You are to be commended for all your hard work--- and your committee members', as well.
But, as you now know, these groups aren't formed to provide input; they're formed to provide cover. You, I'm sorry to say, now are part of a long Piercy string of contributors that were gamed. And, Paul, the bucks stops at her desk. She hardly is some ingenue, led on by the mean ol' manager and the planners. 
That would be a sexist view. 
Kitty is a very strong-willed woman who does exactly what she wants. Ruiz is her tool.
City governance has become autocratic since Kitty took over. Nothing now is put to public vote. Fully formed plans, some already in progress, are released for "public input."
Shocking, abhorrent, and simply amazing. That our two print news resources remained silent during all of this is…. I'm at a loss for words.