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Residents press council on retail theft and request flag‑policy change
Summary
Public commenters urged the council to act on rising retail smash‑and‑grab incidents and asked that the 'commemorative flag' portion of the city's flag policy be removed; business owners requested more visible council engagement with affected retailers.
Public comment at the meeting focused on retail safety and a separate request to change the city's flag policy.
Longtime resident and business owner Mike Grant described a rise in smash‑and‑grab incidents and said small retailers face recurring losses, citing one wig shop hit repeatedly and estimating window and merchandise losses of "$25 to $30,000" each time. Grant urged the council to consider community patrols to help complement police services and pressed members to visit affected businesses.
Brent Sanji asked the council to place an agenda item to remove the 'commemorative flag' section of the flag policy, saying the provision created controversy in 2019 by accommodating one group's repeated requests and that the city should return to flying a standard three‑flag display.
Why it matters: Public‑safety complaints from small business owners and requests to change civic policy both reflect active community concerns; staff did not announce immediate policy changes but the matters were placed on the council's radar for future agenda consideration.
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