On Monday October 19th Ventura City Council is set to discuss and vote on an ordinance to ban expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam - aka Styrofoam - at restaurants and stores citywide. Surfrider has been working on this campaign for over two years and we need your help to get it across the finish line!
Participation in the online City Council meeting on Monday is strongly encouraged! Not many people speak so your short statement can represent thousands of residents. The more community support that we can show for the proposed ordinance, the easier it will be for City Council to approve the ordinance. The meeting starts at 6:00pm on Monday October 19th and this item is likely to be heard between 6:15 and 7:00. Click Here for the City Council meeting agenda that includes this direct link to the online WebEx meeting and info on how to participate.
To provide public comment live, attend the WebEx meeting with audio connected to your computer/device. You will see a chat feature on the right side of your screen. You can write, "I would like to speak on Agenda Item #11A" in the chat. During the discussion of item 11A, the Mayor will call for public comment. The City Clerk will announce those requesting to speak and unmute your mic allowing you to speak to the Mayor and Councilmembers. You will be heard, but not visible on screen. You will have up to 3 minutes to provide your comments. When you are finished, your mic will be muted.
Tips for providing comments:
- Speak about your personal experiences and why an EPS foam ban is important to you.
- Don’t repeat what previous speakers said but a short affirmation of previous speakers is ok.
- Don’t feel that you need to fill up the full 3 minutes of your allotted time. Councilmembers appreciate it when you keep it short and sweet compared to longer and rambling.
Click here to read our support letter to City Council that covers all of the reasons an EPS foam ban is needed.
City of Ventura residents can click here to submit an online action alert that will email all seven City Councilmembers your support.