Council Won’t Televise Hearings on Shell Project
The City Council voted down a proposal to televise Planning Commission meetings that focus on a controversial Shell Oil Co. project to build 2,100 homes in the Chino Hills above the city.
Councilman Henry W. Wedaa suggested at Tuesday’s council meeting that Planning Commission meetings be televised because of the substantial community interest in the development of the 5,000-acre oil field.
The suggestion failed 2 to 3. Mayor Gene Wisner and council members Barbara Kiley and John M. Gullixson opposed the proposal.
After the meeting, Wisner said opponents of the Shell project are only a minority of city residents, but appear to represent a larger segment simply because of their exposure during the televised council meetings. He said to do the same with the commission hearings would politicize what is supposed to be a nonpartisan process.
But Wedaa said “the number of people in this town opposed to the Shell project is legion.”
“My attitude has always been, ‘Let the public know,’ ” he said. “My goal is to educate the public on what this project is all about.”
A Planning Commission workshop on the project is scheduled for Wednesday. Public hearings have not yet been scheduled.
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