Report Prepared by: Scott McBride, City Manager
Title
SUBJECT: Potential Changes to Board and Commission Meeting Schedules including Times and Frequency
REPORT IN BRIEF
Subcommittee discussion and suggestions on potential changes to the Board and Commission Meeting Schedules including the meeting times, days, and frequency.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff is requesting Subcommittee discussion and feedback on potential changes to the Board and Commission Meeting Schedules which can be returned to the full City Council for potential action.
Body
DISCUSSION
Background
The following information is summarized using the Applegate AI tool which references City Council Agenda’s, Minutes, and Administrative Reports. The content has been reviewed and edited by staff.
This discussion topic was placed on September 21, 2026, agenda at the request of Council Member Fue Xiong. The agenda packet described it as: "Council Member Xiong request to discuss Moving Boards and Commissions Meeting Times," with a staff recommendation to "provide direction to staff on the next steps."
Council Member Xiong's Request
Council Member Xiong explained that he asked for the item to be added to the agenda following the July 2026 board and commission appointment cycle, during which there were not enough applicants for several seats. He stated that some meeting times and days may conflict with people's schedules, potentially discouraging them from applying.
His specific request was:
"For staff to review the boards and commission their meeting times and dates and evaluate whether or not it makes sense to move some of these around in which we could draw from a larger pool of applicants."
City Manager's Input
The City Manager acknowledged the importance of the issue but noted the difficulty of evaluating something that hasn't been tried differently. He identified three key factors to weigh:
• Availability of applicants - daytime meetings may deter working people from serving
• Public participation - evening meetings may improve public attendance
• Cost - evening meetings could result in overtime costs for staff
The City Manager also suggested that a broader review of commission goals and priorities might be a good starting point and offered the Ethics and Governance Subcommittee as a potential venue for the discussion.
Council Discussion
• Council Member Smith supported the idea in principle, noting that asking working people to attend a 4:00 p.m. meeting is difficult. However, he raised two limiting factors:
o The Council's standing committee structure is still being implemented and will require use of the Council chambers, and (2) SP707 requires all advisory body meetings to run through the same chambers - creating a scheduling constraint.
o He suggested folding the discussion into the Ethics and Governance Subcommittee's upcoming work on boards and commissions, alongside the planning commission discussion.
• Council Member Dupont asked what the specific proposal was and requested that any referral to the Ethics and Governance Subcommittee include an analysis of the fiscal impact of requiring staff to work beyond regular hours. He also noted that outreach and engagement within individual council districts is also a factor in recruitment.
• Another Council Member specifically noted that the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission meets at 3:00 p.m., calling that time very difficult for most people to participate. That council member also requested that a board and commission attendance report be prepared for the subcommittee meeting, to help determine whether meeting times correlate with attendance issues.
Outcome / Direction Given
No formal motion was taken. The Council gave direction by consensus (confirmed by the City Attorney) to refer the matter to the Ethics and Governance Subcommittee, to be folded into the broader discussion about improving the effectiveness of boards and commissions - including the planning commission discussion already scheduled to come back. The attendance report was also requested as part of that subcommittee review.
Related Context
This issue had also surfaced at the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission meeting on June 23, 2026, where a commissioner requested that meetings be moved to 6:00 p.m. (to align with City Council and other evening meetings) and that the commission meet at least once a month rather than every other month - citing barriers for working people and the desire for broader, more diverse participation. Staff noted at that meeting that the municipal code dictates the commission's meeting frequency and that meetings are to be held during business hours, which would need to be addressed before any change could be made.
Other Consideration Issues
Facility scheduling - the availability of the council chambers could potentially be an issue with changing meeting times. The Boards and Commission meeting days and times could potentially conflict with council subcommittee meetings and other scheduled uses of the facilities. Careful planning based on the availability of the facilities along with potential polling of the current members of the respective boards and commissions should be considered.
Implementation Steps - in some instances the board and commission day and times have been established by ordinance and incorporated into the municipal code. In others they were done by council resolution. Implementing changes would need to follow the procedures for each option and could be staggered or done concurrently.
Not requested for consideration at this time are the current roles and responsibilities of the boards and commissions. Their effectiveness may be more directly tied to their charge, priorities, training they receive, and similar issues. The subcommittee may want to take these into consideration.
Fiscal Impact
It’s difficult to quantify the direct impact of adjusting meeting frequency and times without knowing which specific board and commission schedules will be changed. It is safe to assume that there would be some additional costs if meetings were scheduled outside of normal working hours. Employees that are hourly may be paid overtime or may take comp time for these changes. Exempt employees, not paid hourly, would not receive overtime or comp time.
Departments which oversee the board and commission agenda process and host the meetings are funded from various fund areas within the city so impacts would be specific to those areas. For example, Development Services supports the Planning Commission, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, and Building and Housing Board of Appeals.
In addition to the direct department staff involved in these meetings, Information Technology ensures the meeting broadcast, live stream, and video & audio function. IT uses direct and indirect service charges to departments so these costs would also have to be considered.
Currently, the city does not automatically provide translation services to boards and commissions. Services may be provided if requested. The council may want to consider adding that service. It’s now standard for the city council meetings and any standing council subcommittee meetings.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Current Board and Commission Meeting Dates
2. Board and Commission Attendance Report