Residents deliver referendum petitions and press council on development density and outreach

Several residents addressed Clayton City Council to report a referendum petition and urge greater public engagement on recent development approvals.

Patrick Ernst told the council that petitioners filed 37 packets totaling 1,043 signatures with the Montgomery County Board of Elections seeking repeal of Ordinance 012502, which council approved March 6 by a 4–3 vote. Ernst said petition paperwork had been delivered to the law director and city manager in accordance with the charter and that, once the county certifies the petitions, council will be required under the charter to reconsider the ordinance.

Several other speakers, including Anna Ernst and Courtney Hart, said they and volunteers had gone door to door in neighborhoods south of State Route 40 and found broad opposition to recent higher‑density housing proposals. Anna Ernst said many residents she spoke with were not aware of the proposals or how to participate in planning and urged council to reconsider current development standards. Courtney Hart said a prior petition had shown strong resident support for the city's "keep‑it" position (she cited a 77% vote in a past petition) and urged council to heed current petitioners' concerns about school capacity, traffic and police response times.

City staff and council did not take immediate action on the petitions during the meeting; staff will receive the copies of petition materials and the Montgomery County Board of Elections will certify signatures before any charter‑required reconsideration occurs.