Let's stop the subtle bullying, fear mongering, Brown Act violations, gaslighting and obstructionist behavior in Alhambra City Hall and let's get more public participation, good governance and transparency.  This town belongs to 88,000+ residents, not a handful of multi-millionaire developers.

Please sign this grassroots petition!

Call for Transparency, Due Diligence and Good Governance in Alhambra City Hall’s Planning Commission 

Whereas according to Alhambra City Charter #2.24.080 the duties of the Alhambra Planning Commission are to serve as a “consulting and advisory board to the City Council with respect to zoning and planning matters” and in order to do so the Planning Commission needs to have requested information from the Community Development Department Staff in a timely and consistent manner so they can fully deliberate and not fall prey to fear of the unknown, rumor or speculation; 

Whereas Alhambra City Charter #2.24.100 states, “All officers, departments and department heads of the city shall render cooperation and all reasonable and necessary assistance to the City Planning Commission and its officers and employees,” in other words assistance and cooperation in providing factual information as opposed to  opinions like Deputy Director of Community Development’s Dec. 19 opinion that the City needs to ‘remove impediments for development”;

Whereas there have been 8 Planning Commission meetings between August 1-December 19 for Zoning Update, each meeting with quorum, but several opportunities for Zoning discussions were curtailed by Community Development Department Staff:

-       Sep. 6 Community Development Department Staff had technical difficulties and cancelled the meeting; 

-       Sep. 19 the Planning Commission requested a Special Meeting to make up for unfinished business before their October 3 Regular Meeting, but the Community Development Staff only offered Sep. 28 as a date instead of any of the other 10 weekdays preceding the Oct. 3 Regular Meeting.

-       November 6, one staffer would be on vacation but the Community Development Department scheduled no other senior staff (Andrew Ho / Vanessa Reynoso) to continue the Zoning Update presentation for the Commission, therefore there was no Zoning discussion at the Nov. 6 Regular Planning Commission meeting

-       Dec. 19, the Community Development Staff had decided to cancel the Planning Commission’s January 2 Regular meeting out “out of courtesy” for staff without the Commission’s input, at which point the Commissioners took a vote to reinstate the January 2 Regular meeting 

Whereas at numerous meetings, the City Staff from the Community Development Department have not been able to answer Planning Commissioners’ questions, nor provide Planning Commissioners’ requested documentation prior to voting, 

Whereas the community expects meaningful, non-restrictive, and accessible participation from the public in this process, including but not limited to being allowed to speak without interruptions from the Commissioners unless to ask for clarification from the speaker, to be heard before – not after -  the Commission takes a vote or does “straw poll” votes, and to attend in person or online meetings according to their comfort level with technology and/or preference;

Whereas in the Zoom webinar format, the public cannot see which of their Commissioners are present, who has their hands raised for votes, or who else is in the meeting;

Therefore be it resolved that we the Public are calling for the following to immediately take place immediately in our Alhambra Planning Commission:

-       City Staff refrain from cancelling meetings when Commissioners can make quorum and/or have other Staff continue the proceedings 

-       City Staff refrain from airing their opinions unless they are backed up with research and data

-       City Staff provide drafts of previous versions of draft language with dated revisions clearly visible

-       City Staff inform the Commissioners the source of information told to them by second or third parties

-       City Staff provide name and/or title of a person when referring to any other governmental office, including City of Alhambra and refrain from referring to “Staff” in their written and oral presentations or minutes

-       City Staff include the names of the commissioners that voted yes/no in any ‘straw poll’ votes in the minutes from the Aug-Dec meetings 

-       Planning Commission refrain from discussing items and/or voting on them until City Staff have provided the Commission with any requested information, and it has been posted on the City’s website with the agenda 72 hours in advance of a Regular Meeting and 24 hours in advance of a Special Meeting, as per the California Brown Act

-       Planning Commission hear the public before any votes are taken

-       Planning Commission only interrupt the public for clarification purposes 

-       Planning Commission extend more public participation options to encourage community engagement and retire the Zoom Webinar format for meetings, switch to hybrid meetings like other cities have, and when Zoom meeting format is used, ensure Commissioners turn on their video at all times