Council plans monthly talk with public
Published 10:52 am Thursday, June 13, 2013
The Austin City Council is ready for another conversation.
Council members will once again host a “Conversations with the Council” meeting at the Austin Public Library at 10 a.m. this Saturday.
City officials were pleased with last month’s meeting, as about 11 residents showed up with complaints and concerns for the city to address.
“It’s definitely an improvement,” said Mayor Tom Stiehm. “It’s moving in the right direction.”
Stiehm said residents at last month’s meeting had concerns the council could legitimately address. The council restarted meetings in April after suspending them last year, as only a few people would attend and dominate the meeting, ask questions about county issues the city doesn’t deal with, or use the meeting to stump for political office. Council members voted in March to restart the informal meetings, with a few more guidelines, which they say have helped residents make their voices heard.
“You want a multitude of people there, sharing different things with the council,” Stiehm said.
“Conversations with the Council” meetings will take place at the library over the next few months, always at 10 a.m. on the third Saturday. The next meetings will occur on July 20 and Aug. 17.