Planning commission and ARB have disclosure policies
A long-time city politician is miffed after his request to speak in front of the city council this week was put off.
About three weeks ago Kelly Olsen requested to address the city council at its Feb. 26 meeting about what he feels is a legal necessity — to publicly disclose all private meetings with lobbyists, lawyers and concerned residents that could sway any decision before them.
But Olsen, who chairs the city’s planning commission, received an e-mail from City Clerk Maria Stewart saying Mayor Michael Feinstein had denied to hear his request at this Tuesday’s council meeting.
“I think it’s really important that the city council hear this information and fully understand what their legal obligations are,” Olsen said. “The publics’ feelings about REQUEST, from page 1 government are very cynical. More disclosure can only bring a higher level of trust to the public process.”
Feinstein said some council members would not be present at this week’s meeting so he delayed Olsen’s request until every council member can be present.
“Several council members will be traveling over the next couple of months and we won’t have a full council for a while,” Feinstein said. “If Kelly is asking us to make a change in our policy, then I think it’s important for the full council to be present and involved in that decision.”
This week the city council may approve conceptual plans for a massive Main Street project whose developer, Howard Jacobs, met privately with each council member. Only three of the seven elected officials said they were going to tell the public about the meetings, but after the issue attracted media attention all of the council members disclosed they met with Jacobs.
“In the 17 years I have been involved in Santa Monica politics, I have never seen a legitimate request, turned in on a timely manner, be denied,” Olsen said. “Considering how important this issue is and how timely the topic is, I can’t believe they would put this off.”
Both the planning commission and the Architectural Review Board have adopted policies that force their members to disclose all potential conflicts or information received outside the public record that may sway any decision they make.
Olsen spearheaded the disclosure rule on the planning commission in 2000 and helped spark a similar policy change on the ARB last year.
However, many council members have stated publicly they do not feel a similar rule is necessary for the city council.
“I’m elected to use my judgment and discretion,” said Councilwoman Pam O’Connor. “If we have to disclose everything about anything that comes before us, we would be sitting there all night long.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 25, 2002. Read the original PDF.