- Climate Action Committee public comment:
- After reading about this issue, watching a few CAC meetings and observing the CAC members at the last meeting, I encourage the council to choose Option 1 for the following reasons:
- Way too much time and taxpayers’ money are being spent on city staff sitting through long, inefficiently run meetings.
- The members of the CAC were there to give public comments about how they want the taxpayers’ money to keep flowing to the committee but as soon as they were finished, either left zoom or left the meeting. And, having been to almost every City Council meeting in the last 4 years, I’ve not seen a hint of them attending meetings. - The taxpayers of Sebastopol spend $50,490.00 per year on a committee that holds mulch give aways and sent out a survey asking if people would be willing to change their appliances to electric. That and their framework seems to be what the taxpayers have bought for over $200,000.00 in the last 4 years. - It is curious as to how other organizations can provide education and help to the public without asking for a handout from a city that is in a fiscal emergency. - Someone from the CAC commented (at the last meeting) that they didn’t know they are bound by the Brown Act – even though we taxpayers spend $5,052.00 per year on Annual Brown Act training and discussions! Seriously? - It is obvious that they don’t know how the Brown Act works and are probably in violation of it regularly. The Brown Act certainly limits networking and sharing ideas in an efficient way.
- The State of California is cracking down on Brown Act violations. If I were on this committee, I would definitely want it to be a stand-alone committee to be able to meet with and talk with other members and not have to wait for the actual meeting.
The last thing this city needs is another lawsuit because this committee is in violation of the Brown Act.
- Bottom line, please stop wasting city staff’s time and taxpayers’ money on this committee!