Are Emails Sent to the Santa Monica City Councilmembers Being Diverted - Or Possibly Deleted?

Dear City Attorney Sloan,

Are all emails sent by constituent residents and business owners to you and/or individual Councilmembers, and our City Manager, received unscreened by a 3rd party or City Staff Member?

santamonica.gov

Douglas T. Sloan, Santa Monica City Attorney

Are the email addresses listed next to our Santa Monica Mayor and Santa Monica City Council Members, and City Manager, correct, and are their email addresses received and read first by each of them?

It is my understanding that over 18,000 letters sent over the last 6 months to individual Councilmembers and our Mayor have not been received. One Santa Monica Councilmember informed me and another constituent of such, and stated there was a so-called "black hole" in which constituent letters were placed. The same Councilmember told me that letters expressing opposition to the ongoing Needle Distribution Program had never been received.

In a subsequent email the same Councilmember, now Mayor, wrote, "councilmtgitems@santamonica.gov is the email address to send emails to."

I ask, how many readers are even aware of this email address?

santamonica.gov

The correct email is given (if you search hard and long enough), but it isn't clear it is the only email that will really work.

This raises further questions about how many, if any, letters from constituents our Mayor, and Councilmembers are reading.

Please respond at your earliest convenience, and please be as specific as possible.