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6.J. - Page 2 of 22 new format and increased engagement has prompted staff to analyze meeting facilitation practices with the goal of increasing operational efficiencies, providing ample public engagement opportunities, and ensuring agendized business can be addressed in a timely manner during City Council meetings. At the February 6, 2021 special meeting, the City Council established an ambitious policy calendar for the year. At that time, the City Council and staff also discussed meeting management strategies to ensure important policy matters are afforded ample time for consideration. City Councilmembers noted that increased public engagement is positive. City Councilmembers also encouraged staff to develop strategies that allowed for public participation and also timely completion of City business. Some City Councilmembers noted that long meetings continuing late in the evening reduced opportunities for broad public engagement and for quality City Council deliberation. ANALYSIS Through analysis, staff has identified opportunities to streamline City Council meetings while allowing for public participation and timely completion of City business. To inform the following recommendations, staff analyzed current Redwood City meeting facilitation practices, reviewed recordings of City Council meetings over the past year, solicited feedback from key staff, and considered public input provided at City Council meetings. In addition, staff researched City Council meeting facilitation practices of all jurisdictions within San Mateo County as a point of comparison. The City Council's Governance Sub - Committee discussed this information and supports the following recommendations. The Sub -Committee intends to continue to monitor City Council meetings and may make additional recommendations in six months. Recommendation 1: Adjust the start time of regular City Council meetings from 7p.m. to 6p.m. Regular meetings of the City Council have begun at 7 p.m. since the adoption of ordinance number 2205 in December 2000. Prior to this ordinance, regular meetings began at 7:30 p.m. While a later meeting start time may have been beneficial to in-person meeting participation, now that City Council meetings are conducted virtually and may continue to have a virtual meeting component going forward, the 7 p.m. start time creates a delay in the Council's ability to conduct important business at a reasonable hour. In 2020, eighteen (of the twenty-two regular City Council meetings were held virtually. Over the course of the year, twelve of those meetings exceeded 4.5 hours, with seven meetings adjourning well after midnight. By delaying the start of meetings until 7 p.m. there is an increased likelihood that important matters that appear at the end of the agenda will be deliberated and decided upon during late-night hours when Councilmembers and staff may be tired and members of the public may have other obligations or be less able to engage. Of the other jurisdictions within San Mateo County, the majority hold regular City Council meetings at 7 p.m., however two cities — Foster City and East Palo Alto— begin their regular meetings at 6:30 p.m. While no other jurisdiction in the County begins regular meetings at 6 p.m. at this time, staff believes that a 6 p.m. start time would benefit the City Council and the Redwood City community by ensuring the ability to address important business and offer public participation opportunities at a more -reasonable hour. Page 2 of 5 City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.ore 318