Not only was there no doubt that the first reading of massive, thorny, remarkably complex new cannabis regulations was going to sail home a winner last evening, the supremely confident City Council majority repeatedly declared it would not brook criticism of its self-perceived admirable work.
Councilmen Jim Clarke and Goran Eriksson could have stayed home. Actually, Mr. Clarke did phone it in. He was on the line from Palermo, Italy, where he has been holidaying this month.
The final vote was 4-1, with only Mr. Eiksson stoutly holding out.
The tone for the lopsided presumed discussion of historic first-time rules was set – and pronounced settled – at the outset.
Meghan Sahi-Wells, the unofficial Council leader on this favorite political topic, delivered a 23-minute backpatting oration.
Self-referencing regularly, she glowingly spoke about the fabulous job she and subcommittee partner Mayor Jeff Cooper have been performing in designing regulations almost daily since last February.
Whether the Council, especially the Sahli-Wells/Cooper subcommittee, has been open about the process was blisteringly rapped by community members – and harshly rejected by the Council majority.
The most complex governing regulations in the 100-year history of Culver City only were posted last Wednesday – the night before Thanksgiving and a four-day weekend, mere hours before the Council meeting.
After all of that turkey and company, who had time to digest the complicated/incomplete regulations, distressed community members and Council critics wondered?
What is the rush? all asked.
By contrast, days earlier a 120-day extension quickly was granted so that community members could thoroughly study new regulations for the Inglewood Oil Field, a less bombastic debate.
When the oil field comparison was drawn by Mr. Eriksson and community members – including Council candidate Albert Vera – Ms. Sahli-Wells and Mr. Cooper both said the seeming parallels were irrelevant.
They gave the same answer when Messrs. Clarke and Eriksson said they were needlessly rushing the process.
The Council majority had one eye on the January starting date for statewide legalization of retail marijuana.
Mr. Clarke and Mr. Eriksson both wanted to place a temporary on retail on the three projected Culver City cannabis stores until the public has had more input.
The Sahli-Wells-Cooper-Vice Mayor Thomas Small threesome said absolutely not.
Ms. Sahli-Wells said that via social media the community has had ample opportunity to contribute opinions, especially objections.
Although Ms. Sahli-Wells long has cast herself as a tireless champion of community input, she firmly – and frequently – flicked aside criticism of the challenged lack of openness.
She said the allegedly late posting last week was only a technicality. The public, she argued, has been able to access the total information all along.
The only difference, said Ms. Sahli-Wells, is that this time all of the regulations are in one place for the first time.
Yet as recently as last week, Mr. Small declined to assess the state of regulations, saying that his comprehension was much less than Ms. Sahli-Wells’s and Mr. Cooper.