09-21-09, E-Mail from Hal Weber to Scott Howard Regarding Mayor Quintero’s New Public Input Rules

Scott Howard, Glendale City Attorney:

Historically in the City of Glendale past Mayors have ALWAYS allowed members of the public to address the city council regardless of whether speaker cards were turned in BEFORE or DURING agenda presentations.  Immediately upon taking office on 04-21-09, Mayor Quintero announced that he would no longer allow members of the public to address the council UNLESS they submitted their cards BEFORE the presentation of agenda items.  You have obviously concurred that because the Brown Act language states "before OR during", rather than "before AND during",  that Mayor Quintero had the authority to change the rules and to allow ONLY those who turn in their cards BEFORE the presentations to address the council.

That being the case, those of us who do not like it will have to live with it until Mayor Quintero changes the rule back to what was previously followed, or until the Brown Act is amended.

Now that the rule has been changed, it is the responsibility of the city attorney monitoring the city council meetings to see that the new rule is CONSISTENTLY followed.  On the day that Mayor Quintero announced the new rule, you warned him that it could not take effect immediately, that the public was entitled to "Fair warning".  The same is true if Mayor Quintero wishes to change the rule back.  He cannot have it both ways during any one meeting.

Video of Glendale Mayor Frank Quintero's New Rules for Addressing the City Council

Respectfully,

Hal Weber

halweber@earthlink.net