Live music will return to Council

After more than a year of virtual silence, City Council’s long-standing tradition of hosting local musical acts during a meal break at its Thursday meetings will make a comeback in January. That’s the one point Council members seemed to agree on during a discussion on meeting procedures at Tuesday’s work session. What’s not clear is whether the musicians will perform during the dinner break – typically around 5:30 p.m. – or whether Council will shift the performances to the lunch break, when many working musicians are just starting their day. Also uncertain is whether to continue coupling music with proclamations or sticking with the current 9:30 a.m. proclamation time, which hardly anyone seems to like. The bigger sticking point, however, is how to efficiently handle public testimony from residents signed up to speak on agenda items. The one certainty so far is that virtual testimony will remain available for those who can’t get to City Hall to speak.