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Newsletter of August 9 2020

Image of cell tower and EMF

August 9, 2020 Newsletter
Keep Cell Antennas Away From Our Elk Grove Homes
(a grassroots campaign that derives its strength from you!) 

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August 9, 2020

Contents

News

 

City of Elk Grove to hold a community meeting conference call on 5G
on August 10 (tomorrow!) at 7:00 p.m.  

Action items

Becoming a better cell antenna opponent

Top 12 Mistakes to Avoid When Tackling 5G “Smart” City Grid Roll Outs in Your City:  A podcast from the unstoppable leader of Moms Across America.

Getting the word out

How to use this newsletter

City Council meetings and public comments

Contact

Questions?  Suggestions?  Feel free to send your ideas and offers to help!

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City of Elk Grove community meeting online on 5G August 10 at 7:00


August 9, 2020

Dear Elk Grove residents,
I realize that many of you on my subscriber list are not Elk Grove residents.  Thank you for your interest and support!  We have gotten the City to agree to hold a community meeting conference call on 5G tomorrow night, August 10, at 7:00.   As much as I like to include everybody, for political reasons feel free to join this call if you live in Elk Grove or forward it to your friends here but if you live in another city please do not join.  The City would probably use that to their (and AT&T’s advantage).  

We want the City to see that many Elk Grove residents are interested and opposed to cell antennas near homes and schools.  The more of us who are involved the better.  

The immediate issue is the AT&T application 19-07227 for permits for 5 cell antennas including one at Monterey Trail High School, 8661 Power Inn Road, and the effect that will have on students and nearby residents.  

The bigger issue is cell antenna permitting in the city of Elk Grove and how the City will handle it.  Where will the cell antennas go?  Near your home or your child’s school?  

Jeff Werner in the City’s Public Works department wrote on August 6:  

“During the meeting we intend to provide concerned residents with information on the small cell process and the status of the permit application. We appreciate your concerns and recognize that you may have additional questions once you receive the response to your PRA request. Please note that moving forward with the meeting on the 10th does not preclude us from conducting additional meetings in the future. 

In order to join the meeting, participants must register for the meeting in advance. To register, please use the following link

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UCCeeQFpSf2g07UwQEyiCw

Feel free to share this link with your neighbors who wish to participate in the meeting. 


(End of Jeff Werner quotation.) 

Jeff’s contact info is 
t 916.478.3602
c 916.216.2397
jwerner@elkgrovecity.org

You will have an opportunity to ask questions of the City staff.  We proposed an agenda for this meeting but the City disregarded it and did not propose an agenda.  Apparently the City wants to just wing it and did not want to commit to discussing anything in particular.  During the call you can call them out on that. 

Can you make it?  I hope so.  Feel free to ask me any questions before the meeting.  

I hope you will join the call and make your voice heard.  This is a long term health issue for all of us.

Many thanks, 

Mark Graham

Keep Cell Antennas Away From Our Elk Grove Homes
http://www.keepcellantennasawayfromourelkgrovehomes.org/

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Getting the word out

How to use this newsletter

Dear Reader,

The hyperlinks in this newsletter may work better if you view it in your browser. 

Please share this news with your friends and neighbors, especially parents of EGUSD students.  Please share this message and follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Next Door too. 

Also, please send me your cell phone number.  It will be easier for us to stay in touch.  I will only use it for purposes of this campaign and you can unsubscribe from that at any time. 

Together we are stronger.  Thank you.
Mark Graham
http://www.keepcellantennasawayfromourelkgrovehomes.org/ 

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Image of MG at City Council

Update on our school board action on July 21, 2020.
 

Many thanks to everybody who wrote to the Elk Grove Board of Trustees, aka the school board, for their last meeting which was on July 21. Give yourself a pat on the back and a big round of applause. During the public comments portion of the meeting Ms. Pinkerton of the school district read my comment aloud, which was in the newsletter I had sent out, and said that there were 12 “supporting” letters or public comments. She read the names of those people including 2 who were anonymous.  Many thanks to Sara, Diane, Lynn, Leila, Joe, Lei, Cathy, Sarinder, Sally, and Susan.  

Several of you also emailed the Trustees of the school board and copied me. Your letters were just fabulous. Nearly everybody personalized their letter, which makes for a more powerful letter. Those of you who said your children attend EGUSD schools, bravo! You are exactly the constituents the school district is there to serve.

The school district puts their meeting videos on line but does not make them easy to download.  You can watch our public comments.  It is about 3 minutes. 

https://youtu.be/qohZ9359H3M?t=627

The upshot is that we got the school board’s attention. The board did not take any formal action but Robert Pierce, the school district’s director of business and facilities, said his staff is working with City staff to . . . to what? He wasn’t clear to do what but it sounds like to understand the issue. He did not commit to anything specific.

