Is it really convenient for public?
You would be hard-pressed to find a single city council or school board that meets regularly during the day.
They meet at night, when most of the working public has a chance to attend.
Some county boards, however, meet during the day. Lee and Carroll counties are among them.
Last month, Lee County Board member Greg Witzleb, R-Dixon, protested the board's morning meetings.
No one paid him any heed. The board quickly voted to approve a daytime schedule for the next year.
Witzleb told me recently that the issue still bothered him.
"We're primarily a blue-collar county. We're not affording people the opportunity to attend meetings," he said. "They would have to take time off from work to attend a meeting. That wouldn't sit well with their employers."
When the issue has come up before, members said they've seen no difference in attendance between day and night meetings.
Maybe so, but at night, most residents at least could choose whether they could attend.
Deep down, county officials must know that night meetings are better for the public.
Otherwise, why would they always have the county's Zoning Board of Appeals meet at night?
For the past few months, this body has been considering a proposed wind farm in the southwestern corner of the county. While the wind farm is not a big issue with most people in the county, it's hugely important for residents in Hamilton and East Grove townships.
I could only imagine the outcry if the zoning board started meeting during the day, preventing working residents from attending.
The current County Board may like the daytime-only schedule, but is it really convenient for the public?
David Giuliani is a reporter for Sauk Valley Media. He can be reached at dgiuliani@saukvalley or at 800-798-4085, ext. 525.
