HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-02-01; City Council; 12575; League of women voters public comment requestI
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@TY OF CARLSBAD - AWDA BILL 3 i
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AB # Idi 59 5
MTG. 2/1/94
TITLE:
REGARDING PUBLIC COMMENT DEPT. CM
REQUEST FROM THE
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
DEF
CIT
CIT
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive presentation from the League of Women Voters regarding placement of
Public Comment period on the Carlsbad City Council agendas.
ITEM EXPLANATION
The Carlsbad City Council has received a request from Carol Masters, President of 1
League of Women Voters, North Coast San Diego County, requesting time on the agen
to discuss the placement of the Public Comment period on the City Council agenda.
EXHIBITS
1. Letter from the League of Women Voters dated January 11, 19
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League of Women Voters
North Coast San Diego County u TP ’A/ J /s.?#
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P.O. Box 727, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California 92007 y ,c-pL’> ,:
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> League of Women Voters
North Coast San Diego Cour u January 11, 1994
Carlsbad City Council 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Dear Mayor and Council Members:
The League of Womn Voters believes in the active participation by the pi’oli
in state and local govemnt, thich entails the right and responsibility
to be informed, to be heard and to be involved not only in, but beyond elect
and which requires that officials make decisions openly and that they provid broadly publicized, convenient opportunities for participation by the public
in the process. Based on this position, the League opposed mving the publi
cment period from the beginning of the meeting when this was proposed at
your session of October 12. On a 3-1 vote, with Councilwoman Finnila oppose
the council voted to mve the publ.ic corrnnent period to a position following
.the public hearings. We respectfully request that you reconsider this decis
The way that this policy has worked in practice is the mst compelling reasa
for restoring public coment to the beginning of the meeting. Since the
change was made on October 12, fewer Khan ten citizens have spoken to the
council about matters not on the agenda. Even tnough it was not the council intention to discourage public cment, this has been the result. The reaso for this decline in public comnent could be that under the new rules, the period set aside has varied from as early as 7:15 p.m. to as late as 9:45. While it is a useful learning experience for citizens to sit through an enti] city council meeting, they should not be required to do so to earn the right to address the council with their Concerns.
Boeh the city Planning Comnission and the School District have their public coment period at the beginning of their meetings, as do the neighboring
coastal cities to the north ami south. As €or the arguement that public
coment takes away too much tine from the published agenda, this can ?x remec
by perhaps lengthening slightly the period set aside and then strictly en€m
the time limit. This is the role and right of the presiding officer.
Too often citizens complain that the city council is not respnsive to their
concerns. Moving the public comnt period has only added to this perceptior justified or not, as shown by recent coments in the press and by citizens. The citizen cmnent period should remain at the beginning of council meeting: to encourage the people of Carlsbad to use it. The record shows that mving it has had the opposite effect.
Sincerely,
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Carol Masters, E’residenc
P.O. Box 727, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California 92007