Currently, it appears that we still have lessons to learn if the recent hearings on our Downtown Community Plan (DCP) are any indication. The hearings put on display both a lack of direction and flawed governance. Many residents who came to speak at the public hearing were unable to enter Council Chambers. The hotel workers’ union, most of whom did not identify themselves as residents and were organized by outside groups, arrived early in matching T-shirts with promises of free pizza to fill the auditorium. They placed their “chits” to speak before residents were able to do so and read from sheets provided by those who, in some cases, paid them to come. This process prevented many residents from expressing their comments and concerns due to the limited available time. City Council subsequently approved the DCP, along with its many faults, benefiting from only limited community input. 

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2017/10/sma-r-t-santa-monica-a-city-searching-for-itself-at-sea/