Public comment time is important. People do abuse the privilege of direct televised communication, but shortening public comment time won’t correct the abuse. Those who submit comment cards at all meetings on multiple topics just keep on talking, regardless of time limitations.
What about a lottery approach? Any number of comment cards could be randomly selected before a meeting begins.
Regardless of the issues or individuals, every person who wants to talk has equal chance to be chosen. The allotted time is easier to manage if the number of citizen speakers is known in advance.
People whose comment cards are not selected should be able to ask for and be given a personal appointment off camera with a council member, who could also be randomly selected, to hear and report back what a citizen says. Appointment cards can be supplied at meetings and later assigned to council members by the city clerk off camera and after a meeting.
I can see why the city treasurer’s positions should be appointed rather than elected. It is a highly specialized responsibility and not one that voters appear to understand well enough to identify properly qualified competitors. The recent election shows how vulnerable Glendale’s investment portfolio may be to the political manipulation of an elected city treasurer’s position.
However, the city clerk’s position belongs in the domain of elected offices.
I don’t know what Weaver refers to as voter tampering during the April 7 election.
Susan Stephenson
Glendale
