The starting time of Bethlehem Town Board meetings may once again go back to 6 p.m. after several recent meetings have lasted late into the night.
On Wednesday, May 23, Councilman Jeffrey Kuhn proposed the idea since few people other than the board members themselves and town staff have been staying to witness the end of meetings. It also means citizens are unable to voice their concerns about town matters not on the agenda if they do not stay.
“This is going to be the fourth or fifth time we are going to be ending after 11 p.m.,” he said. “I seriously want to reconsider the time we’re starting these meetings.”
The start time of meetings was changed to from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the beginning of Supervisor John Clarkson’s tenure after several citizens complained about not having time to make the beginning of the meetings because of work. Recently the meetings have been lasting longer on average than in previous years.
“I guess the question for me is, when are you less likely to get people to attend the meeting,” said Kuhn. “In between 6 and 7 p.m. or in between 10 and 11 p.m.? I think the answer is you’re much less likely to get people to attend a meeting that is still going on between 10 and 11 p.m., so that’s why I think 6 p.m. works better for a starting time.”
Councilman Kyle Kotary said he liked the later start time because he can get home to have dinner with his family but added that maybe the length of the meetings is an issue. He said maybe the solution would be to add more public meetings to the schedule.
Clarkson said after the meeting that he is open to changing the start time if that’s what the public wants, but he’s not sure if that will necessarily help the situation.
“Sometimes talk expands to fill the time,” he said.
Councilman George Lenhardt also said he’s flexible about changing the time again, but said in a later interview it still may not help.
“I don’t agree that they (the public) are leaving early. They are leaving when their tolerance level has reached its limit. Starting earlier may just move back the time they leave by an hour and not accomplish anything more than what we currently accomplish,” said Lenhardt. “It may just mean the meetings last longer.”
Councilwoman Joann Dawson was not at the meeting but said later that she was also open to discussing the time change.
“Thought having them at 7 p.m. would mean more people could attend, but coincidently, the meetings are now online so people can watch them online,” she said. “There’s really been no change in the people who regularly attend meetings, and because we go so late, people aren’t staying so that’s worth discussion.”
Clarkson said although having the meetings online is a helpful tool; the town wants people to still attend the meetings so they can participate in how the town is run.
“Being at the meetings allows you to ask questions,” he said.
Kotary said the number of items being placed on meeting agendas has become an issue. He said residents are beginning to feel like a lot of the more weighty issues are being discussed when no one is in the room.
“What I’d like to find out is … I’d like to see some data on how many people are watching at home online or going back to watch (after they leave),” he said, because some may feel the length is not an issue because people can watch from home.
Jeff Dammeyer, the town’s Director of Management of Information Services, said 70 people watched the May 23 meeting live online, and there have been 129 page views of the video from that meeting as of Wednesday, May 31. He said people should also keep in mind that residents can watch the meetings live on public access as well, so the number of people watching from home could be much greater.
“This will be on the agenda at next meeting (June 13) so we can discuss it,” said Clarkson. “We want to hear from members of the public to see how it works for them.”
Number of people watching online since the webcast system was introduced:
Town board meeting on Feb. 22
Live – 147
Video page views- 319 so far
Town board meeting on March 14
Live – 37
Video page views – 129 so far
Town board meeting on March 28
Live – 20
Video page views – 50 so far
Town board meeting on April 11
Live – 23
Video page views – 76 so far
Town board meeting on April 25
Live – 35
Video page views – 145 so far
Town Board meeting on May 9
Live – 24
Video page views – 110 so far
Town board meeting May 23
Live – 70
Video page views – 195 so far
