I read with interest the letter in your May 8 newspaper, “Public comment rules favor the few.” The writer referred to the Oral Communications portion of the Encinitas City Council agenda, during which citizens have three minutes to raise concerns.
Sometimes those concerns involve a particular neighborhood or community, and sometimes they are citywide.
Public comments are my favorite part of the agenda because they bring a kaleidoscope of citizens’ concerns to the mayor’s and City Council members’ attention and help them do their jobs.
What public comments are not is a platform to dominate and smother the comment period with organized, vindictive verbiage. Lining up speakers ahead of time who all plan to speak on the same subject eclipses the right of others to have a voice and is not the purpose of the agenda’s Oral Communications section.
It has always been the process that a speaker be present in person to fill out a white speaker slip. Despite Theresa Beauchamp’s titled letter to the contrary, that process has not changed.
The veiled focus of Ms. Beauchamp’s letter is actually twofold: to chip away at the current mayor and council’s policies and decisions because she and her like-minded group are still upset their candidates were not elected.
I can’t do much about some people’s political feelings toward the current officeholders, except to say that I helped incorporate this city, served as mayor and council member, and support this current team. Do I agree with every decision? No, and they hear from me — sometimes for three minutes during Oral Communications, because that is my right and my time as a citizen.
Steven Houbeck was appointed by the mayor and council to serve on the Urban Forest Committee on Feb. 18, and for the past three months, members of the Encinitas West African Dance Community and Ms. Beauchamp — who is not a member of the dance group — have repeatedly called for his resignation during public comments at nearly every meeting.
What caused this flare-up? In a Facebook post, Mr. Houbeck described the image of an African drum and dance group performing at the high school as “Blacks dressed in tribal gear banging on drums.” It was not a well-considered comment on his part, but it hardly rises to the level of repeatedly calling for his removal from his appointed position.
In fact, Houbeck was bewildered because he felt the image did not convey the greatness of Africans in the modern era.
Houbeck has apologized numerous times for his comments but has not connected directly with his critics.
On the other hand, Rachel Leshaw, co-founder of the West African Dance Community, says she has offered to meet with Houbeck several times and has received no response. Hmm, there seems to be a communication problem here.
However, I think I can suggest something regarding the concern between the West African Dance Community and Houbeck. It is a creative proposal that I hope will promote education, mutual respect, understanding and a resolution of differences.
Mr. Houbeck has agreed to learn by doing and wants to take a class with the Encinitas African dance group. I contacted Rachel Leshaw, and she is willing to provide him a lesson through immersion. I want to participate, too, because I haven’t had a chance to do African dance since college, and I’m looking forward to it.
Only in Encinitas!
Sheila S. Cameron is a former Encinitas mayor and council member.
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