The Austin City Council won’t hold another Conversations with the Council any time soon.

Council members decided at a council retreat to put the informal meetings with citizens on the backburner until bigger issues, such as Vision 2020 projects or a potential rental ordinance, come up.

“It’d be nice if we could point out a topic for people,” Mayor Tom Stiehm said.

Attendance has been down since the council switched the informal meeting times from one Saturday a month to before council meetings every other week. Several council members also pointed out how the same people like to come to several meetings and complain about the same issues, even after the city has addressed them.

“I’m not sure we need them any more, speaking as someone who attended every meeting last summer,” Council member Judy Enright said.

More than 20 residents attended the first meeting in April 2012, and a solid dozen attended during subsequent meetings last year. The council suspended meetings in July 2012 after several complications with the meetings, including one resident’s attempt to stump for political office during the July meeting.

Council members restarted the meetings in early 2013, but resident participation has varied. The council switched from Saturday meetings to before council business in September, with a scant amount of people attending each time.

Council members discussed potentially hold another meeting in March, but the group decided meetings would best be done if it could be structured around an issue.