• Special City Council Meeting Aug 2015

World's shortest blog for world's shortest meeting.

There was only one agenda item.

1.1 Planning Commission Vacancy 

RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council:

• 1. Accept the resignation of Planning Commissioner Bobby Swann; 
• 2. Declare a vacancy on the Planning Commission; and 
• 3. Direct the City Clerk to advertise the vacancy and accept applications for the unexpired term of office (December, 2016).

There were three public comments.

Joseph Morabito suggested background checks and credit reports for new appointees.

Kenny Mayes had the shortest, and the coolest comment... so I'll transcribe it all here:

I'm here this evening to observe the process of advertising for city planning commissioner, and to see if it mimics the process used for the Measure Z Oversight committee. [If] the outreach equals that process I'm prepared to hang on for dear life as the train flies off the tracks and into the abyss, thank you.

— Kenny Mayes

Sheila Urlaub mentioned the need for vetting candidates, looking to other cities to see what they do when filling similar positions. The second half of her comment is transcribed below.

I would make a request, and I was surprised that you could be on the planning commission and not be a homeowner. I've been shocked with that from the get go. I'm sorry, if you're going to be impacting me and my properties... I was surprised. I think a renter should not be on there. I Strongly was irritated at that from the beginning.

I would also say let's not just settle on somebody. If you don't get a lot of applicants for this position let's wait, let's keep it out there, let's get it out to everywhere that you can. I'd also say I'd like to see us be a little less reactive to social media. It comes up periodically when I'm talking. Can we get more information out there so that all of a sudden we're not having all sorts of rumors and such posted and then that's when the city's responding?

I think we need to look at this. Do I think that the planning commissioner who just resigned made some outrageous decisions and behaviors? Absolutely, and I'm supportive of your decision and I am pleased that he has resigned. I'm not going to lie and say anything that I don't believe. Let's not settle, just to fill a seat.

— Sheila Urlaub

The only thing that I didn't get about Urlaub's comments was the part about social media. 

It's not as if the problems come from a website controlled by the city. 

FaceBook groups answer only to the admins of said groups. There is no way a city could control them, and to suggest that the city should monitor them for rumors, is far more onerous than simply requiring those attached to the city to stay off such sites in the first place.

There were no council comments. Just a motion, a second and it passing 4-0 with Cashman not in attendance.

Now the process of filling the 5th seat begins and the hope is to have a qualified candidate before the November council meeting. 

Press Enterprise reporter Michael Williams was there, so it'll be interesting to see his take on this meeting. Here's the link to it → click here.

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If you want to see the whole meeting, it's in the uncut video below.

The entire thing is under 9 mins starting after the flag salute.

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We are our own jailer, and the chains of slavery don't always chafe.  ― E.G. Marshall, CBSRMT

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