Councilman George Weiss began his PR campaign last week to defend himself over claims that he created a hostile workplace that left our city manager with just two options: sue the city or take early retirement.
His recent email newsletter began with, “Her departure is welcome news. Still, we should wish her well as she starts the next chapter of her life.” That’s about as sincere as Republicans continued bestowing “thoughts and prayers” on victims of gun violence.
Not surprisingly, George plays the victim himself, alleging he received a letter from an outside attorney stating he violated city policy but was never told what the violation was. Sure, except in the next sentence, he states he was under investigation for harassment, bullying and creating a toxic work environment for our city manager. Duh.
His response is about as credible as Trump’s ongoing proclamations of innocence: “At no time during my tenure as your City Councilman have I ever done anything that a reasonable person would construe as bullying or harassing the City Manager.” OK, we believe you, but would you mind clarifying what a reasonable person would construe as bullying versus, say, an unreasonable person? And what did you do that an unreasonable person would consider harassment?
He admits his dislike for her, stating her “management style and financial decisions were seriously flawed,” but goes on to provide no proof as to what they were. But isn’t “management style” a subjective opinion? Certainly not grounds for dismissal. Or a campaign to oust her.
Then he goes on to state, “The issues created by her behavior would have caused her to be separated for cause from any public corporation.” Whoa, what? Those are serious charges. Did she do something criminal? Sexually abuse someone? Steal money? Try to fix an election? Shoot someone on Fifth Avenue? Reveal secrets? (Oh no, that would be you, George.) We don’t know because George makes these proclamations but fails to back them up with evidence. So once again, he publicly impugns her character, like he did for months at council meetings. What if Shohreh applies for work somewhere else, and they come across this quote?
Finally, George gets to the crux of the matter – defending himself. “Why did the City Council decide that there was sufficient evidence that the CM could prevail if she sued the City, targeting me?” He offers three of the lamest explanations imaginable:
-It’s the Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem’s fault. They supported her hiring, so admitting she wasn’t up to the job would be admitting to their own flawed judgment. Wow, what an elaborate and nefarious plot. I can just see Whalen and Kempf in the backroom conniving, “How can we get rid of her and save face? I know. Let’s concoct a story that George Weiss created a hostile workplace, and that will give everyone cover! High five!”
-It’s because the MOM Group was going to sue the city over “actions or inactions the CM took during the events of May 2, 2023.” This was the day of infamy when MOM and Mo Honarker’s team went to battle inside their contested properties. Shohreh did everything a city manager could do. She was kept informed by the police chief, she negotiated a treaty between the two parties to de-escalate the rhetoric, and when it escalated again, she swiftly closed the properties to protect the public. Well done. Does anyone in their right mind think MOM Group has anything to sue over? They were granted their day in court and preside over the properties for now. The notion that the city needed to dump the city manager because of her perceived liability is utter nonsense.
-Finally, here’s where things descend into the theater of the absurd. George asserts he was made the scapegoat because of his opposition to the possible sale of the library, the purchase of Ti Amo, and the potential parking structure lease at the Presbyterian Church. Why would they need to embarrass him when he perpetually embarrassed himself by being on the losing side of every vote? First off, a sale of the library was never, ever remotely discussed, and George himself (along with Toni Iseman) led the rush to purchase Ti Amo without an appraisal. So, by this logic, if you are in the minority on Council decisions, they will try to ruin your reputation with a smear campaign and charges of employee harassment. Even the Mafia wouldn’t concoct such a nefarious plot with someone whose influence is so deeply inconsequential.
Finally, George tells us, “The city council never provided me with an opportunity to defend myself. They could have asked me to attend a closed session and pose questions to me. Instead, all deliberations and actions were taken behind closed doors, with no opportunity for me to respond. Now, I am being attacked relentlessly in the press by propagandists who invent their own versions of what happened.”
OK then, George, self-proclaimed champion of transparency, why don’t you demand the public release of those closed-door sessions? Let the public judge for themselves whether our city manager was harassed or whether it’s all a giant deceit to make you look bad? Sunshine is the best disinfectant. Clear your good name. Release the tapes!
Billy is the CEO of La Vida Laguna, an outdoor adventure company, and the host of “Laguna Talks” on KXFM radio – Thursdays at 8 p.m. Email: [email protected].
Billy, do you or the Laguna Independent do any research before you start to write a column? The best authors do research, so I’m wondering if you do any. In the Independent’s own paper in the August 25, 2021, issue there is a headline “City Council OKs buying South properties for public use, maybe a fire station”. It clearly states that it was a 3-2 vote with George and Toni dissented. Stop writing until you can learn to do the research that is needed to be a great writer because as it is now you are spreading lies in the Laguna Independent and they printed it.
Hey, Billy – If City Manager Dupuis was as great as you praise her to be, she’d still be here. She’s not.
