posted August 16, 2005
City Councilwoman Marti Rutherford said the present system of holding council committee meetings is "dumb," and she plans to start boycotting the Tuesday afternoon sessions.
She said unless the committee system is changed, she will just show up for the 6 p.m. regular meetings and ask so many questions that the meetings "will last four hours."
She said, "You'll have to bring your cot."
The legal and legislative committee chaired by Jack Benson normally meets at 3 p.m. each Tuesday, then there is a 4 p.m. meeting of either public works or parks and recreation.
Ms. Rutherford said there is no need for legal and legislative to meet every Tuesday at 3 p.m., saying the meetings sometimes last only 10 minutes.
A realtor, she said she could be meeting with clients rather than wasting time between committee sessions and waiting around from 3 p.m. until the regular meeting starts at 6 p.m.
"It's the dumbest thing I've ever experienced. We are not using our time efficiently," she said.
She made a motion to change the commission meeting schedule. She only got support from Leamon Pierce, but he did not give a second to the motion, which died.
Councilman Pierce said the committees don't work like committees. He said all council members come to all of the committee meetings. He said few know who is actually on each committee.
Councilman Pierce said, "I've got other things to do with my time. I'm not retired."
Councilman Yusuf Hakeem said, "If you don't want to be here, just don't be here."
Councilman Pierce retorted, "When you've got people you don't trust, I've got to be here."
Councilman Benson said the council gets a lot of late items that can go before legal and legislative. He said it serves as a "catchall" on a host of issues of interest to the community.
Sally Robinson, current council chairman, said when one committee ends early, another committee often "piggybacks" and goes ahead and starts.
She said the committee meetings are a time for "give and take" on a number of issues. She said the regular meeting is much more formal.
Councilman Dan Page said the present committee plan "has worked well the last few years for me." He said many special committees can get started at 4:30 and there is still time for council members to eat dinner prior to the regular session.
When legal and legislative ended early, Ms. Rutherford said, "I'll go take a 20-minute stroll."
She said of her plan to ask lots of questions at the regular meetings, "I'm going to be the dumbest thing. After a month of that, they'll be glad to change."
She said the only meeting she will attend is public safety, which she chairs.
Ms. Rutherford said she was setting a committee meeting next Tuesday especially early - 2:30 p.m. She said, "I expect all of you to be present."
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