I just wanted to make note of last Tuesday‘s City Council meeting. I have to say that Mayor Sue Kempf handled herself quite well, but that Councilmember George Weiss was surprisingly arrogant. I thought he stood for a return to civility. I was disappointed. Interrupting a colleague and dismissing the City Manager is unfortunate behavior. It would be really helpful if everyone could just work together.
Lianne Mech, Laguna Beach
WOW. Thank you. Finally someone actually addressing concerns about civility during our city council meetings. That’s music to my ears! Respectfully though, I am baffled though how these particular minor and isolated instances mentioned demanded a letter to the media about civility. Could this be the first council meeting watched?
Fact is, over the last 3 1/2 years our publicly recorded meetings are evidence that Mayor Whalen had to plea, mute and enact a formal reprimand on Councilman Peter Blake. And Blake basically told Whalen and and the rest of the council to shove it. Disrespectful. And this year, Mayor Kempf’s pleas and muting of Blake shows her ineffectiveness to stop his verbal attacks on speakers and c-council members and has no control over his disruptive outbursts as he continually yells over the Mayor even after she mutes him and directly asks him to stop talking.Disrespectful?
Interesting that none of these highly-visible instances get mentioned in this letter about civility. Sorry, this doesn’t pass the smell test.
I don’t support anyone interrupting another during civic meetings even when they are being conducted in such a tense and highly-dysfunctional manner as those in our city. I’m certain Councilman Weiss recognizes what appears to be his confusion and the mistake he made interrupting the Mayor during such a meeting and will correct that. As for his City Manager dismissal, Councilman Weiss has every right to direct questions to the staff member presenting the item to council. ACM Ken Domer is a well-seasoned former city manager and should have been able to answer the questions if he was selected to present the item. If CM Dupuis wants to give input, she should ask to do so. IMO- this CM seems to interject way too often during staff presentations without being asked. Looks like a good learning opportunity for Mayor Kempf, CC Weiss and CM Dupuis if they plan to improve engagements in our civic meetings. Thanks for listening.
Let me also point out that Weiss was trying to get the Mayor to do something about Blake’s boorish behavior that Mech apparently thinks is OK. He was saying Point of Order which is what we were told to do if someone is out of line. Sorry Mech. You’re picking a fight with the wrong person. It should have been Blake you’re calling out. I wonder why you didn’t? I guess you think his behavior is OK. Curious though.