Council Behaving Badly - Fullerton Observer

Page 4 FULLERTON OBSERVER CITY NEWS
MID DECEMBER 2010
CITY COUNCIL NOTES w/Kevin Frink
The Fullerton City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of
each month at 5pm (closed session) and 6:30pm (public session).
Contact council at 714-738-6311 or council@ci.fullerton.ca.us.
Upcoming Agenda info and Streaming Video are available at
www.cityoffullerton.com. Meetings are broadcast live on Cable
Channel 3 and rebroadcast at 3pm and at 6pm the following Wed.&
Sun., and at 5pm Mon. City Hall is located at
303 W. Commonwealth, Fullerton 92832.
Dec. 7
The Fullerton City Council
met on Tuesday, December 7th,
2010. The agenda heavily
reflected last month’s General
Election. Items of regular business
included the declaration of
the election results, the oath of
office for our newest and re-elected
councilpersons as well as the
mayor and mayor protem selection
(see frontpage article “Council
Behaving Badly” for details).
Fullerton also recognized several
folks for their years of dedication
and service to our community.
The first order of business was
to declare the council election
results from the November 2,
2010 Municipal Election.
Council voted 4-0 to declare the
results and other such matters for
the Special Municipal Election,
bringing Bruce Whitaker to the
council dais. Results of the
General Municipal election were
certified also, bringing Patrick
McKinley aboard, along with
Mayor Bankhead. Mr.
Bankhead and Mr. McKinley will
serve four year terms, while Mr.
Whitaker will serve a short term
of two years. Additionally,
Fullerton Municpal Code was
changed to establish term limits
for council members.
Following the declaration of
election results, the Oath of
Office was administered to
Councilpersons Bankhead,
McKinley and Whitaker.
Once the council was officially
established, members voted on
who would serve as our city’s
mayor and mayor pro-tem.
When the dust settled, Doctor
Jones sat in the mayor seat and
Mr. Bankhead in the pro-tem
post. Jones’ position was a
unanimous vote, while the protem
seat was sought by Don
Bankhead (yes; Bankhead, Jones,
and McKinley) and Sharon
Quirk-Silva (yes; Whitaker and
Quirk-Silva).
Sharon Quirk-Silva voiced her
disappointment in losing the
mayor protem appointment. She
said that the change in policy was
made to give each councilmember
selected by the public a
chance to serve. She asked City
Attorney Jones if according to the
new policy the mayor protem
position is binding as to succession
to the mayor position.
Attorney Jones said it was not.
“I am disappointed and hoped
we would have moved together
along a path of fairness.
However, we have many more
pressing problems with the struggling
economy; people out of
work and losing their homes, etc.
I would have liked the title of
mayor protem but it will not prevent
me from being involved
with the community. I ask for
civility and that we all serve
Fullerton as a whole with integrity.
Bankhead said he agreed we
should serve with integrity ...
“but the lady would not support
me” (when he thought he should
have been selected as mayor in
2006 but the council voted to
appoint Quirk). “I’m just tired of
those who feel they’ve been mistreated,
it worked the way it
worked.”
Upon her exit, Mayor Protem
Keller was recognized for her
service by several members of the
city. Among the well wishers
were State Assemblyman Chris
Norby; OC Supervisor Shawn
Nelson; and the Office of
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez
(See Keller’s words at right).
Also recognized during the
council session for their years of
service to Fullertonians were long
time employees Chris Meyer
(City Manager) and Bob Savage
(Director of Maintenance
Services) who are both retiring,
and current County of Orange
Supervisor, Shawn Nelson.
Dec. 21 Agenda Forecast
• Closed session on existing litigation
with Hansen • 30-minute
Parking on Williamson from
Euclid to Woods •Request to
accept Specific Plan •Public
Hearings: Police Tows; St. Jude
Specific Plan Amendment
•Outdoor Dining and Public
Right of Way Encroachments
•M2 Traffic Signal Coordination
•OCTA Brookhurst Signal
Coordination •Contract Awards:
Puente St. Bike Path; Water
Main Replacement; Tennis
Center Pavilion; Ambulance
•Contract Amendment for FAST
•Revised records retention schedule
•Annual Reports•Purchase
Police Vehicles •Accept Donation
Jan 4, 2011 Agenda Forecast
• Public Hearing: Fullerton
Transportation Center Cost
Recovery Fee •Ford Park Cell
Towers •Ordinance: Temporary
appointment in case of vacant
council seat.
Pam Keller Says Goodbye
With A Wish for Common Decency
Tonight is the night where I am expected to
thank all of my supporters, list all of my accomplishments
and then pass the baton on to a new
city council member. As I look out into the audience,
I am reminded of the night four years ago
when I was sworn in to this office. I see so many
friendly faces! I see my family, friends and colleagues.
