1 Vernice Hankins
From: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2022 8:51 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Oscar de la Torre; Sue Himmelrich; Kristin McCowan; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra
Subject: City Council 6/21/ agenda item 8-A
EXTERNAL
Dear Council members,
Re the staff recommendations on agenda item 8-A:
1. Please do not further shorten the time limits on Public Comment. It's already been shortened from 3 minutes to 2 minutes.
2. I support hearing both in-person and remote public comment.
3. I hope that Commissions still meeting monthly (such as the Airport Commission) will be allowed to continue to do so.
In addition, you've already combined several Commissions into one (the new Human Services Commission), so only allowing that 4-in-1 Commission to only meet quarterly is ridiculous.
4. I strongly support the hybrid Council meetings.
5. Rules of Order:
a. Rule 2 -- Open session beginning no sooner than 7 PM is an improvement, as you rarely come back from Closed Session by 6:30.
b. Rule 5 -- Council member items should be submitted 8 days before the meeting. This also seems like a good idea, rather than a bunch of last minute additions to the agenda. c. Rule 6 -- Public Comment for Closed Session, Special agenda, and Consent Calendar items (currently #3 on the agenda) would come before Closed Session, i.e., around 5:30 PM. -- Then, General Input (public comment on topics not on the agenda, currently #14 on the agenda), i.e., around 5:30 PM. -- Then, Public Comment on all other agenda items (which normally occurs when those items are called), i.e., around 5:30 PM.
With these new rules, the only time when Public Comment would occur with the agenda item would be for required Public Hearings (currently #9 on the agenda), and those have only occurred twice since January, in connection with the St.
John's DA.
The advantage is that members of the public wouldn't have to sit around for hours waiting to speak.
The disadvantage is that public comments could occur hours before Council discussion of those agenda items and before the staff presentations.
But if remote comment is allowed, members of the public could watch the meeting on YouTube or Channel 16 at home, phone in when the agenda item is called, and not have to sit around City Hall for hours waiting to speak.
Thank you for your consideration.
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2 Zina Josephs
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Agenda item 8-A:
Adoption of a Resolution to Amend Council Rules of Order and Procedure for the Conduct of City Council Meetings
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Provide direction to staff regarding changing the time limit(s) for public comment;
2. Provide direction to staff regarding order for hearing both inperson and remote public comment and the discontinuation of the time donation to another speaker policy upon implementation of hybrid meetings;
3. Provide direction to staff regarding the continuation of Boards and Commissions to meet quarterly and remotely until the end of calendar year 2022 or until the end of the 1st quarter of 2023;
4. Implement hybrid City Council meetings beginning with the first regular Council meeting in September, pending budget approval of staffing; and
5. Adopt the attached proposed resolution amending the City Council’s Rules of Order and Procedure.
In a message dated 6/19/2022 11:02:27 PM Pacific Standard Time, [email protected] writes:
https://santamonicacityca.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=1349
Agenda item 8-A: Resolution amending rules of order and procedure of City Council meetings
Rule 6 -- Public Comment for Closed Session, Special agenda, and Consent Calendar items (currently #3 on the agenda) would come before Closed Session, i.e., around 5:30 PM.
Then, General Input (public comment on topics not on the agenda, currently #14 on the agenda), i.e., around 5:30 PM.
Then, Public Comment on all other agenda items (which normally occurs when those items are called), i.e., around 5:30 PM.
With these new rules, the only time when Public Comment would occur with the agenda item would be for required Public Hearings (currently #9 on the agenda), and those have only occurred twice since January in connection with the St. John's DA.
The advantage is that members of the public wouldn't have to sit around for hours waiting to speak.
The disadvantage is that public comments could occur hours before Council discussion of those agenda items.
When the City Council discussed this earlier, at least one Council member said that they take notes during Public Comment, so they would remember what was said.
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1 Vernice Hankins
From: OZ <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 21, 2022 12:01 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Christine Parra Subject: 8A – OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND? Plus commenting on presentations that haven't been given yet?
EXTERNAL
Council must listen to the public on this item more than any other agenda item, because it is about the public's right to participate in the meetings.
The public should have the ultimate say in how and when the public comments/input is heard and how.
While I have been advocating for moving item 14 (general public input) to the top of the meetings since 2019, I object to the idea of consolidating ALL public comments, including comments to agenda items, at the beginning of the meeting.
For one, if there is a presentation offered for an agenda item, the public should be given the option to comment after hearing the presentation. Otherwise, what's the point of commenting at the beginning of the meeting if the public doesn't know what is going to be presented under the agenda item?...
Further, the consolidation of all public comments/input would allow the Council to get all the public input/comments out of sight/out of mind at the beginning of the meeting, and go about their business for the rest of the meeting without any immediate input from the public who wants to speak when an agenda item is called.
