Dear Fellow Neighborhood Associations:
The Downtown Neighborhood Assn. has asked me to forward this to the other associations. I will ask you to do the same if you feel that the city's proposal for Monday night's City Council agenda is an unfortunate move toward less accountability and government/citizen interaction.
At Monday night’s 7 o’clock City Council meeting at City Hall, the Council will vote on limiting written comments on Speaker Cards during Council meetings.
The proposal: If there are over 20 written comments on Speaker Cards during a Council meeting, the City Clerk will call for a recess, read and categorize the cards, and report on them:
THEY WILL NOT BE READ.
Our 4043 Irving Pl. appeal hearing was specifically cited as an example in the agenda item report (it took an hour to read the comments). I have attached the report and resolution text.
If we do not speak up on Monday, this thing will undoubtedly pass. I cannot attend the meeting myself. However, I will certainly write a speaker card (item A-5 on the agenda). I will also write Neighborhood Action Network to get the word out.
Rich Waters and Eleanor Osgood (of the Gateway Neighborhood Assn. — they were both at our appeal hearing) wrote the following to the Council (they’ll be out-of-town for the meeting):
Dear Councilpeople:
I would hope you would agree that the public input given on the Comment cards is invaluable “local” knowledge that could help you make a better decision.
Therefore, summing up and tallying the Comment cards, instead of reading each one, could lose important Culver City citizen information.
Also, many people have a fear of
speaking publicly and their information would be discriminated
against due to their fear. If your citizens take the time to come
down to the meeting and write out their concerns, I think it only right that the their comment be read into the record.
Please vote against this ill conceived item A-5.
Thank you for allowing ALL of the people to be heard.
Rich Waters, Gateway Neighborhood Assn. and Neighborhood Action Network, Eleanor Osgood
This may be used as a model letter to the Council. Please write the Council and/or show up to speak on this issue on Monday. We can't let Mayor Scott Malsin's disdain of the public become law.
Best,
Meghan Sahli Wells
Downtown Neighborhood Assn.
