Legalectric

Red Wing residents, SPEAK UP!!!

City Council should hear residents’ comments

I’ve been struggling to keep up, what with Mayo visits with Alan’s treatments ending last Tuesday (YEAAA!) and isolation for a few months thereafter; prep for and transmission meetings all over the state; township issues out in the hinterlands on the 6th; and work in general… and it’s true, I have neglected Red Wing city government. Serious error. Wrong time…

In January, the Council passed Resolution 7954, restricting public comment to 3 minutes at the beginning and no comment on specific agenda items as they come up. WHAT?!?!

It’s been brewing for a while. Late 2022, they tried to eliminate virtual meetings, with “my” council member saying “COVID is over,” there’s no need for virtual meetings (statistics and CDC say it isn’t.). That effort failed. Next was an attempt to eliminate virtual commenting, and that was also stopped. Yeah, I resemble that. I’ve seen what “some” are saying about me and my commenting, BY NAME, and I know they don’t like what I’m saying, and I know who you are and why you object. Oh well. Some on the Council object to “someone” making comments on several agenda items, agenda items that really need to be commented on, raising points that I guess make some people uncomfortable. No, you won’t shut me up!

This limit of public participation “started” with a Council Workshop on January 4, 2024. There’s no video, but HERE’S THE RECORDING, starting at 48:40 shortening Ordinance timing, into “Public Hearings” and public comment and no subsequent comment at Council meeting, and then ramping up to the “Public Comment discussion” starting at 1:13. Once more with feeling, here’s the tape:

https://redwingmn.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3339/overview

On to the January 22, 2024 Council meeting. Here’s the packet, start at page 9 of this 37 pdf for the changes for public comment:

Agenda item 11D begins at 1:28:04 — it’s mostly about Public Comment:

https://redwingmn.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3040/media

THIS WAS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY. ONCE MORE WITH FEELING — WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? Listen to the recording and then the video, and then you’ll know.

Coming soon, another post on two other issue from that January 22, 2024 meeting.

That was NOT the meeting to miss. Oh well…