The initiative process was recently used by a grassroots group, but the idea of having to go through that process has led City Council member Bart Hansen to wonder if he and his colleagues have made it too difficult to talk to them on a regular basis
Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com
The initiative process is not used frequently in the city of Vancouver.
That is why it was refreshing to at least once city council member to hear that a group called Save Vancouver Streets did turn in thousands of signatures during election week, in hopes of getting the city to adopt its proposal or, perhaps, get the proposal on the ballot box next year.
“I’m really supportive of the initiative process,” Bart Hansen said this week. “It’s a strong message to Council when someone is that willing to go out and get those signatures, and gets them.
“I say, ‘Hats off to them for going through this process.’ That’s their voice.”
This specific process also has Hansen wondering if this a symptom to a larger problem.
“Folks think they can’t talk to us,” Hansen said.
For about two years now, traditional public comment has been nixed at city council meetings. In its place, the mayor, the city manager, and council members have held a series of community forums.
At one forum in June, witnessed by a reporter at Clark County Today, there was not an official agenda but when people associated with Save Vancouver Streets brought up their issue, they were told they would have to wait until the end of the forum. Instead, city leaders held a long discussion on the city budget, homelessness, and the potential of the Interstate Bridge replacement.
Almost a third of the people in this room raised their hands when asked if they were there to talk about the city streets. They had to wait 70 minutes to get to their subject.
Some left that forum frustrated.
Hansen, who was not at that forum that night, understands.
“If I had it my way, I’d go back to the original citizens comment,” he said, referring to comments at city council meetings.
There is public comment at City Council meetings but those comments must be in reference to whatever is in that meeting’s agenda.
Hansen would prefer going back to public comment, where citizens can voice opinions on any matter. City Council originally changed its rules because there were so many off-topic discussions. It was getting difficult to work on city business. And, to be fair, many commenters seemed to want to bring up off-topic conversations just to get on TV or social media, in hopes of going viral.
Hansen said while that can be frustrating to the council members, it is the way of life of being an elected official.
“The thinking was, ‘We’re here to do business. This is a business meeting,’” Hansen said. “To the average citizen, when they see a City Council meeting, they think they can come down and talk to them. They’re not looking at it as a business meeting. They’re looking at it as a public meeting.
“As long as they can be courteous and respectful, let them have their three minutes.”
It can be difficult to get a council member on the phone. Or a council member might take too long to return an email. But citizens coming to a city council meeting should have their say, Hansen said.
“If you are going to stifle citizens’ opportunity to speak, what you’re really losing is the average citizen saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got a problem,’” Hansen said. “I want them to come down to city hall and talk about whatever’s on your mind for three minutes.”
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Comment at the City Council meetings requires effort. You have to sign up for in person or zoom. Procedures were put in place because some – few – people abused the process and talked “off subject” I don’t want to listen to someone who doesn’t live in Vancouver ramble on forever about how bad our Country is violating International Law
But the “community forums” – one coming up at Evergreen are great.
Open to the public, a “discussion” withe Council members about City policy and actions. It lasted more than hour. Good dialogue, pros and cons of “Save Our Streets” and the budget.
Thing is folks: You have to attend. Publicized widely, only a few people attended.
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Fellow Citizen – I was born in Vancouver and if You were involved in the VCCouncil meetings; You would know I took an Oath at the VBarracks on My 18th bday and started DUTY at the start of the covid inHumane planneDemic when I found out Vancouver, Portland, Seattle, Olympia & 400+ American Sanctuary Cities are following the UN and NOT The CONSTITUTION !$!$ Please look at the VCCouncil cvtv October 24, 2022 2022
i Speak two times – I was illegally’arrested’ when by Law an Officer that grabs a Person is arrested !!! But wait – My Duty to God and His Mysterious Ways has shown The People what Sanctuary Cities do to Citizens who STAND for Their Rights and YOURS !!! We are in BIG trouble if WE do not ASSEMBLE as Our ForeFathers WARNED US to do when a government becomes rulers over THE PEOPLE – WE are the government and welcome to THE GOOD FIGHT. As far as “going off subject “ – if You knew Your Rights – You would see how Our Local governments are suppressing The First Amendment !$!$ By the way – there is a copy of a filed $500,000.00 claim against the VCC for the incident on October 24, 2022 !!!
