City Commissioner Amanda Fritz's staffers have told the organizer of a 340-strong Facebook group against the renewal of the sit/lie ordinance that tomorrow's meeting on a "sidewalk management strategy" in the Rose Room at 1pm is for "commissioners and stakeholders only."

Defense attorney Chris O'Connor, who organized the group, asked if he could attend the meeting.

"It doesn't look like it is open for the public," said 'Sara' from Fritz's office, leaving a voicemail for O'Connor. "It's mostly for the elected officials and the stakeholders."

O'Connor, like the Mercury, is yet to hear back from the mayor's office about attending the meeting.

"But I would encourage everyone to come down tomorrow to the meeting and find out if they are a stakeholder in this issue or not," says O'Connor.

The Mercury is also anxious to find out whether its three years of reporting on this issue make it a stakeholder.

"I'm just concerned about who they are defining as stakeholders," says O'Connor. "If they are going to invite these people for an update, I'm concerned that they are going to get the opinions they want to hear, or get the opinions from people they have no choice but to invite, because they have already been involved in the process."

The list of invitees includes Street Roots, Soapbox Under The Bridge, Sisters of the Road, and other homeless activists.

"It's not bad to invite these folks," says O'Connor. "But let's not just hear from the same old crowd, let's have a discussion, since the city has had its chance with its select, hand-picked committees in the past."

"If they really want to have a new discussion about this topic, then they need to be willing to hear from all people," O'Connor continues. "But they certainly aren't seeking any actual input from additional stakeholders."

"I guess you have to go to the secret meeting to find out what your elected officials really think about this issue," says O'Connor.