One sure sign the council session is winding down

Vice Mayor Alicia Reece, seven weeks from ending her tenure on City Council (at least for now) uttered three words today that she's probably never said at City Hall before:

"No by-leaves."

By-leaves, for anyone who doesn't spend their Wednesday afternoons following the ayes-and-nays of City Council, are those new ordinances, announcements and speeches that come at the end of every council meeting. And Reece has used them adeptly in six years to advance her issues -- always using as much of her six-minute time limit as the mayor would allow.

But not on Wednesday.

"I'm going to let someone else do the work now," Reece said, smiling.