Public Comment -- and Ranting -- May Yet Come to City Committee Meetings

By Joe Eskenazi Mon., Oct. 19 2009 at 6:30 AM

Categories: Government, Politics

You may yet get your say at a committee meeting, Mr. Beale...

Last month, SF Weekly wrote about a measure we feared would lead to, how shall we put it, "loons droning on, endlessly, during committee meetings." Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, the measure's author, assured us that wouldn't happen, however.

She may well be right, but no one will find out for quite some time -- if ever. Last week, Alioto-Pier's colleagues on the supes' Rules Committee, Chris Daly and David Campos, voted not to send her measure to introduce public comment time during committee meetings to the full board.

Could this have something to do with Alioto-Pier's legislation stemming from a Sunshine Ordinance Task Force ruling chiding Daly for refusing to allow a member of the public to speak during a committee meeting? As Bugs Bunny used to say, "hmmm, could be."

In any event, one of Alioto-Pier's staffers promised us this was just a "temporary setback."

Alioto-Pier has a wealth of options before her on how she can advance this stalled measure. She may tinker with it and attempt to move it through rules committee once more.

Or, Alioto-Pier could introduce it as an ordinance to the full board -- at which point she would need to find five other like-minded supervisors to ensure passage. Or, she could include this material in a Sunshine Ordinance Task Force ballot proposal during a forthcoming election.

Measured speeches, ranting loons, or both may yet come to a committee meeting near you.