Agenda Item B.3
CPMS CONSENT CALENDAR
Meeting Date: December 6, 2022
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
FROM: Robert Nisbet, City Manager
CONTACT: Shannon Kirn, Management Analyst
SUBJECT: Condemning Words of Los Angeles City Council Leaders
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt Resolution No. 22__, entitled “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Goleta, California, Condemning the Words of L os Angeles City Council Leaders and Callin g for the Resignation of Councilmembers De León and Cedillo”.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Goleta has a long record of proclaiming its commitment to inclusivity, diversity and equity and the City Council has expressed a commitment to making Goleta a welcoming, inclusive, and safe community for everyone, promoting free thought and speech, while condemning racism and police brutality, hate speech, bigotry, violence and prejudice against all.
On October 9, 2022, the Los Angeles Times reported on statements made approximately one year earlier during a meeting among Los Angeles City Councilmembers Nury Martinez, Kevin De León and Gil Cedillo, along with local labor leader Ron Herrera. During that meeting, which was secretly recorded, the group participated in extended discussions that were filled with blatantly racist and hateful comments. These comments included racial slurs and cruel mockery directed at members of the African American, LGBTQ, indigenous and Armenian American communities, as well as derisive comments about “white members” of the Council. Some of the comments were directed at an African American child who is the son of a member of the Los Angeles City Council. The comments made during that meeting were abhorrent and indefensible.
The request for City Council to adopt this resolution was made at the City Council meeting on November 1, 2022, by Councilmember Roger Aceves and support for that request was received from Councilmember James Kyriaco.
1 Meeting Date: December 6, 2022
DISCUSSION:
All elected officials of the City are expected to conform to the highest standards of personal and professional conduct. Every elected official has an obligation to ensure that constituents have the confidence they will be served with equity, fairness and dignity, and that no resident wil l be mistreated or excluded because of their identity . The failure of elected officials in any jurisdiction to uphold these standards threatens the trust that elected officials in other jurisdictions, including the City of Goleta, work hard to establish and maintain.
Community leaders and members of the public have responded with justified outrage, condemning the words of all four participants in the recorded meeting and calling for the immediate resignation of the three Councilmembers.
The proposed resolution (Attachment 1) for Council’s consideration condemns the words of Councilmembers Martinez, De-León, and Cedillo and demands the resignation of De- León and Cedillo from the Los Angeles City Council. The proposed resolution further affirms the City of Goleta ’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion while condemning racism and hate speech.
GOLETA STRATEGIC PLAN:
The resolution aligns with the following Citywide Strategy:
City-Wide Strategy: Ensure equity, inclusion and access in City programs and services.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item.
ALTERNATIVES:
The City Council can choose not to adopt the proposed resolution.
Reviewed By: Legal Review By: Approved By:
___________________ ___________________ _________________ Kristine Schmidt Megan Garibaldi Robert Nisbet
Assistant City Manager City Attorney City Manager
2 Meeting Date: December 6, 2022
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 22__, entitled “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Goleta, California, Condemning the Words of L os Angeles City Council Leaders and Calling for the Resignation of Councilmembers De León and Cedillo”. 3 ATTACHMENT 1
Resolution No. 22__, entitled “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Goleta, California, Condemning the Words of Los Angeles City Council Leaders and Calling for the Resignation of Councilmembers De León and Cedillo”.
4 RESOLUTION NO. 22-XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
GOLETA, CALIFORNIA, CONDE MNING THE WORDS OF L OS
ANGELES CITY COUNCIL LEADERS AND CAL LING FOR THE
RESIGNATION OF COUNCILMEMBERS DE -LEÓN AND
CEDILLO
WHEREAS, the City Council is committed to making Goleta a welcoming, inclusive, and safe community for everyone; and
WHEREAS, On June 8, 2020, the City Council declared the issue of racism to be a public health emergency and condemned racism , police brutality, hate speech, bigotry, violence and prejudice; and
WHEREAS, on October 9, 2022, the Los Angeles Times reported a leaked audio involving the former Los Angeles Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, and Los Angeles City Councilmembers Nury Martinez, Kevin De-León, and Gil Cedillo using blatantly racist, homophobic, incendiary, and cruel language towards members of the African American, LGBTQ, indigenous and Armenian American communities; and
WHEREAS, the casual racism and degradation of colleagues and constituents witnessed on the recording threaten the wellbeing of our racially and ethnically diverse community; and
WHEREAS, every elected official has an obligation to ensure that constituents have the confidence they will be served with equity, fairness and dignity, and that no resident will be mistreated or excluded because of their identity; and
WHEREAS, On October 26, 2022, the Los Angeles City Council approved to censure Councilmembers Nury Martinez, Gil Cedillo and Kevin De León and joined the community in demanding their immediate resignation; and
WHEREAS, former City Councilmember Nury Martinez has resigned from her role as City Council President and resigned from the body entirely over these leaked remarks; and
WHEREAS, City Councilmembers Kevin De Leon and Gil Cedillo remain on the Los Angeles City Council, earning their full salary of $225,000 per year while not attending any public meetings of the council since their remarks were leaked; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GOLETA, AS FOLLOWS:
5 SECTION 1.
The City Council condemns the words of Councilmembers Martinez, De - León, and Cedillo and demands the resignation of De-León and Cedillo from the Los Angeles City Council.
SECTION 2.
The City Council reaffirms the City of Goleta’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and condemns racism and hate speech.
SECTION 3.
The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this resolution and enter it into the book of original resolutions.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this __ day of _____ 2022.
__________________________ __________________________
PAULA PEROTTE, MAYOR STUART KASDIN, MAYOR PRO
TEMPORE
__________________________ __________________________
ROGER ACEVES, JAMES KYRIACO,
COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER
__________________________
KYLE RICHARDS,
COUNCILMEMBER
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________ __________________________
DEBORAH S. LOPEZ MEGAN GARIBALDI
CITY CLERK CITY ATTORNEY
6 STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss.
CITY OF GOLETA )
I, DEBORAH S. LOPEZ , City Clerk of the City of Goleta, California, DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution No. 22-__ was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Goleta at a regular meeting held on the ___ day of ______, 2022 by the following vote of the Council:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
(SEAL)
_________________________
DEBORAH S. LOPEZ
CITY CLERK
7