The group the mayor has assembled to figure out a proposal for a new Chargers stadium will be much different than the one that last met, more than a decade ago, on the same issue.
It will be secret.
It’s not an official city commission, so the group’s hearings will not be subject to open meetings laws and other similar restrictions. The mayor’s spokesman, Craig Gustafson, told me they don’t plan to meet in public at all. He said you can send an email if you want: stadiuminput@sandiego.gov.
So it’s not a city commission but the city is, apparently, handling its email.
That’s a major distinction from the last Citizens Task force on Chargers Issues, which met in public, moved its meetings around the city and let reporters watch. Here’s a reflection from that experience by one of the members, Geoff Patnoe.
The press and public were major features of the meetings back then. Its correspondence and reports are still available on the city’s website.
The Convention Center task force in 2009 was similarly public.
Gustafson said the new task force will be completely separate from the city.
The mayor also hedged a bit on his pledge that what emerges from the group will go on the ballot.
“If there is broad support for the proposal, it will be slated for a citywide vote, which will allow all San Diego voters to have the final say in this matter,” he wrote in his announcement, where you can also peruse the bios of those who will meet. They will choose their own chairperson.
Update: Gustafson emailed to say that the new group, the Citizens Stadium Advisory Group, actually will not be receiving the email sent to stadiuminput@sandiego.gov. He wanted to clarify that address was only for submitting feedback to the mayor. But the group can, I guess, request it through the California Public Records Act: “Like other public information, the group will have access to what’s sent to this email,” Gustafson said.
I’m sure they’ll be filing public records requests for that email right away.
That would mean that, right now, there’s no way for the public to give input to this group.
Some more discussion:
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