https://www.ourvalleyvoice.com/2015/06/04/council-votes-on-how-to-put-an-item-on-the-agenda/ In-depth, locally-produced coverage of the Central Valley. Sat, 23 May 2026 17:13:24 -0700 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.ourvalleyvoice.com/2015/06/04/council-votes-on-how-to-put-an-item-on-the-agenda/#comment-1475 Renee Lapin Wed, 10 Jun 2015 09:39:38 +0000 http://www.ourvalleyvoice.com/?p=18502#comment-1475 Ms. Freeman says, “I’ve also asked them to be frank with me and let me know if they plan to take the nearly $4000 to get it on the agenda and then just shoot it down." That's not how government works. A resident might have to pay $6000 with an applicaton to Permits and Planning, even more, just to see if he or she can get his block re-zoned...or if a second home can be built on his own property. There's *never* a promise, even a hint in advance, that a proposal would be approved. City hall departments are *staff*... not the same branch of government as Council (elected legislators). Later on it may be necessary, in addition, to deal with the Planning Commission. The same applies to the possibility of a ballot initiative--there are no guarantees that the majority (of 52,000 registered voters) would be interested in a code that allows farm animals of any type, much less accept it. Moral of the story? "You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs." :-D Ms. Freeman says, “I’ve also asked them to be frank with me and let me know if they plan to take the nearly $4000 to get it on the agenda and then just shoot it down.” That’s not how government works. A resident might have to pay $6000 with an applicaton to Permits and Planning, even more, just to see if he or she can get his block re-zoned…or if a second home can be built on his own property. There’s *never* a promise, even a hint in advance, that a proposal would be approved. City hall departments are *staff*… not the same branch of government as Council (elected legislators). Later on it may be necessary, in addition, to deal with the Planning Commission. The same applies to the possibility of a ballot initiative–there are no guarantees that the majority (of 52,000 registered voters) would be interested in a code that allows farm animals of any type, much less accept it. Moral of the story? “You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.” 😀

]]> https://www.ourvalleyvoice.com/2015/06/04/council-votes-on-how-to-put-an-item-on-the-agenda/#comment-1474 Renee Lapin Wed, 10 Jun 2015 09:32:30 +0000 http://www.ourvalleyvoice.com/?p=18502#comment-1474 "To put the approximately 1300 signatures into perspective, in the 2013 election, John Crabtree secured a seat on the Visalia Unified School Board with 809 votes over his opponent David Alviso." Unfortunately this paradigm can't be applied to a resident petition for placing an item on a Council agenda. The VUSD board is divided into seven separate districts; that trustee had to be officially voted in by a majority of constituents in his district. In the case of agendizing a hearing regarding the goats, it would have to be approved by a majority of willing Council members --and there's no known correlation between petition signatures and how the five Council members would end up voting. “To put the approximately 1300 signatures into perspective, in the 2013 election, John Crabtree secured a seat on the Visalia Unified School Board with 809 votes over his opponent David Alviso.”
Unfortunately this paradigm can’t be applied to a resident petition for placing an item on a Council agenda. The VUSD board is divided into seven separate districts; that trustee had to be officially voted in by a majority of constituents in his district.
In the case of agendizing a hearing regarding the goats, it would have to be approved by a majority of willing Council members –and there’s no known correlation between petition signatures and how the five Council members would end up voting.

]]> https://www.ourvalleyvoice.com/2015/06/04/council-votes-on-how-to-put-an-item-on-the-agenda/#comment-1462 Skip Athey Sun, 07 Jun 2015 16:16:04 +0000 http://www.ourvalleyvoice.com/?p=18502#comment-1462 How does a citizen put an item on the agenda? How does a citizen put an item on the agenda?

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