that they would conclude before 10:30 p.m.
According to the June 26 staff report by Town Clerk Amy Heavener, "There are pros and cons to starting a Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. On the pro side, the Town organization will reduce costs and improve efficiencies associated with staff overtime, additional consultant costs, utilities, etc. Council members, and members of the public, will be able to conduct business earlier in the evening and return to their families at a more reasonable hour."
The report continued, "On the con side, council members, and members of the public, will have a shorter break between their daytime employment and the start of a council meeting. This may make it harder to eat dinner, or take care of work and/or family and personal matters before the council meeting."
It was noted during the June 26 meeting, that many of California's municipalities have shifted their council meetings to earlier start times due to technological advances that provide constituents with remote viewing capabilities. |
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA