We thank the city for recognizing a need for better audibility in the Albert Lea City Council Chambers during workshops.

The workshops, which are before the regular City Council meetings on the second and fourth Mondays, have been held at the back of the Council Chambers at the conference room-style tables that the city purchased in 2012.

The goal of moving the workshops to the back of the room — instead of having the council in their formal seats at the front of the room — was to provide a more relaxed setting suitable for discussion.

The only problem has been that some of the discussion is not as easily heard by people in the audience as it would be if the councilors or others participating were behind microphones in their traditional seats or at the podium.

We thank the city for acknowledging this can be a problem, and we hope more strides will be made to make sure what is being said can be heard throughout the room.