Ken Seif, a resident of College Park West, used the meeting’s oral communications period to urge the Planning Commission and city officials to allow more time for public review of large project materials and to avoid scheduling special meetings without representation from the affected district.

Seif said residents need more time to read and digest large CEQA documents and complex project materials and noted that the city’s agenda packet is often posted 72 hours before a meeting. “For the average resident to go through those huge documents ... it’s pretty tough,” Seif said. He urged the city to publish materials earlier than the minimum legal posting window for projects with substantial technical reports.

Seif also raised a fairness concern about special meetings held when a district’s planning commissioner seat is vacant. He said the project under review lies in Mayor Landau’s district and argued that “the district being impacted should have their ... planning commissioner here, so that that commissioner could represent the interests of the community in that area.”

City staff response and context: The City Clerk reported 24 emailed comments had been received and distributed to commissioners. During discussion of the Hellman Ranch item, staff said the city had extended the review period earlier in September at the request of the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust (the hearing was delayed from Sept. 15), and staff noted the timing was intended to avoid the upcoming October holiday period and to keep the item active for public participation.

Why it matters: Seif and other commenters argued more advance publication and clearer notice would allow residents who work, care for children or have other obligations to meaningfully review multi-hundred-page CEQA materials and prepare informed comments. Commissioners acknowledged the public’s difficulty in reviewing lengthy documents and described the packet and CEQA documents as available for public comment for a defined review period in July through September.

Ending: Commission business then moved to the Hellman Ranch public hearing; the commission closed oral communications and proceeded with the agendized items.