Public comments from Long Beach residents, however inconvenient it might be to Council members, should not be restricted.
Tonight at the Long Beach City Council, Agenda Item 22 seeks to limit the way residents can request or challenge Council decisions by limiting who can pull items from something called the Consent Calendar.
Normally, non-controversial items that enjoy unanimous support are placed on the Consent Calendar for a single vote of the Council. Sometimes an item on this list is of interest to the public and as such can be removed by request from a Council member, the Mayor, or from a resident.
If Item 22 passes, residents will no longer be able to request an item be removed from the Consent Calendar. Residents will then be limited to three minutes public comment on all of the Consent Calendar. Three minutes is very convenient to our elected representatives, but may prevent us from testifying on more than one item that may be on the Consent Calendar.
In the future, if the public wants to get an item removed from the Consent Calendar, they must contact a City Council member and get the member to request it be removed– a complicated task, to be sure.
Call your Council members today and tell them that we elected them to be fair and this agenda item, if passed will take more power out of the hands of Long Beach residents. Urge them to vote NO on Item 22.
1st District - Bonnie Lowenthal 570-6919
2nd District – Suja Lowenthal 570-6684
3rd District – Gary DeLong 570-6300
4th District – Patrick O’Donnell 570-6918
5th District – Gerrie Schipske 570-6932
6th District – Dee Andrews 570-6816
7th District – Tonia Reyes Uranga 570-6954
8th District – Rae Gabelich 570-6685
9th District – Val Lerch 570-6137
If you don’t reach your Council member today, please join us at the City Council meeting where we will voice our concerns. The meeting is at City Hall, 333 West Ocean Blvd beginning at 5PM.
City Council Meeting Tonight
Public comments from Long Beach residents, however inconvenient it might be to Council members, should not be restricted.
Tonight at the Long Beach City Council, Agenda Item 22 seeks to limit the way residents can request or challenge Council decisions by limiting who can pull items from something called the Consent Calendar.
Normally, non-controversial items that enjoy unanimous support are placed on the Consent Calendar for a single vote of the Council. Sometimes an item on this list is of interest to the public and as such can be removed by request from a Council member, the Mayor, or from a resident.
If Item 22 passes, residents will no longer be able to request an item be removed from the Consent Calendar. Residents will then be limited to three minutes public comment on all of the Consent Calendar. Three minutes is very convenient to our elected representatives, but may prevent us from testifying on more than one item that may be on the Consent Calendar.
In the future, if the public wants to get an item removed from the Consent Calendar, they must contact a City Council member and get the member to request it be removed– a complicated task, to be sure.
Call your Council members today and tell them that we elected them to be fair and this agenda item, if passed will take more power out of the hands of Long Beach residents. Urge them to vote NO on Item 22.
1st District - Bonnie Lowenthal 570-6919
2nd District – Suja Lowenthal 570-6684
3rd District – Gary DeLong 570-6300
4th District – Patrick O’Donnell 570-6918
5th District – Gerrie Schipske 570-6932
6th District – Dee Andrews 570-6816
7th District – Tonia Reyes Uranga 570-6954
8th District – Rae Gabelich 570-6685
9th District – Val Lerch 570-6137
If you don’t reach your Council member today, please join us at the City Council meeting where we will voice our concerns. The meeting is at City Hall, 333 West Ocean Blvd beginning at 5PM.