From: [email protected]
To: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF); [email protected] Subject: Supplemental Communications - multiple items including agenda item 10 Date: Monday, March 17, 2025 1:08:13 PM
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The hypocrisy of this city council really knows no bounds.
You gave away millions of taxpayers’ dollars to the Pacific Air Show for unsubstantiated damages that the city was not even responsible for.
You pretend that the settlement you
“negotiated” and championed has no legal impact, despite the clause that both parties want the courts to enforce it.
You hid the settlement from the public and ended up
paying a settlement of over $180,000, when you could have settled earlier for substantially less cost or avoided all the costs by simply releasing the settlement.
You initiated the citizens book review committee and, when citizens qualified a measure to repeal it, you chose the most expensive options available to you to validate the signatures and to hold the required election.
You fail to mention that you could have
accepted the petitioners request for zero cost or saved over a million dollars by putting the measures on the next general election.
Then you have the audacity to blame the
citizens for the expense and justify that it’s not a problem because the city has “one- time” money it can use.
I guess you’ve never heard of opportunity cost – i.e., the other uses that “one-time” money could have been put to that can no longer be supported.
You try to privatize our libraries, ostensibly to save money, by attacking one of the most efficiently run libraries in the entire state with one of the smallest percentages of the city’s budget.
When looking for cost savings and efficiencies, it’s usually the largest budget items that offer the most potential for savings.
You try to get around the requirements of 1992 Measure C by claiming that the contract for the Symphony of Flowers is a license, not a lease, but the legal definition of license says that the licensee does not have exclusive access to the property.
Yet, the contract
allows the promoter to put walls around the installation, which effectively makes their use exclusive, and therefore not a license, but a lease – something specifically forbidden by the city charter without a municipal election approving that use.
You railed repeatedly about the fact that Rhonda Bolton was appointed to fill a vacant city council seat, even though there was an extensive search and evaluation process that considered over 100 applicants.
Yet on tonight’s agenda you propose to appoint
one of three candidates without ever soliciting applicants for the position or holding any public hearings on the process.
3/18/2025
10 (25-204)
You promised no changes to the city charter. You promised to protect our libraries. You promised transparency and fiscal responsibility.
You have delivered none of the above.
David Rynerson
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: item 10, 25-204
Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2025 7:16:22 AM
I am disappointed that the process to replace Tony Strickland did not consider an open and transparent process with many applicants. The closed process clearly can not have found the most qualified person; it only found a person with the right political connections.
However, if the city council were to appoint a person for a temporary time, and then hold an election – it would be defensible for the city council to appoint just about anyone to fill the spot until an election was held
Since the city will be holding a special election, it will cost very little to add a city charter amendment that only addresses the election to replace a temporary appointment. The recent ballot measures failed because of other material in the measure. Having talked with people on both sides in HB, I think that such a measure would be well received.
Charlie Jackson
A 23 year resident of Huntington Beach
Text from recent Measure C, about replacing members (basically the same as an earlier measure)
Section 312. VACANCIES, FORFEITURES AND REPLACEMENT.
(a) Vacancies. A vacancy in the City Council or in any other office designated as elective by this Charter, from whatever cause arising, shall be filled by appointment by the City Council with at least four affirmative votes.
(b) Forfeiture. If a member of the City Council is absent from all regular meetings of the City Council for a period of thirty consecutive days from and after the last regular City Council meeting attended by such member, unless by permission of the City Council expressed in its official minutes, the office shall become vacant. If an elected City officer pleads guilty or no contest to or is convicted of a felony or any crime of moral turpitude, or ceases to be an elector of the City, the office shall become vacant. The City Council shall declare the existence of such vacancy. Any elective officer of the City who shall accept or retain any other elective public office, except as provided in this Charter, shall be deemed thereby to have vacated the office under the City Government.
(c) Replacement. In the event it the City Council shall fail to fill a vacancy by appointment within sixty days after such office shall become vacant, the City Council shall forthwith cause an election to be held to fill such vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term. If the City Council fills the vacancy by appointment, such appointee shall hold office until an election to fill the remainder of the unexpired term at the next general municipal election. Should the appointment occur after the filing deadline for the next general municipal election, the seat shall be deemed vacant upon the certification of the general municipal election, and the vacancy shall be filled in accordance with Sections 312(a) and 312(c).
From: powell_doris
To: [email protected]; Vigliotta, Mike
Cc: CITY COUNCIL (INCL. CMO STAFF); [email protected]; Vigliotta, Mike Subject: 25-204 Table Appointment of Vacant City Council Seat and Request Appreciations Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2025 8:32:20 AM
I am asking that the City Council table the selection to fill the vacant city council seat and put out a request for applications. That was the procedure followed for the last city council vacancy and the city received one hundred applications to choose from.
If the City Council chooses not to follow this suggestion, Andrew Gruel’s name should be withdrawn from consideration because he was selected in violation of the Brown Act §5495.2 (b).
On Saturday, March 1st, the Huntington Beach City Council and City Clerk attended an unannounced meeting, where former City Attorney Michael Gates announced that Andrew Gruel would be replacing Tony Strickland on the City Council. This announcement was made in front of the official city seal, which constitutes a violation of regulations. (Video below.) During the meeting, Andrew Gruel was called up to the stage and warmly greeted by the Councilmembers. At the time, it was widely known that Tony Strickland would be leaving for the state senate. Importantly, a quorum of the City Council was present, making this gathering a violation of the Brown Act, specifically §5495.2 (b).
March 3, 2025, at a press conference, Mayor Bruns stated that he did not know who would be asked to fill the position—an obvious falsehood. Given these circumstances, Andrew Gruel’s name should be removed from consideration for the replacement appointment.
Doris Powell
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1141973660571016?s=yWDuG2&fs=e&mibextid=Nif5oz