The Finance Committee will meet Tuesday night at 6:15pm at City Hall to begin a full slate of meetings there, including the Committee of the Whole (7pm) as well as the Common Council (7:30pm).

Among the agenda items:

Finance and (if approved) Common Council will review a request to amend Chapter 12 of the municipal code, which would mean that 'Class A' establishments could be allowed to set their hours based on state statutes. Recently, the state amended the legislation to allow for sales of alcoholic beverages at 6am (v. 8am), and selling until 12am (v. 9pm). While requests have been received to change hours for the opening of sales, businesses could conceivably ask for the midnight extension as well.

The Committee of the Whole has one item, but it may serve to lay a platform for an expected decision on the Lake Park development, which has been a closed session item on the Dec. 13 agenda, as well as on Tuesday night's agenda.  A discussion on the public comment policy will be held, which features the present  procedures:

• City residents and taxpayers only can speak during a designated 'public comment' section of the common council meeting
• The time alloted for the segment is 30 minutes, with each person given a maximum of two minutes.
• Comments need to be kept to agenda items only
• Public hearings and public information meetings are separate from these procedures.

Background also includes discouragement of applause or negative outbursts, which "stifle the democratic process."