We all know she was not competent and created one media circus after another. Causing one potential lawsuit after another and costing us lots of out-of-pocket taxpayer dollars. (Still waiting for the total amount the City spent on her hapless defense against releasing the body cam footage after her attempted use-of-power traffic stop. $50K at last count, with the last three months worth of legal bills not disclosed.)
She couldn’t stand the pressure any more and wanted out with a big pay-off.
The City Council, sensing the liabilities (both current and potential) were glad to let her go. The factless, unproven and unexplained accusations of hostile work environment were the perfect squeeze for her to extract an overgenerous severance package authorized by Mayor Whalen (a future potential opposition candidate for Councilman Weiss), who had insisted on hiring her in the first place. What a nice face-saving effort for them all while smearing Councilman Weiss, who never had an opportunity to defend himself in the Council’s closed door session court.
Actually everything you outlined here according to Councilman Weiss is pretty damned accurate. Thanks for offering it a repeated airing.
Of course there are a couple of little niggles. Obviously the library’s potential for conversion to a parking lot was never discussed. Don’t be ridiculous! That was the whole sneaky purpose of not mentioning it in the staff report and burying it in the multi-page purchase agreement’s fine print – something both Mayor Kempf and City Manager Dupuis were responsible for.
And then you insisted Council members Whalen and Weiss wanted to purchase the Ti Amo non-fire station site. As we both know that’s not true. Actually, it’s a lie because as I’ve already explained to you in the Indy:
“Should anyone question the veracity of Indy columnist, Billy Fried’s, wonky world of alternative realities – where facts are optional and falsehoods are mandatory – I invite them to review the enclosed articles.
At https://www.lagunabeachindy.com/letter-500k-could-have-been-spent-elsewhere/#comment-785543, Billy bald-face lies about the $2.7M purchase of the Ti Amo non-fire station which City Manager Dupuis insisted the City buy without an appraisal.
In Billy’s continued fabricated smear job on Councilman Weiss, he claims (1) Weiss and Councilwoman Toni Iseman pressured Ms. Dupuis to quickly purchase the site without an appraisal, (2) that John Pietig, not Ms. Dupuis, was the City Manager at the time of the purchase, and (3) that Weiss and Iseman were insistent upon selecting that particular site.
Mr. Fried is allergic to the truth.
At https://www.lagunabeachindy.com/letter-500k-could-have-been-spent-elsewhere/#comment-785543 , the Indy reports that Shohreh Dupuis was appointed City Manager in April 2021 (she took office June, 2021) – which happens to have been months before the August purchase of the Ti Amo site.
At https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2021-08-25/laguna-beach-moves-to-close-escrow-on-ti-amo-ristorante-property , the LA Times/Daily Pilot verifies that George Weiss and Toni Iseman were dead set against the purchase, indeed wanted an appraisal, and were the only two opposing votes.
A few quotes from that article:
‘The motion to do so [purchase the site] carried by a vote of 3-2, with council members Toni Iseman and George Weiss dissenting.’
‘Weiss indicated that he found the parcel being acquired to be ‘a bit small’ to have a fire station built on it.’
‘Iseman questioned why an appraisal was not done before agreeing to purchase the property, and she expressed a belief that the asking price was too high. She called on the council to rethink the purchase and explore opportunities at other locations.’
Ultimately, Sue Kempf, Bob Whalen and Peter Blake voted to purchase the site for $400,000 over a previous offer. And after the purchase, Ms. Dupuis then announced that the site was unfeasible because it was too small to service an urgent medical unit, which the fire department had been discussing for two years.”
Give it a rest, Billy. You’re about as believable as a three-dollar bill being passed by a bad con artist in the dead of night.
But I will agree with you on one thing – yes, please bring out all of the closed door session recordings! I’m sure everyone would love to see exactly how fair those proceedings were.
But you can bet your bottom dollar, they’re never going to release them because they signed a non-disclosure agreement. Gee, isn’t that convenient?
Let us lay open Billy F’s latest assault on George Weiss and his love fest for our departed City Manager to analytical perspective. Paragraph by paragraph, let’s unmask Fried once again for those who prefer “Reality over Rant”.
1.) Quote, “Her departure is welcome news. Still We should wish her well in the next chapter of her life”, George Weiss.
Billy F’s retort, “That’s about as sincere as Republicans bestowing “thoughts & prayers” for victims of gun violence”. Billy, Republicans, Democrats, Independents and “EVERY OTHER” political faction should and do despise gun violence. Billy, Your statement is brain-dead, no need to expand, however do expand on Your telepathic channeling abilities into George’s mind.
2.) Quote “At no time as your City Councilman have I ever done anything that a reasonable person would construe as bullying or harassing the City Manager”, George Weiss.
