Board of Aldermen 06-22-2021 Page 9
well how do | say this — after you determine it’s necessary, you have to schedule a public hearing that has to
be noticed in the newspaper. When you get word back from the three State officials, you will then have to
finalize the language taking into consideration what you hear in the public hearing, taking into consideration
what those three State officials had to say. If they say anything other than go ahead, you look okay.
Once they say that or don’t say that, you have seven days to finalize that language. If you change the
language, you need to schedule another public hearing. Again, it has to be advertised in the newspaper in
advance. My understanding is if this drags along beyond the first week in September, we will miss the
opportunity to place it on the ballot this year. So you may, in fact, run into a time crunch at some point in the
process.
Alderman Lopez
With respect to Alderman Lu’s concerns that this undermines the public input process, if we vote tonight and
do determine that it's necessary to move forward with it, and then the committee does not recommend it, or if
there is public comment that Aldermen ultimately don’t choose to accept the language, this doesn’t move
forward. It would just go into legislative abyss is that correct?
Steve Bolton, Corporation Counsel
This doesn’t commit you to putting it on the ballot. It doesn’t commit you to the existing language. Itjustisa
determination that it is necessary and this context necessary does not mean absolutely necessary. It means
more a can do being appropriate and helpful. So you are not irrevocably committing anything and in fact it
doesn’t change the Charter until the voters vote to approve it if they ever do.
Alderman Lopez
Thank you.
President Wilshire
All set Alderman Lopez?
Alderman Lopez
| would just comment! guess that in my opinion voting to identify it as necessary is giving the voters an
opportunity to directly weigh in on an issue that over this past year has directly affected them. | think it does
place some bearing on the timeliness of the responses that we’ve gotten. In terms of direction, while largely |
think Public Health and the Board of Health have done an outstanding job under a lot of duress | think having a
larger capacity might have enabled them to explore issues a little bit more closely.
Alderman Klee
Thank you Madam President. | agree with Alderman Lopez. | like many of us here attended a lot of the Board
of Health meetings and often times there were just two people and we would hear “we're going to have to
continue this” because one of them had to leave. It’s no reflection on them, it’s just the process of there’s only
three people. So! do believe that we will have less issues if we do, in fact, go with the five. I'd like to atleast
start the process of making that determination and | will be voting for this.
President Wilshire
Anyone else? Alderman Jette.
