1 Vernice Hankins
From: oz <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2022 4:49 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Christine Parra; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Kristin McCowan; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; David White
Subject: 7-B: new commission must meet monthly, not quarterly
EXTERNAL
You are consolidating three city commissions into the Human Services Commission, which might not be a bad idea. But now you also want for this new commission to only meet quarterly?… Is this a joke?
This shows how much the Santa Monica Council cares about the vulnerable populations including the unhoused community in the City: you want to further marginalize them. This proves again you have no interest in addressing homelessness whatsoever.
Occasional Special meetings (which usually do not allow public input) and Ad Hoc meetings (which are rarely held publicly) will not make up for much if the Commission must only meet quarterly. You might as well have dismantled these three commissions altogether instead of consolidating them. Why pretend?… This is the opposite of progressive.
#HostileCity
Shame on you, Santa Monica Council members!
At least it’s election year and we will remember this in November.
Regards,
Olga Zurawska
P.S.
You might as well change the name of the new commission to better reflect how the City treats vulnerable communities:
InHumane DisServices Commission.
Item 7.B
04/12/22
1 of 3 Item 7.B
04/12/22
1 Vernice Hankins
From: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2022 4:53 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Public comment on 12 Apr 22 City Council meeting item 7B
EXTERNAL
Dear City Councilmembers,
I object to the newly consolidated Human Services Commission meeting on a quarterly basis with additional special meetings when necessary. The consolidation of three important areas of concern into a single commission is already an ambitious undertaking. Limiting that commission to only four regular meetings per year is a planned abdication of commitment to those component groups before the commission even begins.
We're in the middle of a homelessness crisis, a pandemic, and a climate crisis, all of which disproportionately impact the most marginalized individuals in society, whose welfare is squarely in the newly formed commission's jurisdiction. The Human Services Commission has an enormous amount of work to do. And it requires public input regarding that work every step of the way, not just four times a year. The option to omit general public comments from special meetings makes reliance on such meetings for business exceeding quarterly meetings unacceptable.
Give the Human Services Commission a chance to succeed in meaningfully addressing the multiple and compounding crises we face. Santa Monica demands the Human Services Commission's attention and action—its time—more than ever.
Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. Please amend the proposed ordinance accordingly.
Sincerely,
Michelle Gray
Item 7.B
04/12/22
2 of 3 Item 7.B
04/12/22
1 Vernice Hankins
From: Ann Maggio <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2022 9:27 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Clerk Mailbox; David White
Subject: 7-B: Oppose quarterly meetings for consolidated commissions
EXTERNAL
Dear City Council,
This is absurd. Three commissions consolidated into one and now staff wants to cut the meetings so they only meet four times a year?
We can assume now that the job of the Social Services Commission, which included annual reports on the successes and failures of the grantees, will never happen. How wrong! Keep the meetings and ensure they are properly staffed.
And form a transparency and accountability committee that supports the audit committee.
Sincerely,
Ann Maggio Thanawalla
"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth." ‐ Albert Einstein Item 7.B
04/12/22
3 of 3 Item 7.B
04/12/22