Daily Herald editorial

Although it did not exactly draw a huge crowd, we rate Saturday’s first Coffee With the Council event a success. It does not necessarily take a big crowd to ensure that ideas and information are exchanged.

Responding to concerns that the council does not always seem welcoming or open to input during its regular meetings and work sessions, city council members decided to hold monthly coffee sessions that would create an informal opportunity for city residents to offer ideas and opinions, and to ask questions. Such gatherings are a technique that elected officials have used for years to make it easier to hear from their constituents. It has worked well elsewhere and will undoubtedly work well in Austin.

Given that the first session went well, it’s reasonable to hope that future months’ coffee sessions will draw even more residents. But the reality is that more input, regardless of how much more, is always better. We salute the council for taking this approach.