CORRESPONDENCE
Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: Bring back hybrid meetings please
From: Denise Robb < >
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2023 7:04 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: Bring back hybrid meetings please
CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you frnowthe content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. Learn more....
Attention Mayor Victor Gordo, City Manager Miguel Marquez, and All Honorable City Council members, Please bring back hybrid meetings. I have a young son and a full-time job and it honestly was a joy being able to attend city council meetings, while making dinner, and doing dishes and all of those boring activities. I was able to be more civically engaged.
Pasadena residents and community members are asking you to make hybrid meetings available to participate at the City Council meetings and CPOC meetings.
Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Denise Robb
Pasadena, CA 91106
Sent from my iPhone
Denise Robb, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science,
Pierce College; and
Joshua's Mommy
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities/'
(Possibly Voltaire)
1 CORRESPONDENCE FROM 1/31/2023
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND
TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE
Stevenson, Garrett
jbject:FW: 1/31/2023 Ed Tech Meeting: Correspondence for Agenda Item #1 From: Sonja Berndt < >
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2023 5:02 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: 1/31/2023 Ed Tech Meeting: Correspondence for Agenda Item #1 CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. Learn more....
Dear Chairperson Hampton and Members of the Economic Development and Technology Committee:
Thank you for agendizing the issue of allowing remote public comment to resume at City Council meetings and meetings of City commissions and committees. I am pleased that City staff members are recommending that remote public comment be allowed to resume for City Council meetings and for meetings of "those bodies scheduled in City Council chambers." Public engagement is critical. It allows community members to bring their ideas and concerns directly to city leaders and allows other community members to support those ideas and concerns as well.
Many in our City do not have the ability to give public comment in person due to work responsibilities and/or family caregiving duties. Please put yourself in their position. Realistically, can young parents, Iderly residents, or workers on a swing shift wait hours to speak in person on critical issues coming before the City Council, its committees and City commissions? Please follow staffs recommendation to begin allowing remote public comments as detailed in the staff report except also include the ED Tech Committee on the recommended list of bodies allowing remote public comment. Thank you.
Sonja K. Berndt
Pasadena
1 Stevenson, Garrett
ibject:FW: ED Tech Item #1
From: Blair Miller <>
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2023 12:09 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Rivas, Jessica <[email protected]>; Lyon, Jason <[email protected]>; Madison, Steve <[email protected]>
Subject: ED Tech Item #1
Chair Hampton and Council Members Rivas, Madison and Lyon, I am writing on behalf of the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition to comment on Item #1 on your January 31 st agenda.
We understand that there are significant budget considerations for the City of Pasadena in creating a hybrid option for meetings. However, we believe that making discussions and decisions transparent to the voters is a key function of the government. Hybrid meetings make it easier for working people, people with disabilities, people with compromised immune systems, and people with families to take part in Council meetings, learn about issues and solutions, and voice their concerns.
'hese comments use the Transportation Advisory Commission (TAG) as an example, but can be extrapolated to all Commissions.
It is true that, as the Staff Report states, there are "multiple" ways for the public to comment. They include 1) submitting a physical letter, 2) submitting an email, or 3) submitting a comment that is read aloud by staff.
However, this is static, one-way communication, and it is the only option for public participation at TAG, unless you have the privilege to attend the meeting in person.
Without the ability to see and hear staff presentations and Commissioner questions, voters lose the ability to learn along with Commissioners, which degrades the quality of public participation.
We support the investment of public funds in staff and technology that will allow for greater participation for all Pasadenans. Here are some specific questions and suggestions:
1) The Transportation Advisory Commission is now meeting in person in the City Hall Basement Training Room, which is outfitted with multiple screens. Could the equipment be updated to add fixed cameras and microphones to enable the meeting to be broadcast on Zoom? The Training Room would then be an alternate permanent location for public meetings, where department staff could run the Zoom meetings as they had during the pandemic. This would not require the same level of staff as remote meetings, and so may reduce the projected cost. Also, the Training Room may work well for other Commissions, such as the Design Commission. 1 2) Even if the Training Room cannot be outfitted with cameras for real-time broadcast, the audio of the meeting could be broadcast in real time with no special equipment. This would allow commenters 1 call in with comments on an item _after_ they have heard staff presentation and Commissioner questions.
3) Finally, it would be helpful to have the participation numbers in the City Commissions and Committees compared to pre-pandemic Darticipation, not only April to September 2022 and January 2023. Perhaps Committee members could request that data from staff for the report that gets forwarded to Council.
Thank you,
Blair Miller
On Behalf of the Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition
(
2 Stevenson, Garrett
ibject:FW: Written public comment in support of hybrid meetings From: Christy Ubellacker < >
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2023 4:34 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: Written public comment in support of hybrid meetings I am not able to attend in person. Pasadena residents deserve the option to attend virtually. Hybrid meetings will facilitate a larger variety of residents who can't physically make it to city hall to be able to participate and speak in meetings.
It lowers the barrier of entry and will result in higher participation rates.
Sent from Gmail Mobile
Y-...
1 Stevenson, Garrett
ibject:FW: EDTech: In Favor of Hybrid Meetings
From: Sam Berndto
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2023 5:12 PM
To: Stevenson, [email protected]>
Subject: EDTech: In Favor of Hybrid Meetings
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Hi,
I urge you to be supportive of hybrid meetings for the city.
As a city, we were able to operate effectively entirely remote for nearly 3 years. This not only protected our citizens during the worst of the COVID pandemic, but also enabled additional citizens to be able to participate in our city's procedures.
Hybrid meetings are more inclusive for all people and we have already demonstrated it is possible. Whether it be people who have a disability, people who care for others, or even people who work a 9-5 job, having hybrid meetings will enable larger civic engagement.
( lease do not take us back in time & rather vote YES on hybrid meetings.
Thank you,
Sam Berndt
V..-.,,
1