Hi Everyone:
PROPOSED MEETING
Zav believes it would be good for Freedom Sleepers to firm up any plans for the July 5 Memorial Demo and clarifying what needs to be done and who can do it. He suggests we meet at 8 PM in front of City Hall at the Freedom Sleeper site on Tuesday night.
Zav has also asked HUFF members (and anyone interested) to be particularly aware of the Budget approval that follows the Consent Agenda (Item #22) probably at 2:45 or 3 PM, which concerns money for public bathrooms (if any). HUFF is encouraging the City to open the City Hall bathrooms 24-hours a day (the “Give a Shit” campaign). Unfortunately the documents giving budget specifics and when items are coming up are not on line at the moment.
UPCOMING COURT HEARING
Also up for possible discussion at the 8 PM meeting (if that’s what we decide) is support for the June 17 Motions Hearing on my two “in the park after 10 PM” citations (10 AM Dept. 1). The issue here is to get the police video and audio released prior to trial. And use the occasion to publicize the City’s continuing harassment of Freedom Sleepers (and, of course, the unhoused community).
There is a chance that the well-documented City staff’s movement of agendas to the sidewalk in December may nullify my tickets (and perhaps those of all other Freedom Sleepers) and show that the arrests were false. My court (not jury) trial before Judge Marigonda is currently slated for June 24 at 10 AM but may be postponed–if the Discovery Motion is granted.
ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA
I’d also add that on the June 14 Consent Agenda at 2:30 PM earlier that day are item #5, expanding triple fine zones for the holidays from the downtown area to include the entire city for July 4, Halloween, and New Year’s. Plus expanding the time affected to 48 hours before and 48 hours after the holiday itself. Pretty serious expansion of police power for harassment (and fund-raising) for minor offenses.
Item #6 kicks down $100,000 for graffiti abatement; item #8 $50,000 for a trash container up at the golf course; item #10 authorizes the City’s whole financial packet without any examination of investments in war profiteering or companies boycotted by the BDS movement (to boycott Israel unless it leaves the Occupied territories); item #11 $36,000 for new police helmets at $350+ a helmet.
If anyone wants to talk on these Consent Agenda items, I encourage you to send an e-mail to a Council member (mposter@cityofsantacruz.com, dlane@cityofsantacruz.com, cchase@cityofsantacruz.com, etc.) asking them to pull the item from the agenda for separate discussion and vote. Or call them at 420-5020 and leave them a message.
NUMBER & LOCATION OF BLUE BOXES NOT SETTLED
The Resolution specifying the number and location of the blue cages, or “exempt zones” (as the blue bracketed areas on Pacific Avenue are called) is NOT on the agenda as anticipated. However the law banning jewelry and other “Commercial” sales and uses, tightening the “move every hour” law, and enacting further restrictions on using the blue cages goes into effect on June 23 or 24th.