Just what is

a "consent agenda"?

That's what

Peachtree City Councilman Dan Tennant wanted to know at the start of last

Thursday's meeting, and it was a fair question.

Turns out,

just about everybody has a different idea of what it should include.

The March 20

agenda included 11 items of consideration grouped as "Consent Agenda,"

outnumbering new business on the agenda 3-1.

In theory,

consent items are those that have been debated by council and need nothing

more than a final vote to pass. Approval of the entire agenda is approval

for each item. Most elected bodies in Fayette County, including the school

board, employ the practice from time to time.

"It's

an easy way to get the things done that are just city housekeeping issues,"

explained Mayor Steve Brown.

"It wasn't

created to speed up the council meeting," offered Councilwoman Annie

McMenamin.

Added Councilman

Steve Rapson, "The city charter says it's just a way to get things

out of the way so the meeting goes smoother."

But Tennant

said he was concerned some of the issues specifically adoption of amendments

to the city's ethics ordinance were not getting a fair hearing.

Not to worry,

Brown assured Tennant: "In the event we do have an item that needs

more discussion, it can be pulled off and placed on the regular agenda

for discussion."

"Having

said that," McMenamin said, "I'd like to withdraw items three,

four, five and six from the consent agenda."

City staff

then requested that another item, amendments to traffic ordinance, be

tabled, leaving six consent items ranging from transfer of an alcohol

license from one address to another, to accepting a bid for a backhoe

to refinancing 10-year-old bonds.

The remaining

items passed unanimously.