Mayor Jim Slowik has called for a special meeting of the Oak Harbor City Council for Thursday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

The meeting is an opportunity for discussion only, Renee Recker, city executive assistant, said.

Council will consider the possibility of starting their meetings at 6 p.m. instead of 7 p.m.; mull the purchase of seven laptop computers, of which $9,800 is included in the 2009 budget; and hear City Attorney Margery Hite present the first in a series of planned legal discussions. Hite will speak on the council’s legal role as elected officials.

Standing committee assignments will also be reviewed for the coming year. In addition to attending semimonthly City Council meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, council members attend monthly standing committee meetings, which are also open to the public. There are four of these: Governmental Services, Public Works and Utilities, Finance and Public Safety.

Council members and staff discuss project details, contracts, purchases or other issues that will go before the full council during standing committee meetings. These give council members an opportunity to ask questions and make changes to an agenda bill before the entire council votes on the bill.

The special meeting will take place Jan. 29 at City Hall, 865 SE Barrington Dr. Call 279-4500 for more information.