Very brief, indeed.
Different places do things differently, but my experience is that making changes to existing procedures or ordinances takes more effort than keeping the status quo. Unless for some reason the status quo isn't working, it is at least a known entity.
When my city or state propose changes, they have staff research, investigate and recommend. When citizens propose changes, it is usually brought to the council, who either accepts, rejects or turns it over to staff for more information and recommendation. Generally the better the citizen making the proposal supports it the more likely it is to not be rejected. That said, supporting information is usually required well before the council meeting.