10/19/2009 6:00:00 AM
Zoners terminate Call to the Public
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Suzanne Adams
Miner Staff Reporter
KINGMAN - Despite pleas from residents not to, the County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-4 Wednesday to remove the Call to the Public from the commission's regular agenda. It will now be up to the chair of the commission as to when and where a Call to the Public should be added to a meeting.
Chair Earl Hamlyn and Commissioners Kristal Gibson, Kenneth White, Sue Donahue and Vice Chair Carl Flusche voted in favor of leaving the Call to the Public up to the discretion of the chair. Commissioners Bill Abbott, Joseph Morabito, Mehdi Azarmi and Rick Sherwood voted against the measure.
Arizona Revised Statutes don't require a government board to have a Call to the Public.
"Please retain this," said resident Jim Kanelos. "Don't be afraid to let the public speak. It's a vital, needed open mic."
"This is democracy in action," said resident Mark Shaver. "Don't be afraid."
The Call to the Public allows people to speak about more general things that may not be on the agenda, said resident Elizabeth Barnett.
Hamlyn said he was approached by several commissioners who were concerned that the meetings were running too long because of the number of people who signed up to speak during Call to the Public and then spoke on individual items. The meeting could be shortened by allowing the chair to decide if there would be a Call to the Public at a meeting or not, he said.
"We ran nine hours and 45 minutes on one item last month," Hamlyn said, referring to the Hualapai Valley Solar project, which was continued from Sept. 9 to Sept. 16. "We need to expedite these meetings."
"This is the only avenue for the public to give us general comments," said Azarmi.
Abbott warned that the City Council of Kingman tried to move its Call to the Public and an uproar ensued.
The Council did move its Call to the Public to the end of its agenda, City Clerk Debbie Francis said Thursday, but had to change it back after an ordinance was found requiring it to be at the beginning of the meeting. The ordinance was later changed, she said.
Vice Chair Carl Flusche felt the commission gave residents enough time while considering individual items on the agenda to speak their minds. He suggested moving the Call to the Public to the end of the meetings, if there was enough time for one.
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Posted: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Article comment by:
willie
@Icarus:
Do you really think everything can be blamed on the NIMBY claim that you still cite. It is the taxpayers and the voting public that are there speaking on issues that these Commissioners are PUBLIC SERVICES. They do get things done and it is always on the Developers side, with the dangling of the carrot of Property Taxes, or jobs (dont forget they only go the thoses individuals that are QUALIFIED), and yet all this Development was approved with influence of possible jobs and possible Property Taxes to the County. Long story short is it is the citizens of Mohave County left holding the bag again. So the excuse of NIMBY is just not holding up anymore. So which neighborhood do you live in. I hear there is a Nuclear Power Plant being proposed in Lake Havasu, you may be QUALIFIED for that position. But wait they need a College Degree in Chemistry, or Engineering, Physics. Maybe your whole small group should look in relocating to Lake Havasu, you may just fit in quite well. What do you think?
Posted: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Article comment by:
Icarus
City, County, what's the difference? The important thing is that the NIMBYs and "no growths" can't hijack meetings anymore and things can actually get done now.
Posted: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Article comment by:
ex county
Yeah, get those pesky taxpayers out of here....How can we conduct business with all of those people complaining how we spend their money?
Posted: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Jeff ... FYI.
Lance
Posted: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Icarus - this is the county commission not the city.
Posted: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Article comment by:
Frank
Actually I think Icarus has a good suggestion.
In ADDITION TO THE CALL TO THE PUBLIC let there be a web link. Then the county P&Z staff and commissioners can view it at their leisure. If needed, the staff can contact the individual to assist them with an issue or advise them how to submit the item for the next agenda.
Remember commissioners it's called public service.
Posted: Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Article comment by:
Loyd
@ Icarus -- That's pretty classy for you to state that public involvement is "interfering with actual business". Oh, and this is a county issue and has nothing to do with the city -- HELLO!!!....anybody home?
Posted: Monday, October 19, 2009
Article comment by:
willie
If you attend and watch the P & Z Commissioners on TV they look bored and dont want to be there. When a citizen speaks the Commissioners ignore them, but when a Developer speaks the Comissioners then cant stop praising them. If these Comissioners dont like to be called on the carpet when they make mistakes, then resign! All it is becomming is a dictatorship. The County takes our money and what do the votes and citizens get out of it, NOTHING.
Posted: Monday, October 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Icarus
I believe it was Confucius that said "Saying something and having something to say are two different things."
I'm glad that they did away with that call to the public. What they should do is set up a link on the city website where people can send in a video of their questions, ideas, and rantings. Than everyone can be heard without interfering with actual business.
Posted: Monday, October 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Loyd
If taking care of the people's business is just too much of an imposition and takes too much of your precious time -- then why don't you resign, hit the links, and let someone that feels that serving the public is not such a great personal sacrifice have your chair.
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