HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-16-2015 PH1 SchmidtCOUNCIL MEETING: __Q
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Lomeli, Monique 'T E\4 NO.
Subject: FW: Notice for tonight's water hearing faulty
From: Richard Schmidt [mailto:slobuild(&yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2015 3:09 PM
To: Marx, Jan; Ashbaugh, John; Christianson, Carlyn; Carpenter, Dan; Rivoire, Dan;
Subject: Notice for tonight's water hearing faulty
Dear Council Members,
JUN � -6 1015
Mejia, Anthony; Lichtig, Katie
You have a serious problem with the notice for tonight's hearing re water /sewer rates. It is sufficiently serious
that if I were in your chairs, I'd propose the hearing not be held at all tonight.
Here's the issue:
Some time ago, you mailed out to every household a "Notice of Public Hearing," which said, "The San Luis
Obispo City Council will be holding a public hearing to consider proposed adjustments to water and sewer
rates. The hearing will be hold on:
"Date: Wednesday, June 16, 2015
"Time: 6 p.m."
Subsequently you mailed out an "Amended Date" re- notice which changed the word "Wednesday" to "Tuesday"
and left the rest of the time information the same.
Your agenda for tonight has 18 items prior to discussion of the sewer rate increase, and 19 items prior to the
water rate increase, which is the agenda's final item, at the tail end of a scheduled 3 -hour budget discussion. In
other words, there is no way your public notice of the time for this rate - setting is anyplace close to correct. It is
likely to be 10 p.m. before you even begin talking about water, yet you noticed the public that discussion would
be at 6 p.m.
I find it incredible that the city has so little regard for the public participation process that it would tell people to
show up at 6 p.m. for an item scheduled last on your extensive agenda. What in the world were the agenda
makers thinking? Do they not consult the public notice for a meeting prior to arranging items on the agenda?
Given the notice of the time and date as 6 p.m., you should be holding the water /sewer hearing as the first item
on your agenda, not the last.
Anyway, I know from experience you will likely shine on this problem as if it is inconsequential, hold your
hearing on water at 10 p.m. or whenever, and not care a fig about this latest indignity inflicted upon residents.
But I can always hope for insight to strike, for you to do the right thing to straighten out the mess the agenda -
makers have created for you. Perhaps rescheduling the water hearing would be the fairest way to do that.
Richard Schmidt