Remarks by Soheila Bana
172 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 7 of 7
Okay. Thank you. And may I ask the city manager, is there a plan b if it doesn't go through?
I'm sorry. I have a quick question So are we approving the text of the ballot measure too? Yeah, that's part of the resolution Can I ask you to remove that comma after rapid it doesn't make sense?
The mayor is nice to me. Mr. Mayor, may I?
So I would like to thank the presenters who are going to introduce themselves and present. AC Transit reached out to me and they've been sharing and communicating about budget cuts, service cuts that are going to affect the community and to inform the community of the extent and depth of the crisis that AC Transit is facing. We are having this presentation. Please go ahead.
I just wanted to thank you for the presentation. Really appreciate it. We understand the difficult times. And we'll do our share of informing the public to vote in favor of this important service to the public. And hopefully our communities will get those Coddisfans back. Is that the plan, that if the measure is approved, those cuts will go back to the way they were?
They're not in effect at this time. Okay. And I have a quick question on this side. So there are big buses with not too many riders. Why doesn't AC Transit use many buses to save costs? on the routes that are essential but not many users.
So Mr. Mayor and my fellow council members, as a council member who has often found myself in the minority, I have at times felt that my perspectives were overlooked and that interactions have been unnecessarily adversarial. For that reason, I believe it's important that I serve under rules, ad hoc committee, the ad hoc committee for rules and regulations. My participation would ensure that the committee benefits from a broader range of perspectives and that its recommendations reflect fairness, transparency, and most importantly, inclusivity for all members of the council. Thank you. So with…
Well, I'm bringing a new motion to the council because the council is to approve. So I'm asking. I have one question.
I make the motion which was the original recommended action.
May I? So... In order to move it the way I'm suggesting, we would say no to the mayor's appointment and then start over again? How does it go? It doesn't make sense that if something comes to the city council, I'm still talking, if it comes to city council for the council's approval, the council needs to have a say in it. I understand your position supporting the mayors, but can we have the legal speak?
Mr. mayor, may I ask you to please appoint me to this ad hoc commission, too?
So may I, Mr. Mayor, can I ask a question from the legal counsel? So can the counsel decide that the ad hoc committee would have three members? How do we go about this?
Yeah, and everybody will be very nice with me as usual. Mr. Mayor, I believe what we're witnessing now shows that it's important and imperative that I be on that ad hoc committee to have a different voice. So I'm asking you again to please reconsider.
It wouldn't. As a matter of principle, we should be as inclusive as possible, especially when we're talking about rules and regulations. We need to make them inclusive.
Mr. mayor, can I just make a quick clarification?
Mr. Mayor? Well, I was just subject to a personal attack by our mayor for my personality. Excuse me, I have to finish. I'm not going to defend myself. I'm just going to say what you just said.
You're making the issue of inclusivity a personal issue.
It's my time to talk, and I don't appreciate being interrupted. You allowed me to talk. Let me finish, please. You turned it into a personal issue and attacked me personally. I do not appreciate it. It is wrong. It is wrong, Mr. mayor.
You said I didn't follow the rules because a proclamation went over 10 minutes into 13 minutes. Is that a good reason to exclude me from rules and regulations committee? Anyway, for the third time, I'm asking you to please consider including me. Otherwise, the vote is no.
Yeah, I remember when the youth came to my office, I think two, three years ago. I wish we could get back to them and say, hey, we are passing it. Wonderful. And I'm glad actually the county's version is a bit more restrictive than ours. So I would like to make a motion that we pass this item with the amendment that you check out the red die.
thank you, Mr. mayor. Thank you for the presentation. I would like to thank councilmember Jimenez for bringing this item forward. When you travel to other countries, especially in europe, you know, those closed streets are the funnest part that the tourists go. So I wish Richmond would have them, but honestly with our budget status, I don't think if we can afford it at this time, so hopefully in the future. I had to fight very hard for the budget for Hilltop Green emergency exit. The fire chief's recommendation for $200,000 for grants of $2,500 to households didn't go through because the city…
So as a member of the hazardous material commission, I would like to report that there's a town hall or public forum in September, and I will bring more information, actually, that sp-954 that councilmember zabeda sponsored was one of the items we discussed there, yeah, along with some other items. We'll be inviting the public to that town hall in September.