| Just when I thought
I could give you streaming video of the last budget session of City Council,
the p.c. crashed and three hours were devoted to getting something out
before sunrise. Phone calls came in late last night, suggesting that
police management may try to handle council's request for reports back
in Executive Session. Given Fargo's, Cohn's and Waters' clear messages
last Tuesday, it seemed hard to fathom, let alone a wise move.
Mayor Yee had sat quietly
through the rather pointed questions. He gave no public comment when the
time came. Would he permit a "sweeping under the rug" of council questions?
Would Cohn accept an "off-line" behind closed doors lobbying to hide the
truth we've tried to get for two years? Then there's the Brown Act!
Could council act in closed session on such a volatile issue as budget
overruns, severe staffing shortages and worst, what appears to be outright
disinformation from the Chief to the local media?
The agenda offered a possible
way out for police management and what appears to be an agitated City Manager.
Make it part of the contract negotiations with the union? That's
closed session material. That's confidential!
The following audio clips
pretty much say it all. REMEMBER ... none of these questions were
raised at the time the $2 million in fire/police budget overruns was reported.
The council voted to approve the report "as is". Then phones rang,
faxes shot through phone lines and Public Records Act requests refreshed.
Someone out here in publicland is awake!
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