KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo County has dropped reading of their consent agenda altogether. At the same time, the Kalamazoo city commission is looking for ways to beef theirs up.
It’s a routine part of every meeting, the approval of the more expensive routine items that don’t usually require a discussion but do require notice.
The city of Portage hasn’t read their consent agenda for some time. It just appears on their agenda and it’s approved. The county board now has the same policy, despite opposition from both their current and past chair.
Chairwoman Jen Strebs says it’s a transparency issue for her.
Kalamazoo city commissioners balked on Monday, when City Manager Jim Ritsema proposed taking just a few routine items off the consent agenda.
They had several reasons, including Ritsema’s definition of what constitutes a routine item.
Commissioners Chris Praedel, Qianna Decker and Don Cooney reacted.
City commissioner Qianna Decker says she thinks there should be more public discussion of the items, not less, including at their Committee of the Whole sessions.
Kalamazoo city commissioners will form a subcommittee to rethink the consent agenda, and to more precisely set the parameters of what should be on it, and how and when those items should be handled.
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