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Public commenters press council on policing priorities and lobbying spending
Summary
Several public commenters criticized the council's policy priorities, arguing police budgets crowd out support for vulnerable residents; another resident urged limits on lobbying spending (citing ~$800,000).
Multiple public commenters used the general comment period to press the council on policy priorities and transparency. Olive Peterson Jacoby (District 5) criticized the council for repeatedly funding police budgets while saying it wants to help vulnerable residents, called attention to hostile architecture and inequitable placement of new amenities, and urged the council to adopt more creative and equitable solutions.
Kenneth Bullock, a long-time resident, raised concerns about the city's lobbyist contracts and spending levels, saying the city "don't need to spend $800,000 on lobbyists" and characterizing that amount as "an obscene amount" given the city's responsibilities. Both commenters asked for stronger engagement and accountability from the council; the transcript records the criticisms but no direct council response in this meeting.
