What will you do to increase opportunities for public participation at city council meetings? Unfortunately, the council appears to be going in the opposite direction by shutting down public input, especially at the start of city council meetings. (One council member even wanted to discontinue Zoom calls.) They’ve shaved the time allowed to a meager 15 minutes for people to speak for two minutes during early oral communication. It used to be that anyone who wanted to speak early could come up to the podium. Now you have to take a number and if you’re not lucky enough to snag one early, you have to wait until the end of the meeting. This is hard on folks who don’t own a car, people with children, students, and seniors who can’t see to drive at night. To make matters worse, the buses have stopped running late at night and some of us live too far from city hall. (I live in North Arcata.) What are you willing to do to increase public engagement so that everyone who wants to has a chance to be heard, and to participate in the governance of our community?

— Lisa

Response

Kimberley White

Lisa, thank you for raising this important question, and for your commitment to meaningful public engagement and participation, which is a value I care deeply about and believe is essential to a healthy, representative local government. I believe we need to protect and expand meaningful opportunities for residents to participate in City Council meetings and to be heard. I would prefer a public comment structure that provides more opportunity for residents to participate. Currently, early oral communications are limited to 15 minutes, with speakers limited to two minutes and required to take a number, while public comment later in the meeting allows three minutes.  For many residents, especially seniors, families with children, students, and people who rely on public transportation, waiting until the end of a long Council meeting is not a realistic option. I would like to see us look at ways to make public comment more accessible and ensure that residents have a meaningful opportunity to be heard.

But public engagement is about more than having two or three minutes at a microphone. If we truly want people to participate in local government, we have to make City Hall accessible to the people we are asking to participate.

One immediate concern is transportation. I would like to explore a City Council meeting shuttle, particularly for older adults in our senior mobile home communities and other residents in Valley West and North Arcata who do not drive at night. It could also help students and other residents who do not have access to a car. With concerns about the availability of late evening bus service in Valley West and North Arcata, we need to find practical ways for people to safely get to and from Council meetings.

Language access is also important. I would like to see agendas and key meeting information translated into Spanish, and when a resident needs an interpreter to participate meaningfully in a meeting, we should make every reasonable effort to provide one.

I would also like to explore ways to make meetings more accessible to families with young children. Childcare and a simple meal during evening meetings could make a tremendous difference for parents who otherwise have to choose between participating in their local government and caring for their children. I would like to work with community organizations and local businesses to see what might be feasible.

Ultimately, I want public engagement to mean more than simply opening the microphone. It means removing the barriers that prevent people from participating in the first place. Seniors, students, working families, parents, people without cars, and residents from every neighborhood should have a genuine opportunity to participate in the governance of our community and to know that their voices matter.

 

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