With less than a year on the council, Mark (Orgill) and Alex (Rounaghi) gave the city manager a review, as did the other councilmembers. A review should be fair and balanced, based on the person’s strengths and weaknesses, giving positive input on strength and input on improvement on their weaknesses. One thing – is never to get personal. Know what the city manager’s job is. It might not be what you think it is. Also, know what your job is as a city councilmember, and don’t try to be involved in the day-to-day operation of city hall, which is the job of the city manager. That is not your job. You are a “decision-making” body for the citizens of Laguna Beach.
As was past policy, the city manager should first be contacted by a councilmember if they want to meet with a department head and the reason for the meeting. A council member should not be allowed to just walk in and see a department head, tying up that person’s time and going around the city manager.
It seems to me that a couple of the recently elected councilmembers had always felt the city manager should go. We already knew councilmember Weiss wanted her gone. He hadn’t communicated with her in more than two years. Mark Orgill was very negative in his review of the city manager. Not sure why, only being on the council for less than a year. Could it be he blamed her for what was happening at the Hotel Laguna?
Then there is Alex. My question is – could he actually afford to live in Laguna? Last I heard, he was still living at home. I heard he wants to be a “career politician.” Good luck with that. Personally, I want someone on the council who has “skin in the game.” Laguna isn’t the same town I’ve lived in for the last seventy-nine years. I can’t say it’s gotten better lately. Quite the contrary.
Kelly Boyd, past mayor and councilmember of Laguna Beach
 and Alex (Rounaghi) gave the city manager a review, as did the other councilmembers. A review should be fair and balanced, based on the person’s strengths and weaknesses, giving positive input on strength and input on improvement on their weaknesses.){kind=link}
Hi Kelly, I think that the reason that CC Person Mark Orgill’s negative assessment of CM Dupuis might be that he had been watching the actions, attitude, and demeanor of the CM long before he was elected to the CC. You do not have to be “on” the CC to ascertain her attributes and abilities to effectively manage our City.
Regarding Alex Rounaghi and Your comment that we need to have someone with “skin in the game” I believe that Alex has lived in Laguna for some time, he is an adult with compassion for this town. Having said that I do not care if he lives “at home”, it is of little or no consequence. I do hope that he does not and will not become a minion for CC Persons Kemph/Whalen’s Pro-Development-Pro-Tourist agenda.
I do agree with Your assessment that “I can’t say that it has gotten better lately”. “Quite the contrary”. We as Residents need to correct that when we go the ballot box in our next election.
The first order of business might be to bring an immediate end to Mayor Whalen and CC Person Kemph’s embarrassing water balloon toss of the Mayoral gavel between them.
Kelly – do you still live in town? I heard you had moved to Laguna Woods so I’m not sure why you “have skin in the game” here in Laguna. Also, how do you know that Orgill was negative in his review of Dupuis? That was done in closed session and never discussed in Open Session. Was there a Brown Act violation of someone leaking information to you?? You seem to have much knowledge of what happened in the CM’s annual review in closed session. Curious that.
As you well know it IS the job of the City Council members to oversee what the CM does. She made a lot of bad decisions that were demonstrable. Could it be that that was what they based their reviews on and not, as you speculate “it was personal”? Seems to me you have a narrative that you want to believe – as opposed to facts. Try facts for a change.
Claude & Michele, both your responses were so common sense and right on and agree with both 100%…Claude, I too hope Alex does not become if all ready, the 3rd vote on eveything Kemph tells him and the gravel being passed back and forth in order to maintain control, I appreciate so much your logical letters and truth and really hope to meet you soon! Michele what can I say, woman of courage and truth, I love that you always do have FACTS and that has been proven over and over…your persistance in the CM “ticket” proved so much in character of whom this city is depended on, she failed and the rest of us could see…thank you for that!