South Bay : COUNCIL QUICKIE

Four minutes. That’s how long the Avalon City Council met on July 4 to pass two forgotten resolutions making the Santa Catalina Island community eligible for special government funding.

Not only was it the shortest meeting anyone can remember, it was also the first time the council met outdoors--in this case, on the steps of Avalon City Hall.

The meeting was convened because the council forgot at its last meeting to pass an annual ordinance making the city eligible for community development block grants, city officials explained.

“The city manager knew that all the council members would be riding in the firetruck during the Fourth of July parade, so he decided to have the meeting at a place he knew they’d all be,” City Clerk Shirley Davy said. “The meeting was legally posted, and we just stood on the sidewalk and took care of business.”