Opinion: Supervisors to Hear Ordinance to Limit Your Rights
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Sun, 05/01/2022 - 2:20pm
Event Date:
May 5, 2022 (All day) This Thursday, our Board of Supervisors will hear the first reading of a municipal ordinance that will drastically change the ability of citizens to voice their opposition to decisions made by the planning commission. Currently, our code allows any "aggrieved party" to appeal decisions made by the Planning Director, the Planning Commission, the Historical Commission, and the Growth Management Commission, to our elected Board of Supervisors.
The proposed ordinance requires the "aggrieved party" must have participated in the planning commission process by submitting or making public comment and " possess a real or personal property right that has been adversely affected by the decision..." This definition of "standing" mean that citizen groups and community advocates will not have a means to address issues beyond the three-minute public comment period or if the board of supervisors grants them an invitation to speak.
The District Attorney proposal will effectively limit your right: to redress by placing limits on your free speech, and this will give even more power to our city government to squash any opposition. This comes on the heels of the Planning Commission decision to approve a slaughter house on highway 50 despite overwhelming public opposition. Three courageous citizens filed appeals to the Board of Supervisors. At the meeting, the former President of the Planning Commission argued that the Board of Supervisors should reject the community opposition and support the Planning Commission's decision. You read that correctly: our planning commissioner essentially stated "Listen to us, not the community."
Fortunately, three members of our Board did listen to the community and voted to overturn the Planning Commission decision.
The issue for all of us is that in this age of reduced access to government and suppression of the Constitutional rights of redress, our Board of Supervisors has an agenda item that specifically intends to limit citizens' right to have a voice. The DA may be well intentioned, but our Board is not a court of law where the limiting definition of standing applies. Our Board is a deliberative body comprised of our elected representatives who first, and foremost, serve the citizens of our community.
The city staff and administrative bodies this ordinance would shield from appeal make decisions that involve: our master plan, the downtown, the historical district, the corridors, housing density, zoning, growth, etc. I suspect the silent majority appreciated the citizens and organizations that stood up for your rights and were at least able to present their argument to the Board of Supervisors, on the slaughter house. This “citizen's right” will soon be dissolved if the DA measure passes.
The DA’s proposal “is not” in the best interests of any voter, citizen or resident of our community. It is, quite literally, an effort to deprive our community of its voice. Please submit public comment to publiccomment@carson.org and contact your elected Supervisor before Thursday to let them know you oppose this effort.
Bagwell, Lori Mayor, (775) 283-7144
Giomi, Stacey Supervisor Ward 1, (775) 283-7582
White, Maurice Supervisor, Ward 2 (775) 283-7934
Jones, Stan Supervisor, Ward 3 (775) 283-7932
Schuette, Lisa Supervisor, Ward 4 (775) 283-7933
