By Amanda Raymond

amanda.raymond@salisburypost.com

The Salisbury City Council will meet at 217 S. Main St. on Tuesday at 4 p.m., but some council members are wondering if that is a good time to meet at all.

The council will continue discussing the possibility of changing the time that the council holds their meetings and the timing of the public comment sessions.

During a meeting in December, council member David Post was the one who brought up the possible change.

“I think the most important thing we do is listen to the citizens of Salisbury,” Post said. He also said that many other nearby counties start their council meetings at 6 or 7 p.m.

“I know that it’s something that people ask me about. Four o’clock in the afternoon is a little bit inconvenient for a lot of citizens,” he said.

Post suggested that meeting times be moved to 6 or 7 p.m., when most citizens are off from work, and that public comment sessions be moved to the beginning of the meetings.

Council member Kenny Hardin said he agreed with Post.

“When I was on the campaign I talked with a lot of businesses downtown and they expressed the same sentiment that they couldn’t close their doors to come to City Council meetings,” he said.

Hardin suggested the possibility of having one of the meetings at 4 p.m. and the other one later in the evening.

Council member Brian Miller said if the issues being discussed are important to citizens, they will find a way to attend.

“If you are dealing with something that’s happening on their street or adjacent to their property, they’ll be interested and they’ll be here regardless of what time you meet,” he said.

Miller said citizens can also follow the meeting by streaming it online.

One of the reasons why the public comment portion is towards the end of the meeting is because it usually ends up taking place after 5 p.m., when more citizens are off from work, Miller said. He said he did not have a preference for the meeting times, but preferred that they stay consistent rather than staggering the times.

Mayor Pro-tem Maggie Blackwell said this same issue about meeting times was brought up in 2012.

She said when the council asked citizens if they wanted to change the meeting times, “nobody answered. Nobody came forward and said they wanted it changed.”

Another thing Blackwell was concerned about was how late meetings could go if they started later.

“I’m not sure our decision-making ability at that hour is that sharp,” she said.

The board decided to continue discussing the issue at later meetings.

In other business, the council will:

• Hear the highlights and goals presentations from the Historic Preservation Commission, Hurley Park Advisory Board and the Parks and Recreation Board.

• Conduct a public hearing and consider closing a part of Highland Avenue.

• Hear a request to change the name of the Lincoln Pool to the Fred M. Evans Pool at Lincoln Park and consider setting a 30-day period for public input.

• Consider adopting an ordinance to prohibit vehicular traffic on a portion of Hogan’s Alley.

• Receive public comment.

Contact reporter Amanda Raymond at 704-797-4222.