Councilmember Vreeland has missed at least 6 of 8 city council meetings this year with no explanation to the public.
We hope he is well, but Councilmember Vreeland has not been able to attend and participate in official city council meetings on any kind of regular basis for a long time, including last year. Excused or not, it seems that elected city officials should meet some kind of neglectful minimum standards of representation. On the other hand, you could say, except for the required city council voting quorum (3 minimum), it might be better if other city councilmembers were also "absent". In fact, for the long standing lack of progress in this city, some citizens might even say "take Councilmembers DeJarnatt and Digre with you on the way out the door, Mr. Vreeland".
Note: The graphic pinata image is from Hallmark Star Wars, inspired from a "Hallmark moment" comment from Anonymous 4/14/11, 9:37pm, on the "Fire Tax 63-37%" article. Thanks for the inspiration, Anonymous!
Posted by Kathy Meeh
46 comments:
Whack that pinata! perfect logo for Fierce Pacifica. Good job Kathy.
You ask is it time for Vreeland to go? Folks, seriously, I'd say he's already gone. All that's left is the paperwork. And really, other than the possibility of 2 to 2 ties what's the problem? Think about it.
Do you really want him or a replacement with his mindset (and that is probably what we'd get)mucking up the works. We'd be right back to the losing side of 3 to 2 and that's not good. Better to lean hard on Pete and Sue and get one or both to listen. It can be done. This might be our best shot at change and good gov.
Hell, I'd pay Vreeland to stay away. Oh yeah, I'm already paying him. Anyhow, stay home, Jim, please so that the serious work that needs to be done can be done. Catch up with Oprah, don't miss those last AMC episodes. Just don't come back.
How much would a recall cost the poor City of Pacifica? What's the protocol and how long will it take? To someone who knows, please pull the trigger. I can't stand the suspense.
reliable source saw him Saturday setting up a booth at earth day event south linda parking lot maybe at noon. then he took off.
No photo, so it might of been a mirage.
The Gov't should send the guy who spotted V-man after Bin Ladin. If he can find V-man he can find anyone!!!!
About that recall idea. It isn't just a recall it's also an election because we must have 5 on council. So candidates are needed, too. Guessing at cost of $50-100K if the city doesn't hire a consultant. But it may be a good solution because it avoids the whole is he sick?is he on a LOA? or just plain foot-dragging at City Hall issues and MOST IMPORTANTLY it allows the voters, not council, to select the replacement. That is great because instead of having to wait til the next reg election in November 2012 to improve this council it could happen this year. This year folks.
To recall a local official requires notice to be served, filed and published. Goes thru the local city clerk. There are plenty of people to sign that initial petition (need same # as nominated him to run) and once the clerk ceertifies the petition we have 120 days to gather the required 4,000 or so signatures (based on % of reg voters). In the election if more than 50% of reg voters vote to recall then it's done! In the election of new council to replace the recalled one the top vote getter wins.
No doubt more complex than this but it's a valid, legal, just and real shortcut to improving our town.
Check it out, please. Remember what Beernie Sifry managed to do last Novemember...term limits. The referendum process is people power!
Sounds like put up or shut up time all over again. The fire tax failed and we won 63 to 37% so getting 51% to recall Mr. No Show should be do-able.
recall of a local official:
Calif Sec of State
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/recall.pdf
data on recall of city council member starts at page 14.
Need 20% of registered voters to sign the petition to put question to a public vote = roughly 4,100.
There you go. Keep it going. I'm sure many will say why go after just one? I'd target only Vreeland because his inability or unwillingness to show up stands alone. That single failing is enough to piss off people who probably have voted for him every time. No particular idealogy required to decide he's got to go. If Sue and pete are thrown into this mix then it isn't about a no show councilperson who deserves to be removed it's a referendum on growth vs. no-growth and every greenie in town will vote to protect all 3. And they have the focus, money and political organization to hang on. We must keep the focus sharp and on the easy target Vreeland. Get him out of there and vote in a good replacement and it's a new day for pacifica. No longer on the losing end of 3 to 2. Think about it! Yeah, put up or shut up.
