Letter: Action of South Tahoe council questioned
To the community,
At the April 5 [South Lake Tahoe City] council meeting, Mayor Wendy David declared that comments by the citizens during the non-agenda portion of the council meeting will no longer be televised. It has been suggested that this was done to “prevent staff and others from begin slandered”.
Bruce Grego
Except for Councilmember [JoAnn] Conner’s request that this matter be placed on the agenda, the rest of the council was silent. No motion, no vote, no agenda item, just a bare statement by the mayor that the policy was changed.
I understand that the city is surveying other cities as to their policy. When I was on the council, I voted to support Councilmember [Angela] Swanson’s motion to have this portion of the council meeting televised. Transparency should be the objective of government at all levels. I was surprised that the remaining council was silent when the mayor declared the change of policy; they should have been outraged. Who told the mayor to change the policy? Does the council need to take a survey before they know what to do?
I demand that Mayor Wendy David explain her actions. We have council that can’t resolve their petty differences, fail to understand democratic principles, and seek to reduce transparency. Are these “leaders” of our community competent to vote on the merits of major issues, such as the loop road? Or are their votes going to be based upon personal animosities, hidden agendas, and surveys? We should be worried.
Bruce Grego, South Lake Tahoe
The pot calling the kettle black.
Wendy David was elected by the taxpayer citizens of South Lake Tahoe was she not? As were Austin Sass, Hal Cole Tom Davis and Joanne Connor.
Since the city hall is not easily accessed by the public the venue should be televised so all can see for themselves how you people are behaving and what you are saying.
This is TOTALLY not acceptable behaviour for public servants which you all are supposed to be.
There was an interview with Lake Tahoe News sometime ago in which one of the ‘public’ servants said about a property exhange that she ‘hoped the public wouldn’t notice’.
If anyone remembers this please post. I am searching for the article and I will post it when I find it.
The public has been taking it for along time here…time for this to STOP.
Bruce, Thank you for the information. The city didn’t give advance notice on this important issue, it should have been on the agenda. The council should vote on this one, in public.
The South Lake Tahoe City Council for many years did not record or televise the Public Communications on Non-Agenda Items portion of their meetings. I might be wrong but my recollection is that it was Ted Long who originally suggested that the Council consider changing that policy to which that was eventually agreed and the public’s opportunity to speak on any topic not listed on the agenda began being recorded, televised and ultimately placed on the City’s website. According to the Brown Act the City Council can’t deliberate on any matters raised during public communications on non-agenda items since those topics would not have been previously agendized for their discussion.
I find it unfortunate that broadcasting the public’s comments on non-agendized items and the opportunity for the greater public to have their ideas and discussion heard was seized by a small group of individuals in our community who relegated that to their personal platforms for publicly dispensing demeaning and insulting remarks to City Council Members, City staff, and to and about any other members of the community with whom they disagree, along with what seems like their endless cynicism. When Mr. Grego served on the City Council it was he who pushed for a Council consensus only requiring two Council Members to place something on an agenda with the rationale that if a minority of two out of five people couldn’t support that then the matter didn’t warrant the time and attention of City staff and Council. When JoAnn Conner requested that this matter be placed on a future agenda the Council did respond by not providing a consensus of only one more person. And the only person who can’t seem to resolve petty differences is JoAnn Conner as evidenced by her ongoing odious rhetoric during meetings.
I think that the spin doctors of the “Let Tahoe Decide Initiative” group are using this topic in an attempt to drum up support for their position against the Loop Road, and I imagine that some of that group’s members are unhappy that they won’t have the opportunity to have broadcast their rude, bullying, and cynical remarks when the City Council Members are prevented from responding. But there are people in this community who are tired of listening to rudeness, bullying, and cynics and when the rude bullies and one specific City Council Member speak, a great many people just roll their eyes and tune them out irrespective of any potential worthy ideas they may have to share.
A little civility would be a refreshing change and it could go a long way toward credibility and possibly even support.