HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - October 20, 1993 (60)p
OF
CITY OF LODI
COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
AGENDA PITI,E: Minutes - October 6, 1993 (Regular Meeting)
MEETING DATE: October 20, 1993
PREPARED BY: City Clerk
RECOMMENDED ACTION: That the City Council approve the minutes of October
f{ 6, 1993 (Regular Meeting), as prepared.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Attached is a copy of the minutes for October 6,
1993 (Regular Meeting), marked Exhibit A.
I FUNDING: None required.
Jfifer n thin
City Clerk
JMP
COUNCOM7/TXTA.02J/COUNCOM
APPROVED: _ _ ,
THOMAS A. PETERSON recycisd Paw
City Manager
CC•t
To: Council Members
From: Councilaian Ray Davenport
Date: October 18. 1993
Subject: Mayor Pennino's October 6. 1-993 letter.
Mayor Pennino is being used by City Manager Tom Peterson to
escalate and facilitate Tom Peterson's personal agenda.
Tom Peterson made unfounded allegations against me. Without
ascertaining the truthfulness of the City Manager's diatribe by
giving me the courtesy of rebuttal, the Mayor perpetuated the libel
against me.
The Mayor has by his letter of October 6, 1993, gone on record to
support hearsay, innuendo and falsehoods. With his letter he has
de:eived other council members and the public.
The Mayor continues a false accusation that r entered the City
Managers office "in his absence and without his consent,
"(etc.) .... The Mayor makes quotations which are untrue at the
direction of the City Manager, passes judgment on my conduct and
admitted publicly he did not witness even one accusation which he
proclaims as true, nor does he make an offer of proof.
The '_act is I had consent by the City Manager -even though it is not
needed. A school principal does not need consent or need to notify
their teachers before they enter a classroom. The City Manager is
an employee of the citizens of Lodi, overseen by council members.
Any reasonable person would agree that when confronted with
paranoid suspicion one had better take steps to protect himself. I
then used a tape recorder as a reasonable means to establish a
record of conversation and a camera to verify what the eye
beholds. (example: Mr. Peterson's Kings Crown initials "F.O.T."
displayed in the City Manager's office above the American Flag.)
The Mayor points out that council members have a duty to maintain
a safe and productive work environment for our employees. Agreed,
but the duty is a two-way street. The intent of the Mayor's
statement suggests council members have a duty to protect the City
Manager. what about the safe and productive work environment for
all our employees, including protection from the administration's
taking of their jobs unjustly. without cause? How about council
members protection `rem the City Manager':
7
TOP_. :eter-sc.n. __t'J ma: aaer ::as bre ac icd l:is contract, speci`-:_a! I
Lodi Munici-pal Code Section 2.12.060. This is why we need to
review all g:ievan•ces for the past five years.
The City Manager forgot to tell the mayor how Jerry Glenn breaches
people's offices at will: ie. Bill Hinkle's office and there are
other employees who have a master key to all city office doors.
The Mayor supports secret meetings with the City Manager, he does
it routinely. I have asked to attend these meetings and have been
denied the right to attend on numerous occasions publicly and
privately.
History repeats itself. The City Manager's letter to me of
November -r, 1987. which was hard delivered out of the Lodi
jurisdiction by two Lodi Police officers at the dinner hour,
pt_ciuded -ie frcm going to any Lodi Fire Department Stations 1.2.
or _, public buildings and ordered me not to speak to any fireman;
violation of free speech and right of association. Additionally he
told other firemanTiy friends) not to speak to me.
Now he attempting to employ counci� members individually to
Further circumscribe :qty legitimate conduct. This policy would
hamstring any council member's attempt a=t in=ormation from the
__ty :tanager. It would give him the right to declare whether the
council member was on "legitimate" business and the right to define
"disruption of normal business."
All 1 wanted Has answers to question_ _.at are necessary to my role
as an elected representatiVe. T_f _ e :_sponse to such a iegitimate
request causes a retaliatory policy forbidding entrance to the City
Manager -and the continued non -response o_ the City Manager -the City
council becomes meaningless!
Maybe we need more regulation., maybe we don't even need a City
Council, just a City Manager and his hand chosen staff. If this
were the scenario the City Manager would not have "distractors," as
he calls them. (People who dare disagree with him.) The City
Manager could just be the King, wear his crown with the "F.Q.T."
lettering, and raise revenue in any way he wanted.
Go ahead take the _ity -tanager's sd•:ir-e, he will protect you as
long as you are In his `_avo_. : ))--'_leve that all of you are already
aware of this and that is why you appease his every whir even over
cotn-non sense i:,d obvious ob;ections.
The Mayor "deepl y saddened" tY.a _ , .=u the council col l ect _ l y
must abdica_- 3:c '.1 V`= the _zty Manager even
more power than he al:-eadv wields.
F am deeply saddened for the cit, -ens of Loi_ if our leadership,
the council members. elected by '`.e people. allows the staff to
control them.
Where is it written and why do we wan* to give one person, the City
Manager MORE power than the council members (elected officials)
individually and collectively? This irrational nonsensical
suggestion by the Mayor .n erect undermines and extinguishes the
need for the council.
The council members are not oblicated to believe or act at the
direction of the City Manager. the opposite is true. There is no
need for this policy. It is an 111 -conceived power play, based on
a spurious foundation. Vote again__ -_ and save the independence
of the elected council.
cc: Bob Mchatt, __.y gttarney
Tom Peterson, City Manager