Garland board moves meeting times, ditches work sessions

GARLAND — Changes to the town board’s meeting structure were recently adopted, moves that adjust the monthly meeting time and does away with work sessions.

There were two motions made on those topics, and both were approved during the October Garland Board of Commissioners meeting. The board shifted its regularly scheduled meeting time each month from 6:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. with one motion, and second one ends the work sessions, a move that goes into effect at the start of 2025.

The issue with cancelling the work sessions was discussed first, with members noting it time to eliminate meetings they felt like were void of the intended purpose. Nothing, they said, actually got done. e.

“Guys, we’ve talked about this, and these work sessions just turn into another town board meeting that goes on and on,” attested member Ralph Smith, Jr., commissioner. “I think Megan (Daughtry, town clerk) said that Mid-Carolina thought that we should finish out the ones we had in place. We talked about it, and we’ve got these girls out here for this, and you know it’s not working, so let’s do away with them.”

Daughtry confirmed that the Mid-Carolina staff’s suggestion was to carry through with the ones remaining for 2024, which leaves the board with three final work sessions to complete in October, November and December.

“The reason we were having the work sessions in the first place was so we can learn what’s going on here, but like you said, now it always turns into another board meeting,” Timothy Blackburn, Mayor Pro Tem, said.

“That’s right, but here’s what I would recommend on the three meetings we have left,” Smith added. “Unless it was absolutely, I mean, a d*** emergency, that we don’t suspend the rules. That way we do what little bit we gotta do and we can get out of here so we don’t hold them (town clerks) up for two or three hours out here.”

“That’s how it was supposed to be to began with,” Blackburn stressed.

“Well it hasn’t worked out, and you all don’t need to go through that anymore,” Smith remarked.

Mayor Austin Brown asked if Smith was making the motion to discontinue the work sessions for 2025. Smith agreed, making the motion, which passed unanimously.

The board immediately rolled over to the vote on changing the monthly meeting time from 6:30 to 6 p.m. That motion was put forth by Smith. Before the vote was passed ,there was brief discuss from the board.

“I’ll make a motion, but before I do, I need to ask a question — does anybody have a problem with that,” Smith asked.

“That’s going to be cutting me close on a lot of these meeting,” Blackburn said.

“That’s cutting me close on some days as well but I’ll work with ; I’m only here for another year anyway,” Brown said.

The reason for the desired change discussed much other than to say it was proposed to help out travel and wait times in between the end of Daughtry’s shift and the meeting.

The motion was once again made by Smith and adopted. The time change begins with the upcoming meeting on Wednesday Nov. 6, which was moved due to the election. The vote passed 3-1 with Blackburn being the sole no.