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Public commenter urges Agoura Hills to reconsider pledge usage and calls for e-bike enforcement and sanctuary status feedback
Summary
A public commenter raised concerns about the pledge of allegiance, urged the city to consider sanctuary-city policies, and said the city should take a proactive role on electric-bike enforcement rather than asking citizens to pursue state rules.
A member of the public, identified only as Jennifer, used the public-comment period to press several issues to the City Council, including sanctuary-city status, the pledge of allegiance and enforcement of electric-bike rules.
Jennifer said she previously asked the city about becoming a sanctuary city and did not receive a response. She said she declined to stand for the pledge of allegiance at the meeting and described the pledge’s reference to "God" as exclusionary to people with other faiths or no faith. "Please remind yourself of the last words of the pledge of allegiance with liberty and justice for all," she said, and urged the council to consider suspending the pledge until its promises are reflected in policy.
Separately, Jennifer raised concerns about electric bikes near schools and on local streets. She said she met with the sheriff and others, who told her they had spoken with teachers and students but that conditions had not changed. She said that because California’s DMV treats many electric bikes as bicycles, the city needs state-level rule changes or city-led advocacy to improve identification and enforcement; she cautioned that asking individual citizens to lobby Sacramento is not feasible for most residents.
Jennifer’s comments were part of the non-agendized public-comment period; council members did not respond substantively during that time, consistent with the city’s stated public-comment procedures.
