Residents press Fullerton council on civility, appointments and Charter City proposal during public comment

Public comment at the Fullerton City Council meeting included sustained criticism of council conduct, concern over a recently surfaced Charter City proposal and calls for fairness in appointments.

Speakers called for professional respect among council members and described prior incidents at council meetings as ‘‘childish’’ and ‘‘petty.’’ Several commenters asked the council to reconsider or apologize for rejecting Kitty Jaramillo for the planning commission; multiple speakers described Jaramillo as highly experienced in planning and building departments and urged reinstatement or reconsideration.

Vince Buck and other speakers criticized the Charter City proposal as opaque and, in Buck’s words, a ‘‘power grab’’ that appeared in agenda materials with little explanation. Buck and others questioned whether the claimed legal benefits — notably resistance to state housing requirements (RHNA) — would survive legal scrutiny, and urged more transparency.

Other public commenters urged stronger enforcement of municipal codes related to shelters and navigation centers and recommended operational changes (transit access, clearer length-of-stay language, and alignment with Anaheim’s updated ordinance language). A number of speakers supported navigation-center services and the city’s updated code to permit recuperative care and bridge housing.

Procedurally, council received the comments; later in the meeting Councilmember Zara moved to appoint Megan Flynnor to the Planning Commission and the motion passed on roll call after a second from Mayor Pro Tem Charles.