Tuesday’s San Juan Bautista City Council meeting took a kind of
chicken-or-egg slant when residents complained about low public
attendance at town hall meetings.
Tuesday’s San Juan Bautista City Council meeting took a kind of chicken-or-egg slant when residents complained about low public attendance at town hall meetings.
During the public comment portion of the nearly four-hour meeting, a few San Juan residents asked the Council to do something to increase the attendance so citizens’ concerns could be heard.
Resident James Dulin said many San Juan residents have expressed concerns over city issues that needed to be addressed by the council.
In response, Mayor Priscilla Hill motioned with her hands that the room was filled with people and said if citizens had concerns they need to contact the Council because it’s “a two-way street.”
“If they don’t come to us, we can’t work with them,” Hill said. “And that’s what’s happening – lots of time, the public will not come.”
Residents in the past have complained they cannot get items on the agenda for the Council to discuss or take action, which prompted Councilman Chuck Geiger to suggest that the Council should set future agenda items on a special form to be placed on the city’s regular agendas. Geiger requested that his proposal be placed on the agenda for the next meeting as an action item.
Hill said any such items are usually addressed during the Council’s comments at the end of meetings, when members make their own requests or on behalf of a resident whose issues have merit.
“We are available,” Hill said. “People can contact the Council anytime.”
Councilman Dan Reed said he didn’t see anything in the rules that says the public sets the city’s agenda, and that if the public had something that merits attention it’s up to them to contact a Councilmember.
“I agree with the mayor – it’s a two-way street,” Reed said.
