Public Not Getting Full Say at Meetings

* On Feb. 6, I watched the Thousand Oaks City Council meeting on Channel 10. During the public comment period, a speaker asked to summarize his comments after his allotted time expired. I fully agreed with Mayor Fox’s refusal to grant additional time, in keeping with policy, although I felt his tone could have contained more of the sense that “the council appreciates each citizen’s participation in community affairs and genuinely regrets it cannot extend the speaking time.”

He could also have recommended to the public that they watch for the yellow light signal, which provides adequate time for speakers to conclude their remarks before the red light comes on. Instead, there was quite a scene, with Mayor Fox repeatedly calling for the person to be removed from the podium, before the public comments continued.

A short time later, Mayor Fox noted that because he had no more speaker cards, the public comments portion of the meeting would be concluded. Councilwoman [Elois] Zeanah said there appeared to be some people who had filed cards but had not yet spoken. Mayor Fox abruptly informed the council member that he was in the middle of a staff discussion and that because he had no speaker cards, any member of the public who wished to speak could only do so by staying and speaking at the end of their entire agenda. (We all know how long that could take.)

I was astonished, embarrassed and angered by the mayor’s autocratic tone, his refusal and his reasoning. His negative tone to a colleague was unnecessary, his treatment of a citizen who came to address the council unworthy of an elected official.

On his first full day as mayor, I came to speak during the Public Comments time. My speaker card “disappeared” that day. I never considered it anything other than an accidental slip-up. I did not realize such an occurrence was so frequent. I propose a policy of announcing, just before the last public speaker takes the podium, that (time permitting) any additional speaker cards must be presented now.

WINIFRED MEISER

Thousand Oaks