Community involvement: SB 1818 vs. the working committee meeting...

Received this email from Tomi Lyn Bowling regarding community participation at working committee meetings...her point is well taken with regard to avoiding public "burnout" however I feel the public is a vital contributor and should not be left to the final hour to get involved. Bowling made it a point when the Samoa Ad Hoc Committee was formed at the last STNC Land Use Committee meeting, to agendise and Brown Act this special working group, therefore making it open to the public. The public is needed to participate and assist the group. Already, the lions share of the research fell to a mere two Ad Hoc members and one community member.

I feel an informed public is the most serious adversary to right the wrongs and this subject is no easy one to comprehend without advance preparation and study; hence a special group to prepare the arguments against the Samoa Project. I also feel the public should be involved at this early stage because it is the best way to understand it all and finally I feel it is better to let a public speak from the heart because they really know what they are talking about rather than chant slogans someone else tells them too!

The best way to get started is to attend tonights STNC Land Use Committee meeting in which Bill Skiles, the chair of the Ad Hoc Working Committee will present the results so far on the Samoa working committee; if you feel moved to participate, attend tomorrow nights working committee meet and roll up your sleeves to help your community! Both meetings are at 7747 Foothill in Tujunga; tonights is at 7pm and tomorrow's is at 7:30 pm.

The email from Tomi Lyn Bowling is as follows:

Hi Terre!

Thanks for spreading the word about the Samoa project!

I just wanted to let you know that there will be meetings in the future, like when the developer comes, and when city council has attendees, where we will need massive outreach and as many people as possible to come and speak out.

These meetings with the team are more of a working group, each one researching and bringing their homework back to coordinate possible avenues to take for getting this project either fixed to make it more compatible to the area or removed from the use of SB1818 etc. If more people want to help with that research and development then that would be incredibly helpful!!!

However, if they think it's a rally meeting or one where they can voice their opposition they may be disappointed. If we have gotten people to come to these working meetings, when they thought it was a chance for them to speak out, they sometimes burn out and feel the meetings are a waste of time.  When we really need all of the shoulders to the wheel and as many voices as possible to be heard is the later meetings when the developer comes.

Just wanted to make sure you let folks know this is a working meeting.

Thanks again for all of your help!

Tomi Lyn Bowling

[And from Kathleen Travers: this invitation to the community has been posted:

I agree with Tomi regarding frustration and burnout from the general public were they to come to the SB 1818 working committee hoping to voice their feelings and concerns, and agree with you, Brock Ba'jer, that the Land Use Committee general meeting might be a better focus for that, especially on dates when City or builder representatives would be there to hear those concerns. However, the working committee could use the immediate volunteer assistance of those with land use public policy experience and knowledge (especially at the State and Federal levels, and/or in housing), statisticians, geologists, certain engineers (particularly structural) and environmental experts (chiefly in air quality and flooding/ground water recharging and contamination). If you think you might be able and willing to help, and can commit several hours and work on a tight deadline, please email me at arspoetica@yahoo.com, or come to the working committee meeting]