The Metro Council is scheduled to vote Sept. 9 on whether to move its meeting times to better accommodate the needs of working parents.
Under the proposal from Metro Council President Lynn Peterson, council meetings and work sessions would move to 10 a.m.
Metro Council meetings have historically started at 2 p.m. and typically last between 90 minutes and 3 hours, depending on the topic. The Metro Council has periodically met in the mornings before, most recently in 2012-13, when council work sessions started at 9:30 a.m.
“This is a challenging time for all of us, including for parents,” Peterson said. “Given restrictions on gathering and spacing related to COVID-19, finding after-school care is more challenging than ever. This ensures that participating in Metro business – as the public, as staff or as an elected official – won’t be a conflict for people who need to get their kids home from school. While none of the parents on the council today have a school-aged child, it’s something we’re keenly aware of as we continue to meet online.”
Metro Council meetings have been held via Zoom since March 2020, and will continue to be held virtually indefinitely until the council determines that it’s safe to return to gather in person.
Council meeting times for the Tuesday, Sept. 7 work session and Thursday, Sept. 9 business meeting are rescheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The move to morning meetings is not final. It must be approved by the Metro Council, which is scheduled to consider a resolution on Sept. 9 to make these times standard for all meetings moving forward.
If the move is approved, other Metro committee meetings with scheduling conflicts would have their times or dates adjusted.
View Metro public meeting calendars and agendas