Discussion of the Lodi City Council's existing invocation policy will not be on the Aug. 5 agenda and will be postponed to a date to be determined.

With the exception of public hearings, agenda topics are not set until the Friday before City Council meetings. As such, staff has consistently indicated that Aug. 5 was a tentative date for discussion of the City's policy of allowing non-denominational, non-sectarian prayer before City Council meetings.

Because of the widespread interest in this matter, especially outside the City of Lodi, this notice is intended as a courtesy to those who may have planned to travel to Lodi on Aug. 5.

City Manager Blair King recommended, and Mayor Larry Hansen agreed, that the Aug. 5 agenda was needed to deal with time-sensitive municipal business. Members of the Lodi clergy will be notified before the invocation policy is placed on a future Lodi City Council agenda. In the meantime, invocations will continue being part of Lodi City Council meetings pursuant to the existing policy.