The Gilbert Town Council has approved several modifications to its meeting schedules and administrative procedures aimed at shortening public proceedings and improving operational structure. Presented by Councilwoman Yung Koprowski at an Oct. 20 meeting, the overhaul addresses public meetings that have historically extended late into the evening.
Under the newly adopted changes, Tuesday council meetings, which are generally conducted twice a month, will begin at 6 p.m. rather than the previous 6:30 p.m. start time. Additionally, study sessions will no longer take place immediately prior to regular Tuesday meetings; instead, they will be scheduled on Mondays as needed. Koprowski developed the structural updates alongside Councilman Monte Lyons and Councilman Kenny Buckland following discussions with municipal staff to address feedback regarding excessively long meetings.
Changes to the consent agenda form a significant component of the new policy. Under the revised guidelines, council members are asked to notify staff by noon on the day before a meeting regarding any consent items they wish to pull for separate discussion. While council members retain the ability to pull a consent item on the day of the meeting through a majority vote, establishing an advance deadline is intended to reduce the preparation burden on town personnel. Lyons noted during the meeting that the advance notice relieves staff from needing to prepare full presentations for every item listed on the consent calendar, allowing them to focus on other municipal duties.
Furthermore, the town is eliminating routine consent slide presentations during meetings. Instead, detailed information about project funding sources will be integrated directly into written agenda packets so residents can review how expenditures are financed.
The revised format also expands public comment rules, allowing residents to address the council on agenda items during study sessions for the first time. Members of the public will be granted two minutes each to speak, with total public comment capped at 20 minutes for each agendized item. Buckland explained during the meeting that public hearings typically attract larger crowds than consent items, and restructuring the order of business helps prevent attendees from having to wait late into the night to speak.
Councilwoman Bobbi Buchli offered the sole dissenting vote against moving the regular meeting start time to 6 p.m. Buchli argued that the 6:30 p.m. schedule had functioned well for years and expressed concern that an earlier start time could create a barrier for residents who work 10-hour shifts or do not leave work until 6 p.m.
Addressing those concerns, Koprowski stated that a review of municipal meeting schedules across the region indicated an average start time closer to 5 p.m. She noted that while the council hoped the earlier hour would not hinder public participation, the adjustment aims to prevent residents and staff from remaining at Town Hall past midnight. Buckland also pointed out that modern technology enables residents to listen to meeting broadcasts while commuting, while highlighting that town staff present at evening meetings often begin their workdays at 7 a.m.
Vice Mayor Chuck Bongiovanni, Mayor Scott Anderson, and Councilman Jim Torgeson supported the procedural adjustments alongside Koprowski, Lyons, and Buckland, while Buchli remained opposed to the time shift. Koprowski concluded that the council expects the procedural updates to produce more predictable, efficient meetings while showing greater respect for the time of residents, municipal staff, and council members.