Billy F’s retort, “His response is about as credible as Trump’s ongoing proclamations of innocence”. Billy, if You choose to draw comparisons let’s try to keep them in some semblance of actuality. George Weiss being compared to Donald Trump, that is a real stretch! Billy, it is not and has not been George Weiss grasping at the “Control Knob” of City Government, that would be Whalen & Kemph’s continual passing of the mayoral baton back and forth between them. The citizens of Laguna Beach would assuredly be cringing at the very thought of “Mayor Peter Blake” ugh! Thanks to the voters for packing him off! Try applying Your comparison to Donald Trump on the aforementioned threesome instead, it would be a much more compelling argument.
3.) Quote, her “management style and financial decisions were seriously flawed”. George Weiss.
Billy F’s retort, “but goes on to provide no proof as to what they were” Billy, You are joking, right? The former City Manager’s multiple errors, blunders, and missteps have been visited and revisited in these columns time after time. Are You even following this? Another “brain-dead” comment.
4.) Quote, “The issues created by her behavior would have caused her to be separated for cause from any public corporation”. George Weiss
Billy F’s retort, “Whoa, what! those are serious charges. Did she do something criminal? Sexually abuse someone? Steal money? Try to fix an election? Shoot someone on 5TH Avenue? Reveal secrets”? (Oh no, that would be You, George) Which one or all of the aforesaid are You accusing George Weiss of? Again Billy “Reality “VS” Rant”.
So once again the INDY chooses to give You a platform for spreading Your nonsense. At some juncture Us the Residents will have an opportunity to correct the breaches of trust structured by the PRO-DEVELOPMENT, PRO-RETAIL (at the expense of Residents) PRO-PARKING STRUCTURE, PRO TOURIST (at the expense of Residents) network guided by the same group of DEVELOPERS, RETAILERS, and REAL ESTATE AGENTS all striving to further diminish the rights and quality of life that Us the Residents of Laguna Beach are attempting to protect.
Please understand that Us the Residents of Laguna Beach ARE NOT against “THOUGHTFUL DEVELOPMENT” or Real Estate Salespeople/Agents or our local retailers. We buy their homes and their products, we eat in their restaurants, but do we want the kind of DEVELOPMENT that Mo H. and the former City Council “MAJORITY” proposed for Laguna Beach. Laguna Residents want to be able to enjoy our City too. Laguna Beach Residents and Councilman Weiss are the only reason that so many of the “former” council “MAJORITY” decisions never came to realization.
In closing let’s get over Shohreh, she is gone. It is OK to wish her well. It is also OK to be glad that she is gone. Your column is impaired, broken, defective and just foolish nonsense, that is the “reality”.
It is time to grasp that “reality” Billy, quit making bizarre comparisons with no basis in authenticity and truth. We the Residents are and have been “on to Your game’ for some time now. Give it a rest.
Liza, yes that’s exactly right. Weiss and Iseman shape-shifted for their South Laguna overlords and both voted against it. But before that, they voted unanimously for it – in a closed-door session back in early June. That’s why Escrow closed on Sept 5. It was a 90 days from when they entered. Do I have to do your research for you?
Jerome, is that all you got, the traffic stop? We’ve been over that. Despite the witch hunt orchestrated by Weiss, she was exonerated. It was you and your perpetually aggrieved whiners who cost our taxpayers millions.
As for the library purchase, I realize that whipping up a frenzy of false flag hysteria on Next Door saying the library was going to be converted to a parking garage was your crowning political achievement. But you haven’t demonstrated one shred of evidence that this is factual, and you tragically blundered an opportunity to modernize it, costing our residents millions in lost opportunity costs. Simply stating “That was the whole sneaky purpose” doesn’t cut it, bro. Try harder.
As for the purchase of Ti Amo, the city entered escrow on June 5. John Pietig was the City Manager. Shohreh was sworn in as City Manager on June 12. Do your research.
Claude, let me see if I can get through this mangled attempt at coherent English:
“At some juncture Us the Residents will have an opportunity to correct the breaches of trust structured by the PRO-DEVELOPMENT, PRO-RETAIL (at the expense of Residents) PRO-PARKING STRUCTURE, PRO TOURIST (at the expense of Residents) network guided by the same group of DEVELOPERS, RETAILERS, and REAL ESTATE AGENTS all striving to further diminish the rights and quality of life that Us the Residents of Laguna Beach are attempting to protect.”
Perhaps, but not today. You lost Measure Q by a landslide, and your futile attempt to lay blame on a public official who couldn’t fight back is all your cowardly cabal can muster at this point. Try as you might to find a scapegoat, the residents have demonstrated what they want, and it’s four council members who are moving our town forward in lockstep with the 21st century. They are waving to you in the rear-view mirror.
And oh, you use caps like Trump!
Hey, Fact-Free Billy – Here’s yet more proof that your dishonest story about Councilman Weiss voting for the Ti Amo purchase is false and intentionally defamatory.
