On March 18, City Manager Joseph Molis introduced several solutions to shorten meetings following complaints from residents and city staff.
"For our citizens and our staff, having meetings that run into the wee hours of the morning is very difficult. ... It means you have to wait here to be heard on an item," Molis said at the meeting.
The details
Molis attributed the lengthy meetings to a high volume of development proposals and the ongoing effort to update Lakeway's Code of Ordinances.
The staff report offered solutions, such as instating time limits on public hearings, which happen at the beginning of most meetings, and holding more special work sessions outside of the regular monthly meetings for more in-depth discussion.
What they're saying
While work sessions are common practice among city councils and required to be open for public comment like a regular session, some council members voiced concerns about how the public would respond to such a change.
"I think it's good for the public to see us talk things out here. ... Our citizens expect us to do the things necessary to ensure that whatever decisions get made up here are made in an appropriate manner," council member Kent O-Brian said.
Many were not in favor of limiting time for public comment either, citing the main issue as lengthy discussion among the council.
What's next?
The council resolved to update the special meeting calendar and possibly create an ordinance for consideration at a later date.
"We can all be more crisp and a little more direct, but that sounds a lot like, 'We're all going to eat better, drink less and get more steps in,'" Mayor Tom Kilgore said toward the end of the meeting.
