Cara Jennings Challenges Policy

Cara, have you forgotten Comment Policy?

It hasn't been that long since the days of Jeff Clemens when Cara Jennings served with him during his Comment Policy. But things are under constant change and this policy has been one of them.

Peter Timm, Katie McGiveron and myself have spoken on our right to be able to speak on Consent Agenda Items. We believe that all residents should have the right to speak on anything. It's our money they are screwing around with.

It used to be under Mayor Jeff Clemens, that once an item was pulled from Consent Agenda, anyone in the public could speak to the issue. If it was not pulled, you could not speak on it even during public commentary. That is reserved for non-agendaed items. Mayor Varela changed this policy. Once an item is pulled from Consent, it has to be moved to New Business for the Public to speak on it and a motion made and agreed.

Former Commissioner Cara Jennings challenged the policy on Tuesday night and wanted to speak on the 2nd Avenue North two-way street issue that had been approved on Consent--did the city have a traffic study done? As the item was not pulled and moved, she had no right to speak on it. The Mayor was clearly frustrated. Someone on the Dais asked the City Attorney to give an opinion who said that the Commission could vote on changing the policy. They made a motion for that one item and Jennings got to speak.

Cara Jennings forgot what the policy was. If they had changed it to allow anyone to speak on Consent Agenda items when we suggested it while she was on the Dais, this would have been a non-issue on Tuesday night.