@512 Bin-laden sighted at earth Day in Pacifica. Where's Patch?
Anons thank you. Even as broke as we are we can't afford not to do this. Please somebody get the ball rolling.
It's easier and cheaper for lots of people to go to council meetings and publicly ask about Jimmy V., write letters to the Tribune, and keep commenting on the blogs. Eventually, it would force the city's hand.
While I'd love to see them gone, I'm not convinced that a recall of Vreeland, Digre and DeJarnatt would be successful. The last try was a disaster.
Has anyone tried knocking on his door and just asking him. "What's up?"
Steve. Might be easier and cheaper but it's also very easy for council to ignore and unlikey to present real change as well as recall and election. Don't forget the election part. I agree 100% that a recall of all 3 would fail. Vreeland has made himself the easy target. Targeting a flagrant no show councilperson for recall will succeed because the "crime" isn't easy to defend and it's harder to turn it into a growth vs. no growth show down which is where the last recall derailed. The BIG PLUS to recall is that it also offers the chance to elect a replacement instead of letting the city pick one. Can't you just hear the argument being made to draft lancelle as interim replacement because of her valuable experience? Oh yes. Recall is the legal, just, expedient way to change the balance of council now and move this city ahead. In the long run it would be the best money this city ever spent. Change is possible but we need to be smart about it.
Rumor is that 'he' is not at the primary residence any longer. Trouble in paradise......
Sinai I don't know if that would force the city hand because don't know why they're not doing something now. Maybe they can't and we're going to have to do it for them by voting to recall Jim.
Them picking a replacement is not good. might just the idea of being recalled would make him resign.
Umm is that trouble or treatment?
Knocking on the door sounds like a good way to get arrested. You go Bray.
If his lack of attendance is covered by the guise of medical problems, are we setting ourselves up for a law suit if the City forces their hand. Or, being a political appointee, all bets are off? What do you think, Mark?
Cecilia?
Anon@6:55, you make a good point, but there's also a good chance that someone like "Leo" Leone will be elected if a recall succeeds. In the last election, he was the next highest vote-getter after the three who were elected.
We could easily end up with another Digre, Vreeland or DeJarnatt-type, claiming to be pro-economy during the campaign, but once they're on Council, only do things that discourage economic development.
While I do believe more and more people are realizing the damage the no-growthers have caused, I don't get the sense the city has suddenly become so pro-growth that a genuinely pro-growth candidate would necessarily win.
Frankly, it doesn't bother me that much that Jimmy V. isn't showing up. At least there's balance on the council now.
Gabrielle Giffords can't serve. Kick her out of Congress.
council vacancy
covered under calif govt code 36513. 36513 is the all regular meetings missed in 60 days rule.
http://law.onecle.com/california/government/36513.html
The key point here is "permission". If permission to miss is given, the clock is re-set. Most cities have a council procedures and ethics manual that defines conditions under which permission to be absent is given.
I don't recall Pacifica has one. So no apparent rules. Therefore medical reasons (or any reason apparently) is no excuse to miss a meeting.
As I recall, some Calif councils have a more stringent rule than 36513--miss even a couple council meetings or assigned committee meetings and you get into trouble. Again, Pacifica apparently has no performance/attendance rules for members.
govt code 36512 spells out some of the deadlines for appointment or election of a replacement when a vacancy occurs.
http://law.onecle.com/california/government/36512.html
here's a pretty good analysis that might be a little out of date but not by much:
http://www.cacities.org/resource_files/newCybrary/2008/legalresource/26637.Amy%20Albano%20-%20Filing%20Council%20Seat%20Vacancies.pdf
I will also add that in the absence of council procedures, a no-show council member can draw salary and benefits. Bad form, but no rule prohibits it.
Thanks Mark
Steve I sure don't want him back either and the FabFour is fine for now. I do think the pendulum has swung a bit and a candidate like Leon will have group baggage to explain. But depends on who runs against. He'd likely beat anyone who ran last time. Important that when it comes to spending cuts and the budget I don't think Pete will allign with Sue so it won't be a paralyzing 2 to 2 tie. She's still in denial. From the budget meeting it does look like Pete and Sue will align to hang onto that nifty extra check they get for cafeteria cash even as city employees lose the only check they get. Shameful.
