The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is reviewing a complaint from the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and Environment, citing a Brown Act violation for failing to allow public comment.
SCOPE members, including President Lynne Plambeck, wrote to board members on April 9 and demanded a “cure and correction” for what she called “an error in not allowing Lynne Plambeck, representing our organization, to speak at this meeting during the public hearing and additionally by not allowing or accommodating any public comment at all.”
Since the letter’s issuance, supervisors have not yet responded as it is currently in review, according to Brenda Duran, executive officer for the Board of Supervisors.
“At this time, our counsel is currently reviewing this complaint. Therefore, a determination on the response is not currently available,” she said via email Tuesday.
The incident, as mentioned in the letter, dates back to March 10 when Plambeck attended the supervisors’ meeting to provide input on an agenda item related to an easement for the Spring Canyon project on Soledad Canyon Road, where more than 500 homes are slated to be built between Shadow Pines and Agua Dulce.
She planned to provide comment “on matters that we believed would inform your decision on this issue,” but was unable to give a comment after waiting past 4:30 p.m., when she was told the item would continue to March 24, the letter read.
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the March 17 and 24 meetings were canceled and SCOPE alleges that the Board of Supervisors “failed to devise a means of taking public comment as required by law.”
In the letter, SCOPE now asks that the board rescind the approvals granted on the item and reschedule the public hearing to “a time and date when the public may address you on this matter.”
