It is offensive
Supplied machine captions; wording checked against captions, not independently against audio. Bank first supports reevaluating the timeline because staff are stretched thin, then criticizes wildfire-related delay requests from neighborhoods he describes as nowhere near the fires. He distinguishes hearing comments from incorporating them verbatim and says there is still time to comment. His later timeline remarks begin at 51:28.
“But please don't use a tragedy that's devastated the lives of thousands of our community members as an excuse to delay the process because you've not been engaged to date. It is offensive.”
Clip transcript
Automatic captions, formatted for reading.
Finally, we've received some public comment on slowing down the comprehensive plan process due to the wildfires. I completely support and understand the fact that planning staff is stretched thin, as thin as can be. All of city staff is stretched as thin as can be, and it makes complete sense to reevaluate the timeline in response to those issues. Some of those comments, however, have come in seeming to indicate that the wildfires and the impact of the wildfires have caused folks in other neighborhoods that are nowhere near the fires to not have enough time to comment on the comprehensive plan. This staff has done an unbelievable job in reaching out for public comment, and I want to commend them again, as I always do. This public comment for this project has been going on for the thick end of two years. They have talked to thousands of people. They have tabled at events. They have held workshops. We have held workshops into this space. We have held hearings on the matter. If you don't feel as though your comments are being heard, and I want to draw a distinction between comments being heard and comments being accepted and written into the plan verbatim, those are two different things. But if you don't feel that your comments are being heard, there is plenty of time to get your comments in. We are still working on this. Adoption is not for another couple of months yet, and we need to keep moving. But please don't use a tragedy that's devastated the lives of thousands of our community members as an excuse to delay the process because you've not been engaged to date. It is offensive. I was really offended. I've sat on these types of bodies for the best part of a