Committee meetings bring spice to Macon-Bibb government

Local city council or county commission meetings sometimes come across as standard operating procedure, with officials quickly moving through the agenda while voting on resolutions or ordinances.

In Macon-Bibb County, there are four regular County Commission meetings a month, but the difference between the two types of meetings may not be known to many residents. The ones that typically receive the most attention are the Tuesday night meetings when officials give final approval to an issue.

But it’s the committee meetings the week prior that garner the most discussion, and sometimes the most drama, among commissioners. If the County Commission meeting is where the meal is devoured, then committee meetings are where the chefs prepare the food.

Now, how do those committees operate?

In Macon-Bibb, various committees include Operations and Finance, Economic and Community Development, Public Safety, and Facilities and Engineering. Each committee comprises five commissioners, and in order for a resolution to move past the committee, at least three members have to vote in favor. Although they don’t have a vote, the remaining four commissioners not on the committee are able to weigh in with their opinions.

Once resolutions move through committee, they are typically added to the agenda for the next regular County Commission meeting — the one that’s held on a Tuesday night inside commission chambers.

Besides resolutions, committee meetings also are where officials receive updates on various projects that are underway.

Wondering about the latest recreation center upgrades? Well, a committee meeting is where Reggie Moore, director of the Macon-Bibb Recreation Department, would provide that information.

How about the special purpose local option sales tax referendum that officials are hoping to put before voters in November? Those chats have taken place during committee meetings since late March.

So if you happen to catch a regular County Commission meeting on MaconBibbTV and wonder why there is a lack of dialogue, just remember that seven days earlier is when the commissioners, or chefs, seasoned, sauteed and grilled the entree.

This story was originally published June 1, 2016 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Committee meetings bring spice to Macon-Bibb government."