Occupy Mountain View City Hall, Nov. 1, 2011 - Public Comments

Mountain View City Council Meeting
Item 6. Open Comments from the Public On Non-Agendized Items
Nov. 1, 2011

Transcribed by Christine Bush, Mountain View Resident

Despite the faithfulness of this transcription to the video source, this transcription is UNOFFICIAL. It has not been reviewed by the Mountain View City Council or Clerk's Office. To the best of my knowledge, however, this is the only written account of what the public said.

“Don Letcher, Mountain View Resident.

Yeah, I'd like to address the Council tonight on the action: Minutes -- being changed to Action Minutes from Summary Minutes.

I find this just absolutely turning into a closed government, where if Citizens want to follow what's going on in government or under the Fourth Amendment, under the Fourth Amendment...Citizens have a right to come and protest with grievances...about Government. They have that right under the Constitution, Fourth Amendment, to protest Government about grievances. And boy I try to do that.

So, it's just....to tell people that you can come to a meeting on Consent Calendar items...and try to pull'em, like I just did, for discussion...and try to pull an item for discussion...which it says right in your own little rules – the one with all the pictures of the Council members on it – its says any member of the public can pull any item on the agenda for discussion by Council...and Council just refuses to discuss them.

So, yeah. You've got a right to pull it for discussion....but Council just refuses to discuss them. So it just cuts Citizens off. And what I really, really, really complain about is things that come through on a special meeting...when you call a special meeting like the one tonight....a special Council Meeting that's not announced on the regular agenda....and then you pass things on the Consent Calendar....for instance the 39 million dollar bond issue. You pass a thirty-nine million dollar ($39,000,000) bond issue, on a special meeting, on a Consent Calendar. And then if somebody wants to call it for discussion just to have the Council discuss their pros and cons on this bond issue so that they can understand what's going on...they're refused. And even what their protest is won't go in the Minutes....won't be put in the Minutes.

And other things that go on....like a ten-million dollar ($10,000,000) investment. Yep, bond issues and investments – yeah, the public doesn't have any say in what you folks do, they have absolutely no input or no say where that kind of money...but they just ought to have a right, I think, to just hear what the Council discussion is if it goes through on a Consent Calendar. And what their protest is, what their gripe is against it, should be in the Minutes.

That's the way I see it. Thank you.”

Source: http://mountainview.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=834 at 2:40:35.

“Good evening....my name is John Renaldi, I'm a property owner in Mountain View. I live on Glenborough Drive. I have a law office in downtown Mountain View. I've lived on Glenborough for over twenty-five years now....and it borders Sylvan Park and Sylvan Avenue. And I'm really concerned about the amount of traffic on Sylvan Avenue...in the evening especially when the children are leaving the park and crossing the street. It's an uncontrolled intersection. There is a sign there. But as I walked my dogs along the street... you know, and approach Sylvan....I see so many instances that are really dangerous. And I would like for the City to look at this at least, and consider some sort of traffic calming because there are a lot of cars that are going down Sylvan to get on 237 and leaving El Camino to do that. And I think that what they have in Los Altos, with those lights in the street -- rather than putting up a signal, would be an appropriate way to slow the traffic down and alert drivers that there are people that want to cross. There's two mobile home parks for seniors on the other side of that street. My dad lives there. And he goes to my house every night for dinner and walks across that street and I worry about him as well. So, I'd just like to ask that you consider that. Looking into it, looking at what Los Altos has been able to do...and address that for us.

I appreciate all you're doing otherwise. Thank you.”

Source: http://mountainview.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=834 at 2:43:42.