Elected leaders moved a step forward towards a once-a-month meeting format.

At last Tuesday’s Ripon City Council meeting, they directed staff to pursue a resolution calling for a second Tuesday of the month schedule beginning in July.

The starting time for meetings would also change, moving an hour up from 7 p.m. to 6 o’clock in the Council Chambers. The reason for that, according to City Administrator Kevin Werner, would be for anticipated longer sessions.

“The average meeting times is 71 minutes,” he said, using research on the current twice-a-month meeting format. “What it takes is on e week of preparation from staff.

“We could free up from 50 to 60 man hours (by going once a month).”

For that, Councilman Mike Restuccia favored the plan that first about by Mayor Leo Zuber at the previous meeting.

Zuber provided stats with details on meeting lengths and the time it takes to organize these sessions.

“We talked about doing (the once a month meeting plan) years ago but it just wasn’t the right time,” Restuccia said.

He believes the time may now be right due in part to technological advances. “I can now get information from personnel with no problem,” said Restuccia.

His colleague Jake Parks agreed.

“I see no reason why we couldn’t get it a shot even on a six-month trial basis,” he said.

The resolution would include the change to one meeting a month being evaluated by Council in January 2016.

Zuber’s initially thought about meeting on the first Tuesday of the month but saw some early problems, including a conflict with National Night Out in August.

Staff is scheduled to have the resolution ready by the June 2 meeting and, if approved, would be enacted in July.

“My only request is that (with the once a month) we have access to the board packet a couple of days prior rather than 24 or 48 hours before the meeting,” Parks said. “I want more time to look at the information.