Vancouver resident Debra Kalz seeks answers for the councilors’ decision
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com
While we were metaphorically sleeping, the Vancouver City Council decided to do away with being able to address the council as a whole in Citizen Comments on any subject and relegate them to a public form once a month.
I’ve tried to get an answer as to what and why this has taken place. This is the City’s response:
Thank you for reaching out to the City Council regarding your concerns.
Public testimony regarding items on the Council’s agenda is televised on CVTV cable channel 23/323 and live-streamed on http://www.cvtv.org. The City Council decided to provide an additional opportunity for the public to speak with them about any topic of interest, not just those topics on the formal agenda, by adding a monthly community forum following the conclusion of our last regular meeting of the month.
The Council discussed this opportunity and our desire not to televise it at our June 17, 2024, meeting. We have heard from constituents who are not comfortable talking to the Council on camera, and we wanted to make sure all people felt comfortable in these opportunities. We similarly do not televise our quarterly Council Community Forums. You can hear the Council’s discussion on this issue by visiting the June 17 update under City Manager Communications on CVTV.org: https://www.cvtv.org/vid_link/36543?startStreamAt=0&stopStreamAt=5426. The discussion occurs at about 1 hour and 17 minutes.
While we do not televise the monthly community forum opportunities, members of the public who wish to testify remotely are able to do so by registering by 12 p.m. on the day of the Council meeting. The testimony that is provided during the community forum is also audio recorded and can be provided upon request for anyone who wishes to hear that recording. And as with all City programs and services, Vancouver is willing to make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.
Thank you again for your interest in Vancouver City Council meetings and sharing your concerns with us. The City Council members are blind copied on this response for their awareness.
This public forum is not televised.
Here’s the link to the decision of the City Council: https://www.cvtv.org/vid_link/36543?startStreamAt=0&stopStreamAt=5426
It is of my opinion that this makes access to our government very limited and prohibits citizen’s who are unable to attend.
Debra Kalz
Vancouver
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Is VCC controlled/paid by the CCP?
Control at it’s ? You work you pay and hope and pray that Dur State doesn’t Tax you out of your Life! Wake up before it is too late. Maybe it is to Late?
Typical ONE PARTY RULE LIBTARD 🐂💩💯! Coming this was soon increase in property tax STATEWIDE from 1% to 3% with no public input or vote at the ballot box, and anything else they can conjure up to tax in support of their GREEN NEW STEAL, and feeding the DEMTARD PROGRESSIVE MACHINE which is over 7 BILLION over the budget at this time due to gross neglect, and possibly criminal miss management of federal and state funding. I think anyone with half a brain knows exactly where all of that missing funding goes. 🕵️♀️ !
It is quite insulting to call your fellow community members LIBTARD and DEMITARD PROGRESSIVE MACHINE when you know nothing about them. Last I knew people still have a right to different views and some care a little more about saving our planet for our children. That does not mean we agree with everything on either side and everything does not have to be political. .
I call it like I see it. Your party has been hijacked by the PROGRESSIVE LEFT since Trump to office back in 2016, and thanks to the 2020 election being STOLEN by mail in balloting, and ballot harvesting voting fraud, and abuse by a coordinated PROGRESSIVE LEFT movement nationwide what you see in every state is every state is now a border state being over run by ILLEGAL ALIENS comprised of both normal Illegals who have broken federal immigration law, and CRIMINAL GANG MEMBERS which is the direct result of this hijacking.
Thank GOD OKAMA was soundly defeated in the general election by American Citizens who are done with their overreaching DEI, GREEN NEW STEAL
🐂💩💯, and want America to return to normalcy. Elections have Consequences, and the PROGRESSIVE LEFT are about find that out starting Jan 20th under a proven sane, and America loving administration who will put AMERICA 1st unlike this insane, America LAST COMMUNISTA REGIME doing their best to destroy our country from within. Biden is sending BILLIONS of dollars to AFRICA, and UKRAINE while at the same time there are thousands upon thousands of American citizens in North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia who trying to survive the oncoming winter in the mountains in Appalachia with TENTS who have received no financial help or aid after the Hurricane Helena destroyed those areas, and killed thousands which the MSMF refused to accurately report. You are in a minority of sane, rational DEMS that are part of the CLOWN TOWN CIRCUS now comprising your DEMOCRAT party, and I think you know that already.🧐
If You watch the Vancouver City Council meeting (VCC) of OCT. 24, ‘22 that’s 2022 – look at the last 10 minutes to see the Vancouver mayor tell her Police to take Me out of the building. He injured Me – I went to the hospital to make a report with pictures. Angus Lee took My case and filed a $500,000 claim. Three months later he dropped My case stating he’s too busy. WE PATRIOTS need a Constitutional Attorney here in Clark County !!!
