MOORPARK : Mayor Seeks to Cut Length of Meetings

The Moorpark mayor’s heart problems may spur some changes in the way the City Council runs its meetings, putting an earlier end to sessions that sometimes run into the early hours of the morning.

Mayor Paul Lawrason recently underwent angioplasty to clear his right artery, which was 95% blocked. The mayor told the council at Wednesday night’s meeting that although he’s feeling better, the “brush with my mortality” is making him “reconsider the priorities” in his life.

Although he does not plan to curtail his activities as mayor, Lawrason asked City Manager Steven Kueny to present to the council at its June 19 meeting suggestions on ways for the council to end meetings at the legally prescribed time of 11:30 p.m.

Kueny said some ways to speed the meetings along may include limiting to 20 the number of speakers during the currently unlimited public comments session and having three or four meetings a month rather than the usual two.

Lawrason said he is very reluctant to limit public input at the meetings, because it is otherwise “hard to come by.”