BREA : Council Weighing Public Input Limits

After hearing a barrage of angry comments from residents, the City Council decided this week to delay action on a resolution that would restrict public input at council meetings.

Mayor Glenn G. Parker said the main reason for the postponement was that Gene Leyton, a member of the city’s Redevelopment Agency, was unavailable for the council debate Tuesday.

“The issue needs full participation,” said Parker, who indicated that the matter is scheduled for the June 21 council agenda. He said he has not decided whether to vote for or against the proposal.

If adopted, the resolution would limit the public comment portions of council meetings to two 30-minute periods. One would be at the beginning of the meeting so the public could address agenda items and other topics, and the other would come after the agenda had been completed.

This change is being contemplated, according to city staff, to enhance the council’s ability to conduct business at regular meetings.

Public input at the twice-monthly meetings often exceeds the proposed time limit, as residents step forward to voice concerns about the city’s hotly debated downtown redevelopment project and other local issues.

Among those speaking against a time limit was resident Karen Vega, who charged that council members are considering the resolution because they are tired of hearing negative comments from the public.

“Our City Council only wishes to hear the positive,” said Vega, who warned that “any restrictions on our First Amendment rights will not go unchallenged.”

Also speaking out against time restrictions was her husband, William Vega, who is among the council candidates in the November election. He emphasized that the council exists to serve the residents--not vice versa.

“People need to feel like they own this city again,” he said. “We own it--not those who serve.”

Resident Carl Nolte was also critical of the proposed resolution, calling it a “gag rule” on the public. “Stifle freedom of speech and you stifle progress,” he said.