THOUSAND OAKS : Council Sessions to Begin Earlier

In an effort to eliminate post-midnight adjournments, Thousand Oaks Mayor Elois Zeanah plans to begin City Council meetings at least 90 minutes earlier than the traditional 6:30 p.m. start time.

This week’s meeting will begin at 5 p.m. with the pledge of allegiance and departmental reports, Zeanah said. Public hearings and discussions of controversial issues will start at 7:30 p.m. to enable speakers to attend after work.

An hour for public comment and special presentations will be set aside from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Thousand Oaks council meetings notoriously stretch on well past midnight, routinely adjourning at 2 a.m. or later. While many speakers patiently wait to address a certain issue, others leave early in frustration. And items at the end of an agenda are sometimes postponed from week to week, confusing residents who expect swift decisions.

At Tuesday’s meeting, local activist Ekbal Kidwai urged the council to consider holding sessions twice a week. A dedicated council watcher, Kidwai stays until the end most weeks, but told Zeanah that many residents lose their chance to comment on key issues because the meetings stretch so late.

Zeanah said she would consider starting the meetings even earlier than 5 p.m. if other council members consent. She also told city staff members to keep agendas to a reasonable length.