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Health & Fitness

Public Records Request Made to City of Sonoma by Preserving Sonoma

The Preserving Sonoma Committee today announced that it has delivered a formal Public Records Request to the City of Sonoma pertaining to the city's recent decision to commission an Impact Report pertaining to the Hotel Limitation Measure. The measure has now qualified for a special election ballot, and an election will take place around November 19, 2013.

In it's request addressed to City Manager Carol Giovanatto, the Committee notes:

“As you may know the federal and state constitutions require that cities remain neutral in ballot measure election contests. See Stanson v. Mott, 17 Cal.3d 206, 217 (1976) (“A fundamental precept of this nation’s democratic electoral process is that the government may not ‘take sides’ in election contests or bestow an unfair advantage on one of several competing factions.”). Accordingly, any public funds the City expends regarding the Initiative must be limited to giving a “fair presentation” of “all relevant facts.” Id. At 220.

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This is a particular concern in the City’s request for and conduct of the study in question, and one that will be closely watched by the public. Other than some suggested topics noted in your staff report, no council discussion or direction to staff centered on the scope, content, or areas of inquiry of the report, and no reference to possible positive effects of the initiative were referenced at the Council meeting of July 15.”

In commenting on the request, Preserving Sonoma Committee Chair Larry Barnett noted, “The expressed negativity of several council members to the initiative is worrisome. Now that the City Council has decided to pursue this Impact Report, it is incumbent upon them and the city that it be impartial and fair. To this end, we are trying to ascertain the scope and boundaries of the report and will monitor the process as closely as the law allows.”

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The full text of the request may be viewed at:
http://www.preservingsonomacommittee.blogspot.com/

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