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Planning Commission and Council meetings alternate.'.... Ed said, 'I would have more time to spend with department heads. I would be able to spend more time with the Council Members on agenda items and of Council concern and interest. And I would have a little more time to focus on major interests and projects.' Council Member Ira said, "It is pretty obvious that we have a very thinly run City here. We don't have a lot of support staff that a lot of other cities have, and I think it is by choice that we have made that policy decision.' I looked at it more from a staff perspective as something that would be more beneficial to them and really put the burden on the Council to be more efficient.... It's not the Council meetings that drive the Council people crazy in trying to balance their schedules, it's the committee meetings and all the other meetings throughout the week." Council Member Ira described the great number of meetings he attends at the bequest of the City Manager, other Council Members, and on Council committees. He said, "That's why I emphasize this isn't a ploy by the Council to try to cut back hours, to take it easy. . .. and make life easier for ourselves. I think everyone here is very involved in different Council committees and activities. If you looked at anyone of our calendars this week you would see that we are here tonight, tomorrow night, and many of us will be here Wednesday at noon, many of us will be here Thursday at five o'clock." He said, this wasn't so something Council was trying to do to get an increase in pay. Council Member Ira said, "I really feel it would benefit the staff, and if it benefits the staff it benefits the City which will benefit the citizens." Mayor Howard restated the proposal under discussion: to hold Council meetings on the first, second and fourth Mondays of the month. She said the second and fourth Mondays would be regular business meetings aligned with the two regular Redevelopment Agency meetings. Mayor Howard said the first meeting of the month would be dedicated to boards, committees and commissions or other study session matters, but would allow for regular business items as needed. Council Member Hartnett advised that Council Member Claire, who was too ill to attend the meeting, asked him to pass along his comments on this matter. He said that Council Member Claire "was inclined to have the Council keep the current schedule due to the press of Council business." Council Member Hartnett said, "As I expressed at the Council workshop when this came up, I know ITom the few years that I have been on the Council, that it is not uncommon for the Council, due to the genuine press of business, to have to have four Council meetings in particular months. It was my wish at the time of the discussion initially, that we have four Council meetings set, with an eye to consolidating business such that we could shoot for three Council meetings, and if we are organized such that we didn't need the fourth, that we simply not have the fourth." Council Member Hartnett said it was his understanding that, "based upon the (proposed) ordinance we intended to lengthen our meetings, first by starting at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m.... And secondly, as a matter of policy, we had REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTE BOOK NO. 56 MARCH 2, 1998 MINUTES Page No. 300 PAGE 6