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Residents speak in favor of nondiscrimination ordinance; request more public-comment slots
Summary
Three residents addressed the council to express support for Mesa’s nondiscrimination ordinance and to ask the council to increase the number of allotted public-comment speakers.
Three members of the public addressed the council April 21, offering support for Mesa’s nondiscrimination ordinance and urging changes to the council’s public-comment limits.
Rebecca Temp, who identified herself as a resident of District 2, said she has become acquainted with transgender people and urged protection and respect. “I believe that transgender citizens and transgender individuals are worthwhile and they are valid people and they deserve our respect and our, protection,” Temp said. She told the council she is “grateful to live in a city that has an ordinance to protect these citizens.”
Eric McDonald, who described himself as a Mesa resident and a managing shareholder at a local law firm, thanked the council for adopting the nondiscrimination ordinance (NDO). “The NDO, which ensures civil rights and civil protections for all people, including the LGBT community, does not even apply to these spaces,” McDonald said, referring to churches, closely held small businesses, schools and private homes as spaces the ordinance does not cover. He argued that local enforcement provides a timelier remedy than litigation in federal or state court and thanked the council for “making policy that encourages good behavior towards our fellow businesses, employees, and patrons.”
Alex Vrancik, who identified himself in the record with a District 5 designation, asked the council to consider increasing the number of speakers allowed during the citizen-comment portion of the meeting. “We understand that there's a limit of 3 people at the end for 3 minutes at a time,” Vrancik said. “We'd like to ask city council to consider increasing the 3 to possibly 6 or more so that in the event that there are more people that would like to speak, that they don't feel like they have to race against each other to try to get in line.”
Ending: Council members acknowledged the public comments and the mayor noted that staff and council sometimes follow up with speakers after the meeting, but there was no council action or formal direction recorded on changing the public-comment limits at this meeting.
