August 14, 2023
Pacifica City Council Meeting
Public Comments
Agenda Item 24 –
Meeting Minutes Format
Written Comments Received By and After 12pm on 08/14/2023 August 14, 2023
City Council Meeting
1 From: James Kremer
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2023 9:55 PM
To: Public Comment
Subject: Aug. 14 meeting
[CAUTION: External Email]
RE: “Action minutes”
I strongly OPPOSE the use of ACTION MINUTES in any formal meetings of city officials.
I URGE all city officials and elected representatives to REJECT this abbreviated form of meeting records.
It is scary that this is even being proposed!
Most citizens do not attend meetings. Important issues are discussed, and the statements of our representatives must be available to all who want them, at any later time – near term and as historical archive. Minutes are the essential way this information is retained –
What was said, with reasonable detail,
who said them, AND in what context.
This accurate and complete recording is simply the cost of good government. Don’t ever curtail this.
And, no, even if meetings are video-recorded, that does not replace the practical and perhaps legal benefits of full minutes. (There is no comparison of the two as official records: Vids are not easily scanned, and are much more time consuming to assimilated. NOT A SUBSTITUTE.)
Please reject the use of “action minutes.”
-- Jim
James Kremer
Pacifica, CA
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Pacifica. Unless you recognize the sender's email address and know the content is safe, do not click links, open attachments or reply. 1 From: Pat Kremer
Sent: Monday, July 31, 2023 9:55 PM
To: Public Comment
Cc: Pat Kremer
Subject: NO to Action Minutes
[CAUTION: External Email]
>>> Please REJECT ever using so-called “action minutes” in City meetings. -The public has an essential right to know.
-Most of us cannot attend all meetings we care about.
-ONLY complete minutes record ALL necessary and sufficient info. (Video records are unsatisfactory!) -Perhaps this short-cut is proposed for only some parts of some meetings? This is unacceptable as how the decision is made and who makes it is unreliable.
-Citizens deserve good government records!
Please, please! This is important!
-Pat Kremer
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Pacifica. Unless you recognize the sender's email address and know the content is safe, do not click links, open attachments or reply. 1 From: Sue Digre
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2023 8:43 AM
To: Public Comment
Cc: Sue Digre (Contact)
Subject: Comment Aug 14 Item 24 Action minutes.
[CAUTION: External Email]
From: Sue Digre
To: [email protected]
Subject: Aug 14 Item 24
Sue Digre.
Action Minutes do not empower the Public to be a " government of ,BY, for the People". Minutes must be full.
Honest ,specific,full data that occurs in a live meeting is dismissed in the name of efficiency.
Freedom is not free. It is very expensive.
Many Veterans have suffered and died to protect our right to experience the freedom to engage fully in the self governing processes provided by the US Constitution.
Action minutes also block the ability of the Public to have on-going ability to examine deliberations for accountability.
Transparency should be exceptional.
You The Voice of the Public is more important than to merely have the names of individuals "listed". How dismissive.
Our US Constitution did not create a business. It created "government Of, By For the PEOPLE." Electeds should be empowering the Public not treating them like " problem children" or "stupid sheep ".
Sue Digre
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Pacifica. Unless you recognize the sender's email address and know the content is safe, do not click links, open attachments or reply. 1 From: Jeffrey Bruno
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2023 11:30 AM
To: Public Comment
Subject: Public comment for August 14th item 24
[CAUTION: External Email]
I'm not sure what this is all about, but I respect Sue Digre who emailed me to participate.
My main thoughts on Self-Governing is about allowing individual's their full rights under the constitution, especially religious and medical freedom.
There is a rising global and national trend, as witnessed during the recent pandemic, to shut down individual's religious and medical rights for the sake of the "common good." This can be a powerful tool for a fascist regime.
I believe our township may help to reduce the possibilities of extreme censorship; mandated medical corrosion; and marginalization of people or closing of businesses when the next pandemic occurs or something "global crisis" akin to that.
Jeffrey J. Bruno, Ph.D.
Pacific Psychological Care
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CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Pacifica. Unless you recognize the sender's email address and know the content is safe, do not click links, open attachments or reply. 1 From: Remi Tan
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2023 12:26 PM
To: Public Comment; _City Council; Boles, Christine
Subject: Comment on Item 24 2023-08-14
[CAUTION: External Email]
Want to comment that the proposed action meeting minutes of city council (and commission/committee) meetings is reduces transparency and access to our local government, as members of the public who missed a live meeting cannot go back and read minutes to fully understand the presentation, discussions, public input, and debate over each of the meeting agenda items. Comprehensive meeting minutes are easier and takes less time to review than re-watching the video. Please vote no on this issue.
Thank you and Best Regards,
Remi Tan, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Architecture, Green/Sustainability Consulting, and Real Estate Investment Pacific Manor/Edgemar
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Pacifica. Unless you recognize the sender's email address and know the content is safe, do not click links, open attachments or reply. 1 From: Clif Lawrence
Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2023 12:50 PM
To: Public Comment
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: NARRATIVE Meeting Minutes - Archive for those who follow us [CAUTION: External Email]
Events of Monday, August 14, 2023 ... distracted from participation in your meeting.
But...please consider this.
The City Council Minutes have preserved more than just Action Items. They provide us with the reasons why a particular action was taken... and what concerns were raised at that time. Those items may seem to have less value to us, because we were witnesses at that time.
But we are only participants at this moment... The City of Pacifica is something much larger than us. It will continue after we are gone. What will we leave for those who follow us? Will they struggle to try to figure out why something was done before their time in office? The "Narrative Minutes" are a real asset...
Do we even have the right to not preserve that asset?
Thank you,
Clif Lawrence
West Fairmont
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Pacifica. Unless you recognize the sender's email address and know the content is safe, do not click links, open attachments or reply.