By Jim Bloch
The starting times for the regular meetings of the Port Huron City Council will move from 7 to 6 p.m. beginning in May.
The council introduced the resolution adopting the time change by a vote of 6-1 at its April 8 meeting. The council voted 5-1 to approve the second reading of the resolution at its regular meeting April 22. City council member Anita Ashford voted against the change both times; council member Conrad Haremza was absent April 22.
Mayor Pauline Repp suggested the time change, following a request from city council member Bob Mozurak.
“A lot of times … it’s easier to go from work to the meeting,” said Repp. “Basically, we do not want to prohibit anybody from the public from coming to the meeting, so you certainly wouldn’t want it earlier than six o’clock. That being said, the county holds its meeting at 6 p.m. A lot of the communities around us hold them at 6 p.m.”
The mayor’s assertion was not accurate. The vast majority of cities and townships in the county meet at 7 p.m.
The city councils of Marysville, St. Clair, Marine City, Imlay City, Memphis, Brown City and Yale start at 7 p.m., as do the boards of trustees of the townships of Fort Gratiot, St. Clair, Burtchville, China, East China, Ira, Emmet, Clyde, Casco, Lynn, Kenockee, Mussey, Wales, Riley and Port Huron. The Village Council of Capac starts at 7 p.m. Kimball Township board meetings start at 6:30 p.m.
Clay, Berlin and Greenwood are the only township boards that meet at 6 p.m. Algonac is the only city in the county with a 6 p.m. start time.
The Cottrellville and Brockway township board meets at 7:30 p.m. Berlin Township meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Monday of the month and 5 p.m. on the fourth Monday.
Port Huron resident and former council member Ken Harris took issue with the change.
“I think changing the meeting time will disenfranchise the citizens of Port Huron,” said Harris, speaking during public comment. “It’s kind of a step backwards. I like 7 p.m. I never had a problem with it when I wasn’t on council…” He looked around the council chamber at the people in the audience. “It’s a perfect time and evidently a good time for residents.”
Mayor Pro Tem Sherry Archibald said the time change would save the city money by getting the city workers, needed to keep the Municipal Office Center open, off the clock earlier.
City Manager James Freed said a city employee told him that she favored the earlier time because she had kids at home.
“Mr. Harris alluded that it would disenfranchise residents,” said council member Jeff Pemberton. “I believe that to be false because all the feedback I’ve received is the opposite. It’s not convenient for me to do it earlier, so it’s not just for the council. This is really, truly for (the residents).”
Pemberton also noted that the new time “does line up with the other municipalities.”
Ashford, who is now retired, said that she would have been unable to make the 6 p.m. start time when she was working.
“How long have we had 7 p.m. (start times)?” asked Ashford.
“Sixteen or 17 years,” said Repp, who would have been the city clerk when the time was first changed. “It was 7:30 p.m. at one time … It really is a choice of council. I don’t care one way or the other. I just think it’s good to move it to be consistent with other municipalities and communities.”
The new start time begins with the council’s regular meeting May 13.
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
