Rehoboth commissioners may change meeting procedure

In an attempt to get more done, Rehoboth Beach commissioners are expected to discuss and possibly vote on a procedural change that would make every meeting a voting meeting.

Currently, commissioners hold a non-voting workshop the first Monday of the month to hash out the details of a project or proposal, and then hold a voting meeting the second Friday of the month. Occasionally, if it's a vote that can’t wait two weeks, a special voting meeting will be scheduled immediately after a non-voting workshop.

The proposed change hasn’t been an agenda topic yet. Commissioner Susan Stewart brought up the subject during commissioner comments at the end of the Nov. 21 meeting. She said she had spoken with city staff about it, and there are no regulatory or legal requirements preventing the change.

“I find that we’re talking about things for multiple meetings,” said Stewart. “We’re voting on taking a vote, and that seems to be really inefficient.”

Commissioner Craig Thier supported Stewart’s suggestion and cited the recently created future agenda items list as a way for community members to stay on top of what items are likely to be discussed and when. The creation of the list was an effort spearheaded by Thier, and it has been part of the online agenda of workshop meetings for the past few months.

A lot of the agenda items could be introduced in a meeting and then resolved in that same meeting, said Thier. If there’s an issue that needs another meeting, then the issue would have to be on the next agenda, he said.

City Manager Taylour Tedder said city officials would have to be aware of the meeting schedule, and meeting days may have to move around to accommodate an appropriate amount of time to create an agenda for the next meeting. The time between the workshop and the voting meeting is short, so turning something around could be difficult, he said, recommending the item be put on a future agenda.

Thier didn’t rule anything out.

“We’re looking to rewrite the rules here. Maybe that means the meeting dates change a little bit. I don’t know. We’re just trying to get through stuff in one meeting. Everything else is on the table,” said Thier.

Mayor Stan Mills said he would put the topic on an agenda of a future meeting if a majority of the commissioners is in favor of the change.

Ultimately, the discussion petered out because Mills refused to allow it to continue.

Mills said he had an opinion on the proposed change, but he isn’t going to provide it because the subject hasn’t been properly noticed as part of an agenda. He said he wants the public to have an opportunity to speak on the subject too.

The proposed change wasn’t on the agenda of the Dec. 8 workshop, but Commissioner Mark Saunders asked about it.

Stewart said the topic was going to be discussed, and possibly voted on, during the Friday, Dec. 19 meeting. Mills confirmed it will be on the agenda.