Hmmm... so there are no rules but someone is giving permission and thereby setting one hell of a precedent. I smell a lawyer.
Take away the cafeteria check program and see who runs again. That will show the true nature of any candidate.
Take away the cafeteria cash and see who runs again? More like see who sticks around to serve the rest of their term. This mysterious permission to be absent is probably coming from council thru Rhodes to the poor city clerk. And just often enough but not everytime so they don't look totally irresponsible. Dust for prints and you'll find Quicks, too. They're going to protect one of their own. The votes probably not even unanimous or maybe some abstentions. I don't see the clerk doing this on her own and Rhodes knows the drill.
Reach out to individual council members with your concerns and outrage, again and again. And don't get personal.
All the dirty work gets done in Executive Session so the we'll never know.
"...a growth vs. no growth show down which is where the last recall derailed."
Anon 550, somehow I don't think Rocky, Suzanne or Vi would say that's what happen with the 2003/2004 (?) Recall effort. Mainly I remember the condensed timing, and weather was impossible rain. Then the mail-out for the recall disappeared from the north Post Office docks, across from the Chit Chat cafe.
With Bernie's petition for the ballot measure, I think he got about 3600 signatures, about 500 more than was needed because these signatures must be verified as registered voters at county level.
I'm pretty sure there are more people in Pacifica that care about money than Frogs. I mean we have had enough (the golf course, the dog park, school austerity, programs, want a museum pay for it yourself, sorry starving Resource people, etc). Hey, but city council majority has a little extra money for another consultant or what might be perceived as a scam.
The issue is that this city needs self-sustaining money, not the additional "giant sucking sound" of tax payer money, because "don't you think its nice to pay a little more to live in Pacifica, look at all we have." (comment from former Councilmember Lancelle). Also, Todd, Lionel, "Anon right-wing" and others do make the point the government needs to manage money better.
You mean closed session? If they're talking about anything other than what's on the agenda for the closed session, they're breaking the law. Are you accusing the city council of breaking the law?
From all of this on Fix and Patch it's clear people are just trying to understand who is making the decision to let this continue and what guideline are they following. Who is granting Vreeland permission to be absent from his duties? Who are they consulting with, if at all? City Clerk marks his absence excused or not excused but dealing with this issue seems well over her pay grade. There's an information blackout going on concerning this but decisions are being made and the public trust damaged and that's a problem. If this is being done out of compassion that's fine but why the secrecy? It just invites suspicion and speculation. And this approach does not appear to be helping Mr. Vreeland to return to the dais.
Anon@6;56, Has he moved from Pacifica?
Residents on the Point say that the usual patterns of his movement in and out of the area are non existant.
Doesn't he have to live in this town if he's on Council? Somebody follow that man if you can find him!
If 10 or 20 or 30 people all went to the next council meeting asking where is Jimmy? Maybe just maybe someone might give an answer?
I really like that idea from "maybe just maybe"
Also we need to ask Cecilia about their contracts serving as a council member. their "Do & Don't"
Also the public never saw him swear in when he got re-elected. So to me he is not legal a council member.
So he is nobody "NADA"
Nada you so funny. Pathetica's version of a birther.
hercules is trying to recall several council and one of them quit first
That would never work here because it might rain.
forget Where's Jimmy I want to know where's Bernie
Jimmy V went down to City Hall and was sworn in the day after.
Hmm so Jimmy V got the boot outdoors I wonder what he did?
simons showed up for more council meetings than vreeland
I am so amused...(Anonymous at 5:21 pm)
The Earthquake and power outage was Vreeland reminding you peons who is in charge.
He is on the city council and you people are wasting time and money on this "chat room" of a blog.
Had this blog been organized and got behind the people running for council Vreeland would be gone.
Lots of voters got behind Stone, thanks.
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