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Residents urge council to consider Safe Haven baby box and allow longer comment time
Summary
Two residents urged El Campo officials to permit a Safe Haven baby box in the city and asked the council to schedule a longer public-comment slot so proponents can present liability research and examples from other communities.
At the public-comment portion of the meeting, Jane Smith (speaker 9) asked the council to give her more than the standard three minutes at a future meeting so she could present detailed information about installing a Safe Haven baby box in El Campo and suggested the city attorney contact Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Indiana to ask liability questions.
"I am here asking again for the city council to give me more than 3 minutes, maybe in 2 weeks, so I can talk to you about Safe Haven Baby Boxes longer than 3 minutes," Smith said. She described confusion about liability if electricity fails and recommended processes used elsewhere to avoid legal exposure, saying her research indicated some sites place a sign and temporarily remove a box from service if power is lost while coordinating with the Indiana organization.
A second resident (speaker 11), who identified herself as Smith's sister and a longtime CASA volunteer, recounted child-abuse cases she encountered and urged council support for the box as a safe alternative for newborns. She said community groups including the Rotary Club and local clergy had offered support.
Council did not take action on the request during the meeting; staff and councilors acknowledged the request and invited the resident to return with more information and to coordinate with staff on scheduling.
