Members of the Charter Review Advisory Board and city commissioners spent the bulk of the town-hall discussing governance structure, agenda notice practices and the relationship between elected officials and city staff.

Advisory board members described their review process: four prior advisory meetings, a League of Cities briefing on governance options (strong mayor vs. city manager models) and a division of the charter into interrelated topics (commission structure, elections, and staff roles). Commissioners and board members debated whether the charter should require that agendas be posted a set time before meetings (examples discussed included 48 or 72 hours). Staff and the clerk said the city currently posts a draft agenda on the Wednesday before a Tuesday meeting as a practice, but the charter contains no formal posting requirement.

Commissioners raised concerns that formal notice rules could slow urgent action; others said written notice rules would strengthen transparency and prevent last-minute additions or "sneaky" agenda items. The advisory board recommended building in a formal periodic charter review (they proposed roughly every 10 years) so the city does not wait six decades between reviews. Board members also recommended separating foundational charter items from operational procedures that could be set by ordinance or internal rule.

The meeting included an extended debate about how commissioners request agenda items and whether the city manager acts as an agenda gatekeeper. Some commissioners said the current practice gives staff discretion to shape proposals before they appear to the commission; others defended staff's role, noting limited administrative capacity and the need for department analysis before items come to the dais. Commissioners asked staff to propose clearer procedures or a framework tying commission priorities to the budget cycle so staff can prioritize future work.

The advisory board asked the commission how they want to collaborate going forward; the board signaled it will deliver a consolidated draft for commission consideration after further public outreach. The board encouraged residents to use the published email (charterreview@panamacity.gov) and attend advisory meetings or planned ward-level sessions to give input.