If you want to weigh in on major legislation in Oakland at public meetings in the future, be prepared to arrive at City Hall early.<\/p>\n
Last month, the City Council approved changes<\/a> that affect how the public can participate in meetings. Under the old rules, the councilmembers had to wait until 5 p.m. before they could discuss legislation that wasn\u2019t on the consent calendar \u2014 a long list of resolutions and other legislation that the council usually approves with minimal to no discussion at the beginning of their meetings.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, public hearings about important policies and laws can happen shortly after council meetings start, around 3:30 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is one of several changes to the council\u2019s rules of procedure that Councilmembers Janani Ramachandran and Kevin Jenkins say will streamline city meetings.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Councilmembers Ramachandran, Jenkins, Ken Houston, Zac Unger, and Rowena Brown voted for the reform.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some councilmembers argued that the change in times for public hearings will ensure lawmakers are fresh and alert when discussing contracts, ordinances, and other significant legislation.<\/p>\n \u201cI am not at my best at midnight,\u201d said Unger at a previous meeting regarding these proposed changes.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s not unusual for council meetings to run late into the evening. For example, the Dec. 16 meeting where the timing change was approved ran until about 9:30 p.m. At one recent meeting, a councilmember appeared to fall asleep<\/a> while residents were sharing comments about a controversial plan to pay for scores of surveillance cameras.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some members of the public say the change isn\u2019t a good idea. During last month\u2019s council meeting, residents who spoke about the legislation urged the council to vote against it, with most raising concerns that it will make it harder for people to participate in major decisions.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe see this as a way to limit participation, particularly by working people who cannot come to meetings in the middle of the afternoon,\u201d said Jeffrey Levin, a senior director of policy for East Bay Housing Organizations.<\/p>\n Councilmember Carroll Fife argued that people with 9-5 jobs won\u2019t be able to address important legislation.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the Dec. 16 council meeting, Fife was also upset with her colleagues for bringing legislation to the full City Council for a vote even though the proposals previously failed to garner support.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI am not exactly sure why we are here today after this item failed so spectacularly,\u201d Fife said at the meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n