Several times Mayor Charles Meeker pleaded with his council colleagues to tackle one issue at a time.

Regular observers of the council are likely to have had one of two opinions about this voracious interest displayed by their elected leaders.

Critics of the council's performance over the last 10 months will say this latest rush to act is too little to late; defenders will argue that the council's aggressive actions in recent weeks may end up saving the city from serious trouble this summer.

The council itself appeared split on how it should discuss the drought publicly. Councilman Rodger Koopman argued the council should reflect the anxiety felt by many residents.

Councilman James West countered that the council should remain positive, but not pollyannaish.

Having spent decades focusing on selling as much water as possible, it's unrealistic to expect Raleigh to suddenly turn itself into a model of conservation. But instead of biting off digestible chunks, of late the council has shown a tendency to try and solve the drought in a single meeting.

This ends up being counterproductive, as ideas that could be implemented immediately get lumped in with ideas that will take years to accomplish.

The council's attentiveness should be applauded, as it marks a change from last year's "it's going to rain" mentality, but officials should keep in mind that no single act will get us out of our current predicament.