Plan to limit public input on hold
An attempt by Hermosa Beach city officials to eliminate some written communications from residents from city council meeting agendas went down in flames Tuesday — perhaps only temporarily — following vigorous resident complaints. The issue had been scheduled for discussion at this week’s meeting, but it was not included on the agenda. City Attorney Michael Jenkins explained at the meeting’s outset that the proposal was “staff driven” and simply an effort to make council agenda packages “a little more user-friendly.” City Manager Suja Lowenthal unveiled her plan to limit “general written communications” not addressing “specific” agenda items near the end of the council’s Dec. 8 meeting. “As we continue to refine the city council agenda format we have been reviewing agendas in other cities and have determined that written communications of a general nature are not attached to agendas,” Lowenthal told the council. “Therefore, beginning at the next city council agenda we will no longer attach written communications of a general nature to the agenda.” Jenkins told the council that “after that announcement was made, a couple of residents didn’t see that as an improvement. We let (those)…
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