The City Council has entered its summer session with just one regular meeting in the months of July and August, unless a special session or public hearing requires assembly. See full agenda and package for Monday’s meeting here
The watered down Charter Revision Commission’s draft report to the council is on Monday’s agenda for a recommended public hearing scheduled for July 22, 5 p.m. in council chambers.
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Having served on the 2025 Charter Review Commission supposedly agreed upon by Mayor Ganim and Council President Nieves in Jamuary 2024, why did they wait more than one year to create the Commission since they were in agreement? Why only provide three months for consideration of a relaitvely difficult to read, out-of-step with more modern municipal documents, and admittedly legal confusion requiring more clarity? I cannot answer that, but a total of 13 citizens tried to make progress on ETHICS issue handling, CIVIL Service issues (eliminating/simplifying rules with assistance from Attorney and Labor Relations), as well as raising future alternatives for City Council representation (elected four years ago in a non-mayoral off-year election by less than 5400 voters).
At two public hearing sections members of the City Council appeared, more than a majority of them, with only one or two public members present. The waning hours of our deliberations with no comments from minority party membership, Republican Town Committee, or the block of perhaps 20,000 unaffiliated voters left the subject for the Council to deal with or advance. And July 7 would have been the date for them to extend. Perhaps they have? Which is why, July 22 as a PUBLIC HEARING is an important date.
Perhaps OIB will provide an objective view of what has been offered to the public on ETHICS and CIVIL SERVICE, etc. for reader review? Time will tell.