I wear Gods Armor and when I make a mistake – it’s for Good and not evil Amen. As for Me Speaking about Our Country – You have a wrong impression of how I feel or Serve Our Country but again You are not on My Journey as I Serve God Family and Country Amen.
Kimberlee Goheen Elbon
thegoodfight2day@aol.com
Who here drinks water, breathes air, and eats food? Everything is toxic. Tennessee banned chemtrails. Idaho banned the covid jabs. 5 states are suing Pfizer for lying about the Covid jabs. We use sewer sludge on our farms. Have you seen the recalls? Bill Gates profited of toxic blood clotting Jabs. He owns most of the farmland and GMO food. He owns the Harvard patent on blocking the sun with dust and nano plastic. Are you OK with that? Bill Gates owned over 80% Monsanto’s Round Up. RFK sued him. In masses we still have power if people know the issues and what can be done!
I went to Vancouver’s off site; meet the council public comment session, Monday night. What a joke. They did not have microphones so everyone there could not hear. Council woman Fox never raised her voice so most everyone on my end could not understand what she said. Fox and the mayor just wrote down what people said. They offered no solutions or promise of helping the public’s requests. I did hear they have no money for the public’s demands.
With all this new building, somebody owns it and pays property tax! The council has reserves. (A saving account) They have investments. (Stocks) If they have over $300,000 a year to pay the retired city manager…they have money! The public is their slavery bank because they get their taxation funding through, “We The People’s” pocket books.
I would like to know,” Did council invest in the covid jabs? That would be a conflict of interest while continuing a 2-year lockdown. Clark County Health Board said there was no mandates in Clark County. Councilman Greg Medvigy said that 3 different times at this year’s health board meetings. Then why weren’t the children attending class in person? The lockdowns were a big scam for control and to shut down businesses to take people’s property. Read Agenda 2030. Government wants electric cars without protecting the power grid. Windmills fell during the wind cyclones. The 5Gs cell towers cause cancer, diabetes and mind control. You Tube: Veteran MD drops Bombshell at 5G Hearings by Dr. Sharon Goldberg.
Wake up and crawl out of bed!
Read Naomi Wolf’s book on the Pfizer Papers. Get a public record request for the council’s investments and reserves. In the SF Bay Area, they use to put all the public employees’ salaries in the news paper every year. We need that here so you can see what you are dealing with. What are the salaries and the pensions here?
It’s shocking how much the residents of Vancouver don’t know how their city works! They still think the council they voted for represent them. They don’t know their city manager runs the city and the elected council are figure heads to carry out the manager’s wishes. Your city government is incorporated. (A business to make money). They don’t want your input. They overspend, take raises, while taking away your freedom of speech. City government corporations tax us to death to spend the money any way they want. We are the slaves who they steal from. Vancouver in June, ordered $841,000 worth of Sodium Fluoride to poison Vancouver’s water. Residents have been dumbed down so much this is NOT an issue to them, even though Trump will stop fluoridation Jan. 20, 2025. Vancouver has lead leaching pipes from the corrosive water additives. Toilet to tap is very toxic and cancer causing. The Teflon in your recycled water is very bad. I was shocked most of the Vancouver residents didn’t want to take the Harvard brain damage studies on Fluoridation handouts or the chloramine disinfectant byproduct article, at the meeting. Toxic water cleanup and new pipe replacement would be on top of my list. There is an online petition to stop fluoridation.
Bart Hansen told me a few years back, the people voted fluoridation in in the 1960s. We would have to get an initiative on the ballot to vote it out.
You tube: Dr. Dean Burke: Fluoride is poison.
GO TO VANCOUVER CITY COUNCIL and CLARK COUNTY COUNCIL MEETINGS IMMEDIATELY as they TAX YOU TO DEATH LITERALLY !$!$. CCBoard of HEALTH MEETINGS to read past COMMENTS and discern for YourSelves – ASSEMBLE as Our ForeFathers WARNED US to do when government rules The People – ASSEMBLE NOW !!!