City Council

From: To: Mary Gourley Subject: Public Comment & Hybrid Meetings 2-7-2023 Sebastopol Council Meeting - Agenda Items 11 & 12. Date: Tuesday, February 7, 2023 9:59:55 AM Attachments: ltr-AF"s" CHART - Policies - SoCo Cities Public Comment 2-7-2023.doc Good morning, Mary! I sent the letter and attachment below to each individual councilmember. I would like to make sure it gets in to the public record and to other relevant staff, such as you and Larry. Is this the way to go about it?... through you? Thanks so much. And cheerful blessings to you on a very busy day! Angela Dear Councilmembers, A robust, vital democratic process is critical to the health of our community. Our city council should be encouraging the participation of all citizens - but especially our elders and working families, who have greater time or physical challenges. I happen to represent 25% of Sebastopol's population as an elder (65 years and up). I know a wide range of elders who are often in bed by 8 or 9pm, at the latest. I also know our hard-working families are often in bed not much later. I urge you to ensure that working families and elders can fully engage in our city's political activities. There are two important discussions & votes on today's February 7th Agenda which will make that possible: 1. Moving the Public Comment period to the front of the meetings - like all other cities in Sonoma County. And become the 8th city (of 9) to have a 30 minute Comment period. (Item No. 11) (Also, see attached Chart) 2. Supporting the Hybrid meeting format - so that busy workers, the  home-bound, disabled and elders are able to attend meetings by Zoom without night-driving. (Item No. 12) I look forward to tonight. Thanks for all you do as our representatives. Sincerely, Angela (Ford)