After Oct. 24, ‘22 the VCC took the Citizens three minutes on any topic away; having only three minutes every three months called Community Forum which is a Socialist round table not recorded; which was and is violating Our First Amendment Rights !!!
After two years passing with Vancouver Citizens unaware their Open Public Comments were gone and many comments from Me to The People – VCC gave Citizens a once a month time to Speak AFTER the VCC meeting is adjourned !!! Not recorded !!!
This VCC, Portland, Eugene, Salem, Seattle, Bellingham, Spokane, Olympia and over 400 American Cities ARE UN members not following The Constitution but a UN Agenda 21-2030 !$!$. All of these ‘UN’ Cities ARE Sanctuary Cities harboring illegal immigrants at Hard Earned Tax Dollar$ (HETD) and using already depleting Resources – water, food, housing, jobs, crowded schools, drugs, corrupting Our Voting system in population count and the list goes on and on.
There’s a reason for the VCC and Clark County Council (CCC) to quiet The People – CONTROL !!! It’s a takeover at GrassRoots government. In these ‘UN’Cities , the Elected Officials hire Managers that DO NOT Represent The People but the corporate City or County; undermining The Peoples’ Right to govern Our government !!! Read Agenda 21-2030 John Birch Society to discern for Yourself.
We are experiencing a planneDemic to carry out this agenda and it’s a nightmare The People are starting to wake up to. We must ASSEMBLE as Our ForeFathers WARNED US to do when a government becomes dangerous !!! I Speak weekly at VCC, CCC and other local City meetings including the Planning committees ! I consider it My DUTY and RIGHT. I do it for God, Family and Country Amen. ASSEMBLE – call or inPerson !!!
Budgets have been PA$$ED – taxing US ‘till death and no one in Assembly so they continue to grow bigger and more controlling over The People.
FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT and look at weekly City and County Council meetings’ Agendas and find a cause to champion for Our Freedom and Liberty !!! Study the GMA, Comp plans etc. Learn that the managers ARE the boss and ARE NOT ELECTED !$!$
The past VCC manager Eric Holmes retired at $320,000 (est) a year – that’s $887 A DAY or $27,000+ A MONTH !$!$. Same for the new manager – unElected !!! County manager also.
Both VCC & CCC have stated on Record the PUBLIC SAFETY is their number one PRIORITY – then why defunded Police ? Why such high pay for unElected employees and staff; but We The People must pass a LEVY for Those who put Their Lives on the line for US !?! By the way – CCC want to pa$$ the Levy Lid Lift – tax tax tax. Why are Our incarcerated People not having adequate defense ? Why does CCmanager have CONTROL over Our Elected Sheriff’s Department !?!
VCC $43 million deficit – CCC can’t quit $pending for big government either so look forward to more taxes to cover their OVER $PENDING !!!
I could go on and on as I’ve attended meetings for over three years Speaking to The People to PLEASE ASSEMBLE NOW !!!
Kimberlee Goheen Elbon
thegoodfight2day@aol.com SEE YOU THERE
You are not even a resident of the City of Vancouver. Go waste the time of the council where you live with your nonsense. And, trying to bilk the Vancouver resident taxpayers out of $500k? Despicable.
If City Clowncil isn’t listening to the citizens, who are they listening to??
The answer is, Clowncil listens to their highly paid staff who tell them exactly what they want to hear.
I refer specifically to examples like $500,000 worth of DEI Staff salaries, or $500,000 worth of “Homeless Assistance” Staff salaries.
Do you have a problem with a “warming shelter” right next to your elementary school?? You can’t talk to a Clowncil member, but Jamie Spinelli will take a written question online. Don’t like what Clowncil is doing to your neighborhood with “Complete Streets”?? The City will sue to ignore you and your petition against it.
You get what you vote for, but you also get what you tolerate. Personally, I am sick to death of the virtue signalling and the impenetrable Progressive bubble Vancouver City Clowncil operates in.
Long past time for some fresh faces Downtown, that are not just the latest favored appointees.
Well stated! How true!
🎯💯!