Citrus Heights eyes changing standard days for council meetings

Sentinel staff report–
During the Citrus Heights City Council’s meeting earlier this month, a proposal was brought forward to get public input on potentially changing the city’s traditional Thursday nights for council meetings.

“Are we going to discuss changing our council meeting nights?” asked Vice Mayor Jayna Karpinski-Costa at the conclusion of the Feb. 8 council meeting, during a time for council members to bring up items to be placed on a future agenda item for discussion. “Should that be–on an agenda’d item and have the public comment on it, in case it makes a difference to the public?”

Councilmember Tim Schaefer responded to her question, saying: “I didn’t know that something we were considering. Is it?”

City Manager Ash Feeney replied that it would be something that could be added to a future agenda item. Karpinski-Costa said in a response that it had apparently been mentioned in a “manager’s report” from Feeney.

Karpinski-Costa’s motion to agendize discussion of changing the council meeting nights was seconded by Councilmember Porsche Middleton, which met the council’s requirement of having at least two supporting votes to place an item on the agenda.

Feeney confirmed that such a change would need a vote from the council, and said discussion of the item would be placed on a future agenda, along with a staff report.

The council has traditionally met on the second and fourth Thursday of each month, with the exception of holidays and certain months. Meetings had been held at 7 p.m. up until July 2022, after the council voted 4-1 that year to change the standard time to 6 p.m.

Public comment can be submitted to the City Council through the City Clerk’s office at cityclerk@citrusheights.net, and will be read aloud during the council meeting. The City Council can also be contacted directly as a whole, by emailing citycouncil@citrusheights.net.