My experience when speaking before the LA County Board of Supervisors at the beginning of their meeting when they are supposed to hear consolidated input/comments was that the Supervisors used that time to what appeared to be reading up on the upcoming items, and they were NOT paying much attention to the public speakers at all. I have witnessed instances where none of the five Supervisors as much as lifted their eyes to look at the pubic speakers for the duration of the consolidated public input/comments, because they were busy reading and shuffling paperwork.
Consolidating all the public input/comments at the beginning of the meeting would merely result in checking off the box of hearing public input but in reality it would have an out of sight, out of mind effect. Councilmembers would not pay attention (as many of them currently do not pay attention during item 14), except it would be now happening at the beginning of the meeting as opposed to the end. Councilmembers Negrete, McCowan and Himmelrich, who excel at disrespecting the public speakers during item 14 are unlikely to change their ways simply because all the comments/input would be now heard at the beginning of the meeting. During the consolidated public comments/input there would be the same walking, chatting, looking at phones, snacking etc that usually happens during item 14, probably with an added element of reading up on the upcoming items.
One solution is to offer an OPTION for members of the public who do not mind waiting to speak when the item is called rather than at the beginning of the item.
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2 Another option is to simply keep allowing public comments when agenda items are called, but hearing what is now item 14 (general public input) at the beginning of the meeting.
Additionally, borrowing time should be allowed both for in-person and call-in comments.
Regards,
Olga Zurawska
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Board Executives
Chair
Michael Ricks
Providence Saint John’s
Health Center
Chair-elect
Greg Morena
The Albright
Past Chair
Becky Warren
Elevate Public Affairs
Treasurer
Len Lanzi
Stubbs, Alderton &
Markiles LLP
Vice Chair
Julia Ladd
Santa Monica
Place/Macerich
Vice Chair
Paula Larmore
Harding Larmore Kutcher
& Kozal LLP
Vice Chair
Ellis O’Connor
MSD Hospitality/Fairmont
Miramar Hotel
Board Members
Younes Atallah
Loews Santa Monica Beach
Hotel
Craig Babington
Morley Builders
Andrew Barrett-Weiss
GoodRX
Dom Bei
Santa Monica Firefighters
Local 1109
Jason Berkowitz
Arrow Up Training
Jasson Crockett
Snapchat
Kevin Delijani
Delphi Real Estate Group
Dr. Ben Drati
SMMUSD
Celia Fisher
Beach Moms Daycare
Rudy Flores
Santa Monica Police
Officers Association
Board Members, Cont.
Jeffrey Fritz
Fritz Buffone Group | Compass
Realty
Lisa Glasser
Oracle
Ryan Ole Hass
Align RE | a global real estate
collaboration
Ann Hsing
Pasjoli
Kathy Irby
Commercial Bank of California
Jeff Jarow
PAR Commercial
Dr. Kathryn Jeffery
Santa Monica College
Kim Koury
Spin PR
Julien Laracine
Proper Hospitality
Hayden Lee
Hayden Lee Coaching Intl.
Charlie Lopez-Quintana
ETC Hotels
Jonathan McCowan
310 Tutors
Susan Neisloss
Big Bite Productions
Pam O’Connor
Terry O’Day
In Charge Energy
Janet Rimicci
UCLA Health
Laura Rosenbaum
CIT One West
Beth Schroeder
Raines Feldman
Jon Shoemaker
Gumbiner Savett, Inc.
Nat Trives
Coalition for Engaged
Education
Jerry L. Yu
Kaiser Permanente
June 21, 2022
City Council
City of Santa Monica
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
RE: Item 8.A – (4) Implement hybrid City Council meetings Dear Mayor and Council Members:
On behalf of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce—representing 600 local businesses in Santa Monica—we write in support of implementing hybrid City Council meetings, including a remote call-in or participation option for public comment.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic over two years ago, many government and other civic meetings have been conducted virtually in the name of public health and maintaining physical distance. Those virtual meetings have included multiple ways for members of the public to participate remotely, either via videoconference or telephone call.
While the Chamber is excited to return to live, in-person programming and is pleased to see City Hall reopened to the public, we cannot deny the convenience and flexibility offered by remote participation. Many of our members maintain busy schedules, working late, taking care of family, or commuting long distances; and some of our members still have health concerns about being in crowded, indoor spaces.
In-person only public comments necessarily excludes a lot of these important stakeholders from participating in these meetings, whereas a virtual option is more inclusive for all.
We appreciate Council’s direction to staff on this matter and support the effort to re-implement a remote participation option for City Council meetings.
Sincerely,
Judy Kruger Michael Ricks
President/CEO 2021-22 Board Chair
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