Following a record number of attendees at the Jackson City Council meeting last month, city officials have moved the next scheduled council meeting to a new venue.
Jackson City Council will meet 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, at the Michigan Theatre in downtown Jackson, 124 N. Mechanic St.
Officials opted to change venues after the Jan. 24 meeting had to be moved from City Hall at the last minute when nearly 500 people showed up to speak on the Non-Discrimination Ordinance (NDO). Doors open at 6 p.m. to welcome what many expect another large crowd. The NDO prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, public housing and public accommodations.
“We’re expecting an even larger crowd than last time,” Public Information Officer Will Forgrave said, “and we need to plan accordingly. We were caught off guard at our last meeting and we don’t want that to happen again.”
At last week’s meeting, City Council was presented with the first reading of the Non-Discrimination Ordinance. Passing on a vote of 4-3, the ordinance advances to a second reading next week. If approved, the ordinance will go into effect in 30 days.
The January 24th council meeting likely set records: Longest meeting (6:30pm start at City Hall, re-convened at Michigan Theatre at 8pm and adjournment at 11:55pm), Largest attendance (estimates ranged from 400 to 500 people) and most public comments (86 citizens addressed the council).
“We have relocated due to construction, but never because of a large crowd,” Forgrave said. The theater has the capacity for roughly 1,300 people, while City Council chambers in City Hall, 161 W. Michigan Ave., can legally accommodate 125 due to fire codes.
“It’s great to see people engaged politically,” Forgrave said. “We expect a large number of people to again speak on the non-discrimination ordinance, and we welcome it. It’s what public comment is for – whether someone is for or against policies put before the council, this is their chance to speak out and be heard publicly.”
Citizens have addressed the council at every meeting since early October, 2016 on the NDO. At the January 10th meeting, more than 30 spoke on the topic, last week 86.
JTV will again videotape the council meeting for delayed broadcast on JTV Channel 21, the government and educational channel on Comcast. A live broadcast will not be available.
