AUBURN — For Mayor Jonathan LaBonte, the table at the front of the council chambers became a symbol of compromise.
The table was one of the first things LaBonte and the new council had changed upon taking office. The table and chairs were tucked away and a large podium rolled out to replace it.
But Monday night, at a special workshop meeting, the table was back and the podium rolled away for good.
“I’m a mayor of compromise,” LaBonte said.
LaBonte said he was hoping to make the meetings run more smoothly and more professionally, especially during the open sessions at the open and close of the council’s regular meetings.
“It started out as an opportunity for residents to address the council, but it became a place for people to sit down and spread out and debate with councilors and staff,” LaBonte said.
The podium was designed to be a bit more formal and more professional. But people didn’t like.
“I had some people say it made them nervous to use the podium,” LaBonte said. “The last thing I want to do is make people nervous, so it had to go.”
Councilors spent most of Monday’s meeting discussing how they’d handle people who use that table during open sessions.
Councilors also agreed to schedule a special Saturday workshop this weekend, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 28 in Auburn Hall. Councilors will discuss winter road maintenance and city finance and audits at that meeting.
Councilors will continue to offer two open sessions for public comments, one near the beginning of the nightly meetings and a second at the end. The first session will be limited to 45 minutes, with comments by individuals limited to five minutes each. The second session will be more open ended, with no time limit.
It’s important to treat those comment periods as public comment, not opportunities for debate, LaBonte said.
Councilors agreed, but said they wanted to make sure people with simple questions got answers quickly.
“It’s important that answers to those questions get included in the public record,” Councilor Tizz Crowley said. “For me the most important thing is that residents can come, speak and be listened to.”
Answers to more difficult questions would be written up and included in the next meeting’s minutes and posted to the city’s website.
Monday’s meeting came at a strange time for councilors — 7:45 p.m. Most City Council workshop meetings are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m., with regular meetings following at 7 p.m.
Several councilors attended a school department presentation by author Bea McGarvey on Monday night at Edward Little High School, which ended at 7:30 p.m. Only LaBonte, Councilor-at-large Joshua Shea and interim City Manager Don Gerrish were on hand and ready for the meeting at 7:45 p.m. The rest trooped in at about 8 p.m.
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