Here is an excerpt from the August 24, 2021 public recap Councilman Weiss sent to residents – unlike other Council members, he sends recaps to residents after every Council meeting. This clearly delineates his reasons for voting against the purchase. Simply put, your penchant for shameful constant lying makes all your inflammatory comments suspect – completely unbelievable worthless:
$2.8M Acquisition of New South Laguna Fire Station Site
Approved 3-2
In June 2, the city entered escrow to purchase 31727 and 31735 Coast Highway
(The Ti Amo restaurant property) for a new fire station. The City Staff determined that it would be feasible to accommodate a new fire station. Soon after the city retained Rincon Consultants to prepare an initial feasibility study. Ironically, besides the replacement of current Fire Station 4, the report also considered a full array of alternative public uses, including a public park, restrooms, and parking. Although the actual use has yet to be determined, the 3-2 vote on the Tuesday 8/24/21 meeting nevertheless clears the way for purchasing the property for $2,800,000.
George Weiss: I read literally scores of letters from South Laguna Residents on this acquisition, and the vast majority strongly oppose it. Incredulously, after entering escrow, the City now says this may not be the site for a fire station. The City Council was never advised that the City would be pursuing this $2.8M purchase with the intention of using it as a park or for public restrooms. The option of using this site as a park was never considered until it appeared on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting. Plus it leaves open the speculation that yet another property may be required for a fire station.
This site is small relative to others that were considered. At the City Council meeting on Tuesday, I brought up the limitations of this site, which were already documented in the letters submitted by residents. These limitations include:
1. The lot size is approximately 10,000 sq. ft. with a building envelop of 5,000 sq. ft. This barely meets the City’s stated minimum requirements for size and leaves no room for expansion.
2. There is no side street access, which makes it potentially dangerous for large fire trucks to get in and out of the site. This is especially problematic when turning north, as there is a median on Coast Hwy that will likely have to be removed. Losing this valued South Laguna asset will reduce the village’s character.
3. The cost to build would include tearing down the existing restaurant and would require building an underground parking structure. The City Manager recently stated that underground parking could cost up to $150,000 per space. Why demolish a restaurant that could benefit South Laguna residents when more eligible locations are available?
4. The site is directly in front of a residential neighborhood. Other sites are not as close to residential properties
5. There was no professional appraisal made of this property’s value, so it’s uncertain if the City paid more than the fair market price.
6. Noise is a problem in any location, but here it’s amplified. Noise typically travels uphill more easily that downhill. Noise issues will likely be exacerbated if this site is used. This will be especially problematic if an ambulance is housed at this site. There are 1,500 ambulance calls per year in Laguna, and since South Laguna has close to 20% of the resident population, that could be approximately 375 ambulance trips per year, more than one a day.
Telling by the length of the comments to Mr. Fried’s column, there must be a lot of truth to it to elicit folks with way to much time on their hands to create such lengthy dissertations based on magical thinking. Misters Morgan and Pudwill, I would suggest a nice long rest in a far away place to calm your turbulent minds and chase a little soothing reality. Believe me, you will feel much better!
Cheers!
Billy, You conveniently left off the first sentence of my “mangled attempt at coherent English”…Here is the first line of the paragraph which You neglected.
“So once again the INDY chooses to give You a platform for spreading Your nonsense”.
This is heart of my statement. You continue to spread falsehoods and lies.
(See J. Pudwill’s response and his LINKS for the “verified” truth)
Repeating lies does not equal truth. (See Donald Trump)
By the way Billy, who exonerated the former CM regarding the Traffic Stop, You?
Obviously You never viewed the “unedited” body-cam evidence or You would not add another absurd statement to the ever growing list of Your deceptions.
It is time to “get over” the debacle that was Shohreh Durpris. We need to quit blaming her demise on Councilman Weiss. The former CM is gone, time to let it go Billy.
Hey Jerome,
Nice water carrying for Weiss, but the fact remains he voted for it before he voted against. Do your research. In the meantime, stop distracting from the issue at hand – the harassment of our City Manager by Weiss. Where is his demand for transparency that could exonerate him? Why the silence?
Mr. Dubin, it does take time to respond to the multitude of misstatements that Billy likes to revisit time after time in the forum that he is provided by in the INDY. Yes, Jerome P. keeps supplying LINKS with actual facts. Unfortunately, Billy just keeps on going, over and over with same distortions of truth.
Sadly the LAGUNA BECH INDEPENDENT unfailingly chooses to allow him to beat this dead horse forevermore.
Yes it is tiresome and stale. I suggest that we let the citizens decide what is real and what is fantasy. You might want to refer to the LINKS supplied in this thread by Jerome P. should You ever choose reality over fabrication. Try it, then You will see who is the victim of “Magical Thinking”.