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The Prince William Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday moved to limit the length of board meetings under most circumstances, a reaction to exceedingly long hearings in recent years that have revolved around contentious data center approvals.
But complications in state law indicate that it might be in the board’s best interest to not cut meetings short, even if they do run until 5 a.m., as some in the recent past have.
The newly adopted measure states that regular board meetings will adjourn at midnight unless a majority votes to suspend the rules and continue the meeting either in the same sitting or to a later date.
Continuation of land-use public hearings, which often include data centers, would create obstacles for both the board and applicants. State law requires that local governments advertise notices of public hearings well in advance of the meeting date.
Were the board to continue a hearing to a later date, the county would be required to re-advertise the meeting and wait more than a week until it can resume, according to County Attorney Michelle Robl.
Robl said that in those cases she would advise the board to suspend the rules and continue the hearing in a single sitting.
While the move is intended to prevent the more than 24-hour meetings the board and public endured last term, it also could effectively tamp down on opportunities for public comment. Huge crowds of residents looking to speak is typically the source of such lengthy meetings.
The measure was approved with the support of Occoquan Supervisor Kenny Boddye and Chair Deshundra Jefferson, both Democrats, as well as Coles Supervisor Yesli Vega and Gainesville Supervisor Bob Weir, both Republicans.
“It doesn’t just benefit us being up here having a clear mind and being rested while making some of the most important decisions that we have to make for this county, but I also think it takes into consideration staff and the general public that takes the time to come here,” Vega said.
Woodbridge Supervisor Maragret Franklin, a Democrat, opposed the measure, saying she doesn’t believe there are any major decisions on the horizon for the board that might inspire an extraordinarily long meeting.
Neabsco Supervisor Victor Angry, also a Democrat, concurred, saying, “If we’re going to start a meeting, we should finish the meeting.”
Brentsville Supervisor Tom Gordy, a Republican, and Potomac Supervisor Andrea Bailey, a Democrat, were absent from the meeting and didn’t cast a vote.