I see people who I have argued with about
subjects too numerous to mention. I see city staff
who work hard to make Fullerton
better and better every year—even
under dire circumstances. When I
look out over the audience, I see
Fullerton!
Back in May, when I announced
that I would not be seeking a second
term in office, I had an opportunity
to speak about what I was proud of
accomplishing during my term. But
I feel there is something much more
important to discuss tonight. As I
have been reflecting with my children
over the past few weeks, I have
asked them, “What is it like having a
mother on the city council?” The ultimate vote
from a kid’s perspective was 50/50—sometimes it’s
good and sometimes it’s bad! What may surprise
you is the details…sure, they missed me when I
was away at meetings, but they enjoyed some of
the events they participated in. The quote that
caught my attention came from my 14-year-old
son. When asked to list the top things he did not
like about having his mom on the city council he
said (and I quote) “The hate, the rumors and the
lies”! We all try to protect our children from the
adult business in our world. But there are some
things that cannot be shoved into a drawer and
stuffed away. Some things find their way out. Like
a lethal chlorine gas silently poisoning our air until
we can no longer breathe. Our founding fathers
did not create this country on hate, rumors and
lies, they created it out of love and hope for a better
future for their children.
Yesterday I was at an all-day gang prevention
workshop. Father Boyle, founder of Homeboy
Industries in LA, has the biggest gang prevention
program in the entire US. He was our key-note
speaker. As he was speaking I was thinking that
what he had to say applied to all of us—not just
gang members and people who were committing
crimes and making bad choices. But to people who
were choosing to try to solve problems, make
things happen and create change as well. Some of
us do that in a creative, respectful, collaborative
manner but unfortunately there are others who do
so by creating havoc, causing strife and breaking
others down so as to get what they want without
compromising. I began to wonder what has happened
to our political discourse?
What happened to those great conversations
where we can disagree—
sometimes to the very extremes—
but shake hands in the end and walk
away feeling respected?
Father Boyle reminded us that all
change comes from within. It must
be preceded by a vision and then it
takes hard work together to make
the vision a reality. He shared with us
that after all these years of working
with the toughest, baddest, meanest
gang members that everything boils
I am hopeful that
Fullertonians
will work to
rebuild the kinship
that has slowly
been eroded
by nasty elections,
rude videos and
anonymous
blog comments.
At Left:
A sign thanks
Mayor Protem Pam
Keller for her four
year service on the
City Council. She
announced earlier this
year that she would
not be seeking re-election
and would be
stepping down to
spend more time with
her husband and their
three young sons.
down to kinship. The lack of kinship in their lives
led them to search it out in unhealthy places. No
kinship? No peace! No kinship? No justice!
I am hopeful that our citizens will someday be
fed up enough to realize that fighting amongst
ourselves, breaking down and disparaging others
and using perceived power to step upon the heads
of others so they can be on the top is not the way
to build a healthy, strong and safe community. I
am hopeful that they will say,
“Enough is enough” and really begin
to listen to one another and their
ideas; really begin to converse rather
than talk over one another and truly
begin to work together in a respectful
manner. I am hopeful that
Fullertonians will work to rebuild
the kinship that has slowly been
eroded by nasty elections, rude
videos and anonymous blog comments.
You all know that I used to teach
kindergarten and I am sure you are
equally familiar with the best selling
book by Robert Folghum, All I Really Need To
Know I Learned In Kindergarten. The lessons in
that book apply to us all and I am going to take the
time to remind you what he wrote (I will paraphrase
a bit):
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how
to live and what to do and how to be I learned in
kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the
graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile
at Sunday School. These are the things I
learned:
•Share everything. •Play fair. •Don't hit people.
•Put things back where you found them. •Clean
up your own mess. •Don't take things that aren't
yours. •Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
•Wash your hands before you eat. •Flush. •Warm
cookies and cold milk are good for you. •Live a
balanced life - learn some and think some and
draw and paint and sing and dance and play and
work every day some. •Take a nap every afternoon.
•When you go out into the world, watch out for
traffic, hold hands, and stick together. •Be aware of
wonder.
Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and equality and sane
living.
Take any of those items and extrapolate it into
sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family
life or your work or your government or your
world and it holds true and clear and firm.
And it is still true, no matter how old you are -
when you go out into the world, it is best to hold
hands and stick together.
Thank you to all of you that held my hand and
stuck with me through these past four years. I
appreciate your support more than you will ever
realize. I think we all need each other more now
than ever before. I will close with a quote that was
a gift to me when I ran for election four years ago,
“You can judge a person’s character
by the company they keep”
I am proud to keep the company of
Fullertonians just like you. Let’s stick together,
support our new city council and continue to
build up rather than break down this wonderful
city that we all know and love. Thank you!