Redondo: Allocating Time at Council Meetings

At the Dec. 20 meeting of the Redondo Beach City Council, Mayor Brad Parton finally silenced Christopher D. Christian Boyle. Something rare then occurred! The council completed the meeting’s entire agenda, including the items carried over from the previous meeting because time ran out.

Immediately preceding the City Council meeting, at the Redevelopment Agency meeting chaired by Councilman Steve Colin, Boyle rose five times to consume just under 13 minutes of the meeting. That was pretty impressive considering the whole meeting only ran 35 minutes!

One person taking up to a third of the meeting time has been the pattern at Redondo Beach City Council and, as I understand, other commission and agency meetings for far too long. This grandstanding too often prevents the completion of city business.

Even when a right or privilege is being obviously abused, it’s a tough decision to finally say “Enough. You are out of here!” I for one congratulate Mayor Parton for finally making that decision. It’s unfortunate that it was so long overdue.

R. L. NELSON

Redondo Beach