Bentonville committee may meet more often

Council members informally discuss issues but don’t vote at Committee of the Whole meetings.

BENTONVILLE — The City Council is considering having more Committee of the Whole meetings and hearing regularly from the finance director to improve communication with city administrators.

Council members informally discuss issues but don’t vote at Committee of the Whole meetings.

The council has been meeting as a committee of the whole four times a year, the Monday before the second Tuesday in February, May, August and November.

Members are considering meeting every other month beginning Feb. 11.

Meetings would be held April 8, June 10, Aug. 12 and Oct. 7, according to a tentative schedule Jake Harper, finance and administration director, proposed to the council Tuesday. The meeting traditionally scheduled in November to talk about the next year’s budget will still be held.

“Our goal is to make communication a little easier with you,” Mayor Stephanie Orman said.

Harper would update council members about the city’s finances at three of those meetings — April 8, June 10 and Oct. 7.

The April presentation would focus on the 2018 financial results as well as the city’s reserve. The city budgets on a calendar year.

“Our books generally don’t close until the end of February,” he said. “Then you have to give some time for analysis.”

The June presentation would be about the current financials, and the third presentation would be in October when the budget season for the next year begins.

Tim Robinson, council member, said it would be good to evaluate the list of projects department leaders and council members would like to see funded during these meetings. The list should be prioritized in case the budget has a surplus.

“It would be nice to marry that up with these presentations,” he said.

Cindy Acree, a recently elected representative of Ward 2, asked for easily accessible financial statements to be placed next to agenda items.

“We bury it in the details, but it would be more transparent to our constituents if it were listed on the agenda, just an estimated total cost when we have high-cost items,” she said.

Harper said the agendas show costs and encourage people to read the information associated with each item so they have a better understanding. He also said he’d look at presenting the cost differently on the agenda.

Formally setting Committee of the Whole meetings is done through a resolution. One is expected to be prepared for adoption by the Feb. 11 meeting.