Up to three work sessions for the Orange County Board of Commissioners will be held during the day this year, the commissioners decided at a meeting Tuesday night.
Regular meetings will still be held at night, and though the work sessions are not open to public comment, the public can attend.
The idea was first brought up in April 2009 by Commissioner Vice Chairman Steve Yuhasz. He said some people can’t attend night meetings because they work at night, can’t get childcare or can’t drive at night.
“We ignore their needs by not having any meetings during the day,” he said.
Commissioner Pam Hemminger said she was more open to daytime sessions now that videos of county commissioner meetings are available on the county website.
“It takes the burden off of (the public) not being able to attend,” Hemminger said, addressing the concern that some residents work during the day and can’t make the meetings.
Meetings have been streamed online since February 2010, and Chief Information Officer Todd Jones said they have had significant web traffic.
The board decided daytime meetings will only be held if all commissioners can attend, in response to Commissioner Valerie Foushee’s concern that daytime meetings would interfere with work.
“We don’t want to make it look like you have to be independently wealthy to hold office,” she said.