Posted by
Katy Grimes on Wednesday, May 20, 2009 1:37:17 PM
Last night as I sat in the audience watching the Sacramento City Council perform, I felt that I'd been ripped-off. The performance was bush-league, and not even worthy of Middle-school production.
For several hours, they demonstrated how ill-prepared most of them are. They demonstrated that they prefer to let "staff" make decisions for them (Lauren Hammond). Council members demonstrated that they are not engaged at all in the issues (Rob Fong). They demonstrated that they are beholden to local union 39 (Ray Tretheway). Tretheway even demonstrated that he is oblivious to the conflict of interest he has as Executive Director of the Sacramento Tree Foundation, as he talked down to a City planner about the "tree canopy" and "Urban forest" he thought should be included in the updated Urban City design plan for downtown. As I sat there trying to take notes while Tretheway spoke, I found the task nearly impossible; he never completes a sentence of thought.
Councilman Kevin McCarty, Cohn and Sandy Sheedy made sense a couple of times - McCarty when he pressed the City Finance Director for information about whether or not the City was laying off more line workers and saving management jobs and salaries - she could not answer. Sheedy made snese when she refused to vote for an intent motion for the budget as proposed. All of the other council members voted to pass it. Cohn pressed city staff on a bogus contract.
One item of interest on the agenda was the Old Sacramento Tour Boat Interim Lease Agreement. A member of the audience and his attorney addressed the Council, asking why the bid process had not been open as they (Commodore Events) would have bid on it and probably won the bid instead of mega-tour boat company, Hornblower (who operates Alcatraz and Ellis Island tour boats). It was abundantly clear that there was only the one "bid" and the process had been done hurridly in order to award it to Hornblower, but not just the "interim" contract. Apparently Hornblower Company was going to be allowed to sign a long-term contract courtest of staff's recommendations - "5-10 years" as the city staff employee said sheepishly. She became defensive when Councilman Cohn asked her instead to consider a 2-year contract as the RFP for the process was already 5 years old. When The Mayor asked the City Manager to step outside and meet with city staff and the disgruntled party to see if they coudl come to a compromise.
The groups eventually came back in and the calendar item was resumed, and promptly passed a unanimous vote of council. I wonder what went on in the back room to appease the attorney and his client...
Councilwoman Hammond on several occasions, challenged her colleagues on their questioning of city staff procedures saying "we already proved that when we don't let staff do their jobs, we are wrong." She clearly likes to have staff do her job for her as well. If the City council is not challenging city staff procedures, recommendations and policy, who will? The City Manager? I don't think so.
Councilman Rob Fong never once participated in the meeting, and he looked like a clown, dressed in a neon tie and even brighter shirt. Four audience members spoke about the need to maintain Land Park, and Fong never even acknowledged their presence, and never uttered a word. His lack of engagement in his own neighborhood is shameless.
Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell was also uncharacteristically quiet.
The bulk of the audience members were present to argue budget cuts in park maintenance, speaking eloquently to a future of closed park bathrooms, weeds and uncut grass, garbage problems, crime, public urination, and a myriad of other problems that will arise if parks are allowed to degrade. Additionally, one speaker presented seven different options for cuts and budget reforms, for which both McCarty and the Mayor thanked the group, pointing out that they never recieve alternate proposals when city residents show up to challenge budget cuts.
www.rescuesacramentoparks.blogspot.com
The Sacramento City Council is woefully inadequate on financial and business issues. They only seem to perk up when social programs are the issue. There are moments when several of the members seem to grasp the issue - Cohn with the tour boat issue, McCarty with the budget issue, Sheedy refusing to vote on the budget without more information - but mostly they sit back and allow the City Manager, City Attorney and various City staffers do the work for them, without ever verifying issues themselves, or even being prepared ahead with pertinent questions.
The Mayor is clearly only one voice, one vote, on the Council. After witnessing several council meetings lately, more than ever, Sacramento needs to change the City Charter and make the Mayor the CEO of the City. Last night's meeting would have gone very differently had a CEO been in charge. And we desperately need to elect council members who understand and are even vaguely familiar with finance and business.