In a July 22 email Mr. Pierce wrote:


“We are continuing to work with the City and they with the applicant on the location near Edward Harris Middle School (note the application listed Monterey Trail High School’s address, but Edward Harris Middle School is actually closer).” 

and 

“We will certainly continue our work and wish you the best in your continued endeavors.”

This is not what we asked for.  As you may recall our letter asked the school district to take a position opposed to cell antennas at schools (citing the proposed cell antenna at Monterey Trail High School, 8661 Power Inn Road) and to ask the City to deny the application and not select any more schools as cell antenna sites.  

Next steps

Diane Saetern and I have asked for time on the agenda of a regular school board meeting to present this issue.  Mr. Pierce said he will discuss it with Superintendent Chris Hoffman who will discuss it with board President Beth Albiani.  

Diane lives across the street from Monterey Trail High School and has done a fabulous job of getting petitions signed and getting the City’s attention.  We have been working together on this. 

The Education Code gives residents (not just parents) the right to place an item on the agenda of a regular school board meeting.  This is actually a very useful tool for us! 

EGUSD Board Bylaw 9323 implements section 35145.5 of the Education Code.

“2. At a time so designated on the agenda, members of the public may bring before the Board, at a regular meeting, matters that are not listed on the agenda. The Board may refer such a matter to the Superintendent or designee or take it under advisement, but shall not take action at that time except as allowed by law. The matter may be placed on the agenda of a subsequent meeting for action or discussion by the Board. (Education Code 35145.5, Government Code 54954.2)”

http://www.gamutonline.net/district/elkgrove/displayPolicy/854338/1


What you can do and when 

When we get on the agenda what you can do is send the school board your public comments.  A future newsletter will alert you as to when this will be.  It is not scheduled yet.  The way to do it will be the same as in July – through the school board’s public comments web form or via email. By the way this image is me talking to the City Council on February 12, 2020 back when Council and school board meetings were in person.


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There is always more you can do.
 
What do you want to see in this newsletter?  Besides the winning lottery numbers.  
If you have ideas or things to share please send them and I might put them in a future newsletter.  

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Becoming a better cell antenna opponent

Image of Zen, unstoppable

Top 12 Mistakes to Avoid When Tackling 5G “Smart” City Grid Roll Outs in Your City

A podcast from Moms Across America by the unstoppable Zen Honeycutt.

One of the things I wish I had when I began this Crusade, as I call it, is a mentor.  An experienced, successful advocate and hell raiser that I could ask all my questions about changing local cell antenna policy.  The way I see it we can all learn from other advocates whom we respect and like.  Zen Honeycutt always teaches me something.  She is a great teacher for advocates.  I share her podcasts with you so that you can have the benefit of some of her experience and wisdom.  

Zen has a podcast called “Unstoppable with Zen Honeycutt”.  In Episode 65 – Top 12 Mistakes to Avoid When Tackling 5G “Smart” City Grid Roll Outs in Your City  Zen spells out some very valuable things to know.  

On April 6, I told you about Mom’s Across America, led by Founder & Executive Director Zen Honeycutt. Moms Across America is a National Coalition of Unstoppable Moms.  From the beginning they have worked to educate people about healthy food choices, going organic and avoiding glyphosate.  That work continues but now they are also working on cell antennas. 

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Contact

Questions or recommendations?  Please get in touch! Write to Mark@keepcellantennasawayfromourelkgrovehomes.org

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City Council meetings and public comments

The next City Council meeting will be on Wednesday, August 12, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.

You can always email the Council and staff care of the City Clerk, Jason Lindgren, who will distribute your message to them.  His email address is jlindgren@lkegrovecity.org

Elk Grove City Council meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of every month.  They are scheduled to begin at 6:00 and actually begin between 6:00 and 6:45.  They are held in the Council Chambers located at 8400 Laguna Palms Way across the street from City Hall.

Members of the audience can speak on any item on the agenda or on items not on the agenda. 

During the quarantine the Council Chambers are closed to the public during Council meetings.  The agenda describes the ways available for making public comments.  You can send in your comments in print or an mp3 audio file or you can email the City Clerk to call you during the meeting so that you can speak.  The best way it to make an audio file of your public comments, up to 3 minutes long, and send it to the City Clerk, whose email address follows. 

Ordinarily, when there is no virus, you can fill out a blue speaker card on the table at the back of the room and give it to the Assistant City Clerk, who sits at the front left of the room facing the audience.  

City Council meeting agendas are available on the City’s website.  You can also subscribe to be notified of new agendas, hearings, etc.  

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