Lawton City Council votes to return to 6 p.m. meetings in 2025

The City Council is going to try a temporary return to 6 p.m. meetings — but not until January.

Council members made the decision on a 4-4 split vote Tuesday, with Mayor Stan Booker breaking the tie to return to an evening meeting time that had been the norm until 2020. That’s when what had been 6 p.m. meetings were moved to 2 p.m. At the time, council members said it would lessen the effect on staff members who had a late night meeting on top of a regular workday, while also saving the cost for those employees who have to be paid overtime.

But the practice has been strongly criticized by “a number of keyboard warriors, trolls, whatever you want to call them,” said Ward 8 Councilman/Mayor Pro Tem Randy Warren about what he said are constant postings on social media about the fact many people can’t attend council meetings because they occur in the afternoon.

Warren said his proposal is to move the meetings to 6 p.m. on a temporary basis (he ultimately suggested six months) to see if more residents would attend. He said if more people attend meetings when they start at 6 p.m., the council could make the change permanent. If not, the council can return the meeting start time to 2 p.m.

“Hopefully, we’ll get more people to show up,” Warren said, adding he has his doubts. “I just don’t see that happening.”

Mayor Stan Booker said it’s more than a matter of residents attending meetings. Booker said he’s also been told a later start time will open up the possibility of more residents running for council seats. But Booker also said meetings earlier in the day aren’t uncommon: Oklahoma City’s council meetings begin at 8:30 a.m.

But the idea isn’t as easy as it appears. City Manager John Ratliff said if the council adopts the 6 p.m. start time, that couldn’t happen until January because the council’s regular meeting schedule for 2024 already has been posted. Under state law, the council has until Dec. 15 each year to post its schedule of regular meetings for the coming calendar year. That means the council’s 2024 schedule was set late last year, while 2025 meeting dates will be set later this year.

Ward 3 Councilwoman Linda Chapman, one of four council votes against the idea, pointed to the problems a late start time could bring. She noted that Tuesday’s agenda included 11 properties considered for demolition, each with a public hearing, and if Tuesday’s meeting had started at 6 p.m., “those people would be here past 9.”

“I’m not in favor to move to 6 p.m.,” she said.

Ratliff said there also is the matter of equity for city staff members, who would be taking time away from their families by working at night, rather than attending meetings during the work day. He also said the council has held several recent meetings at 6 p.m., and there wasn’t a vast difference in the number of residents who attended those later meetings.

Ward 5 Councilman Allan Hampton, another “no” vote, said he leaned toward supporting city staff on the issue. Hampton also said there are options now for residents who want to watch meetings but can’t attend in person, including live streaming on Facebook.

Ward 7 Councilwoman Sherene L. Williams, noting either time works for her, said while she has heard numerous complaints about the 2 p.m. start time, she also observed that of the three recent 6 p.m. meetings held by the council, only one was well attended by residents.

Ward 4 Councilman George Gill, another “no” vote,” doesn’t think the later start time will work either.

“It’s 6:30 p.m. The place is really full, isn’t it?” Gill said, of a mostly empty council chambers on Tuesday.