Meetings

7/22/26 Five present plus councilmember Carolyn Moulton

Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) is required by end of year.  It must be in place before the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP).

FACET report.  Citizen and non-profit input was not addressed.  We pointed out that multiple areas need to come into compliance with SMP and have not yet been addressed by city.  This is key for our current work on CAO.  

Discussed how earlier public involvement on the Herrigstad project could have provided a better outcome and that earlier public participation should be considered in the permitting process for all projects and should not be discretionary.  While citizens may not get what they ask for, they will feel heard and involved.  The Herrigstad project is also an example of how new streamlining permit process would not be helpful in outcome.

Carolyn felt that there are adequate opportunities for public feedback and that many public expectations are impossible to meet.  We expressed disagreement on whether opportunities are adequate but acknowledged that not everyone will get what they want.  We tried to emphasize satisfaction comes from dialogue.   SGA’s position is that neighborhood ward meetings facilitate the flow of information through our ward representative to our city and back.  We also believe smaller ward meetings are more heavily attended than council meetings and can better address local issues.

Carolyn is at large.  She committed to providing meetings at city hall office(scheduled time for open door), senior center, and library and welcomed additional meetings with groups.