Questions about the propriety of the manner...

Questions about the propriety of the manner in which the City Council

retreat of Feb. 22 was conducted were brought to the attention of the

League of Women Voters Laguna Beach unit by several members of the

public. Several questions have been raised. The LWV is concerned

about two.

The first concerns the public’s reasonable expectation that its

voice will be heard prior to policy decisions made by the City

Council. To facilitate the public’s ability to address issues of

concern to them, upcoming meetings of the City Council should be

publicly posted, and the agenda items adequately described. If the

agenda is too general, it results in the public’s inability to

discern whether or not it has an interest that requires its

attendance to address the council. This is true for regular meetings

of the City Council, as well as for retreats. Although the Feb. 22

retreat was properly posted, a legitimate question remains as to the

adequacy of the agenda’s description of what was to be discussed.

The second closely related concern is the fact that policy

decisions affecting the public are reportedly made at such retreats.

It has been reported that changes to the process for public comment

at City Council meetings, among others, were agreed to by the City

Council at the retreat of Feb. 22. Perhaps, technically, such

decisions can be made at retreats, but is it provident and in the

public’s best interest to do so? From the LWV’s standpoint, a retreat

is the proper place for the City Council to determine the policy

direction it wishes to take. Policy decisions affecting the public,

however, should be adequately agendized and discussed at regularly

scheduled City Council meetings.

The LWV believes that a reasonable remedy would be for the City

Council to revisit decisions made at the retreat by placing them on

an upcoming City Council meeting agenda for public discussion.

* LINDA BROWN, co-chair

League of Women Voters - Laguna Beach unit