Posted by Pesky, a resident of the Menlo Park: Downtown neighborhood, on Apr 4, 2012 at 9:10 am

What snark! So citizens who take part in local government issues, and pay attention to what goes on in the city council are derided as "gadfly" pests? Is there a corresponding term for Almanac reporters who regularly attend those same meetings and repeatedly criticize or sensationalize not just the city council, but also now the citizens themselves? No, "professional" is not the term I'm looking for..

Posted by WhoRUpeople, a resident of another community, on Apr 4, 2012 at 9:49 am

Pesky - well said

Posted by Boo Hoo, a resident of the Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park neighborhood, on Apr 6, 2012 at 8:39 am

This is hilarious- the gadflies' feelings are hurt when you call them gadflies! Meanwhile, if you their own comments are all about name-calling:

* You don't think every city employee has to be laid off right now? You're a UNION STOOGE!

* Want to see a new building built someday maybe? You're in the EVIL DEVELOPER'S POCKET!

* You're concerned about climate change? You're part of a UNITED NATIONS CONSPIRACY!

"Gadflies" seems nice, by comparison.

Posted by wants sunshine, a resident of the Menlo Park: Allied Arts/Stanford Park neighborhood, on Apr 6, 2012 at 9:40 am

So, the council cancels these meetings and plans to take off a full month during the summer. Yet it expects the volunteer planning commission to hold public comment, review, and make recommendations about both the Facebook project and the El Camino plan within the span of just a few weeks in early May in the middle of which they have to review the entire Facebook project and EIR, term sheet etc.. No clues as to whether other commissions will be included in the review process for these enormous proposals that will have great long-term impacts on the community.

Ostensibly the schedule is recommended to enhance public input by avoiding summer time public meetings about important topics. Yet,the Facebook project is to be decided the day after Memorial Day!

Perhaps the reason for this condensed schedule is to limit public involvement and comment rather than encourage it?

All of this is to be discussed in a just-announced special council meeting next Monday at 4:30 PM, as an innocuous consent calendar item labeled "Approve proposed revisions to City Council meeting schedule". See April 9th meeting agenda at www.menlopark.org/council/city_council.html

Posted by June 5, a resident of the Menlo Park: other neighborhood, on Apr 7, 2012 at 9:29 am

Keith set the EIR approval of both projects on June 5. June 5 is also supervisor election day. The day Keith set for first meeting on Facebook EIR approval is one week before election day on May 31.

Read the tea leaves.