This week, the Newton City Council decided to change the way in which it conducts its meetings each month. One meeting will remain a standard council meeting, while the second will become an informal work session.

The change, and in particular its timing, was necessitated by changing from in-house legal counsel to a contracted attorney to represent the city’s interests. However, the move makes sense from many other standpoints.

First, the move to the work session format will reduce the cost of city governance. While the council already has moved to a “paperless” system for council packets, the documentation necessary to provide councilors with the background they need to make informed decisions takes time to produce — a lot of time.