The Hamilton County Commission voted to try out moving meeting times from the morning to the afternoon for a 60-day trial run to possibly get more public attendance.
Meetings from November to the beginning of January would begin at 4 p.m., rather than 9:30 a.m. The commission voted unanimously, though some were hesitant, citing concerns about the awkwardness of the time due to evening church and family commitments. The commission chair, Ken Smith, R-Hixson, can call a special meeting at any point for a time of the commission’s choosing, but this would shift the regular weekly meeting time as a whole.
“I think this is something we need to continue to look at,” Smith said. “It’s about how we get more citizens involved. I’m excited, even if this is just a trial basis.”
Commissioner Jeff Eversole, R-Ooltewah, originally spearheaded a proposal to permanently change the time starting in October, but he said last week he’d be open to trial period.
He noted during the meeting that out of a random sample of 26 counties in Tennessee, all but one have their commission meetings at 5 p.m. or later, and the one that doesn’t meets at 3 p.m. He’s pleased with this temporary outcome, he said.
“We had some commissioners last week that obviously did not want to move in that direction,” Eversole said in an interview. “At least we were able to say, ‘Hey, let’s try it.’ And so now it’s time for the people in our communities to show up.”
The proposal ran through the county’s Legal and Legislative Committee first to iron out the details of possible costs. The Hamilton County Courthouse, where meetings are held, usually closes at 4 p.m., which means the trial period would involve a price tag of a little over $12,000 to keep the building staffed and running for the 60-day period. Several commissioners had previously said rearranging the budget for the full estimated annual price in the original proposal, $48,900, concerned them.
Vice Chair Lee Helton, R-East Brainerd, who leads the committee, said the consensus was that both county staff and the public thought a trial period would be the best option. Helton said the committee would watch for any increases in public attendance to measure the trial’s success — though there was no “rubric” the panel decided on.
Commissioner David Sharpe, D-Red Bank, on the other hand, said he would be cautious to use the months of November and December as that measure because of the holiday season. He said budget season in the spring would likely be a better representation of the potential of a later meeting time to improve public access.
The first meeting beginning at 4 p.m. will be Nov. 5.
Contact government reporter Siena Duncan at sduncan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.