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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981-12-21MINUTES ADJOURNED CITY COUNCIL MEETING MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1981 CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * I. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Wilson reconvened the Adjourned Meeting of the City Council at 4:00 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers. II. ROLL CALL Present: Councilman James E. McPherson Mayor Pro-Tempore Alexis D. Newbrander Councilman Romeo S. Puluqi Councilman Walter H. Snyder Mayor S. Roy Wilson Also Present: Martin J. Bouman, City Manager David J. Erwin, City Attorney Carlos L. Ortega, Assistant City Manager Sheila R. Gilligan, City Clerk HEARING BEFORE THE COUNCIL AT THE REQUEST OF MR. JAMES L. HILL RELATIVE TO HIS TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT WITH THE CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA. (Adjourned from the Meeting of December 17, 1981.) Verbatim Transcript: Mayor As you all know, Council has spent many hours, taken testimony, discussing various pieces of evidence brought before us from the case concerning James L. Hill. We have reached -- we have reached a decision which I would like to read to you at this time. The City Council, after conducting a hearing requested by James L. Hill, which hearing was held on December 10, 1981, and December 14, 1981, said hearing being reopened for further evidence received on December 17, 1981, finds that while there have been problems in the Palm Desert Department of Building and Safety, the evidence received is insufficient to support discharge based on allocations contained in the City Manager's memorandum of November 30, 1981. Jim Hill is to be reinstated with back pay and placed on special assignment. That concludes the — that portion of our Agenda. We will take a 5-minute recess and conduct some additional business concerning election dates which will be up for discussion in the meeting. It will not take long. MINUTES ADJOURNED CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 21, 1981 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MAYOR WILSON RECONVENED THE ADJOURNED MEETING AT 4:15 P.M. IV. RESOLUTIONS A. RESOLUTION NO. 81-154 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA, CALLING AND GIVING NOTICE OF THE HOLDING OF A GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN SAID CITY ON TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 1982, FOR THE ELECTION OF CERTAIN OFFICERS OF SAID CITY AS REQUIRED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RELATING TO GENERAL LAW CITIES. (Continued from the Meeting of December 17, 1981.) Mayor Wilson pointed out that this matter had been continued from the meeting of December 17th for further consideration of consolidating the election with the November date which was proposed as anternative by Councilman McPherson and in accordance with recent State legislation. Councilman McPherson moved to waive further reading and adopt Ordinance No. 281 determining that the General Municipal Elections shall be held on the same days as the Statewide General Elections. Councilman Newbrander seconded the motion. Councilman Puluqi stated he resented the action because he felt it unfair to the public to do it. Secondly, he felt the Council had just finished with one hassle, and didn't need another one. He stated it was wrong for an elected official to extend their term of office right before an election for 6 months or whatever since he did not agree that it would create better voter turnout. April was better since people were well versed on the city's policy to conduct an election at that time. MR. JACK HALL, 74-166 Ocotillo, Palm Desert, stated that Councilman Puluqi said what he felt and what everyone else felt. They would like to see elections come and go as they are set up to go right now. He didn't see why we should extend it. He felt it stupid. MR.BOB DOWNS, 45-845 Las Palmas, Palm Desert, stated his sentiments were the same as Councilman Puluqi's. He said he planned to run for City Council next year and now considering putting it off another 6-8 months, how would he know when he would be able to do his thing so that he could do that? I felt it totally wrong. MR. ALBERT LINDSTROM, 74-720 Old Prospector Trail, Palm Desert, stated he was basically a resident of Palm Desert and of the County area of Washington State. He had been involved in politics in Washington as well as Seattle. He thought this Council is totally wrong in extending the election. Councilman McPherson stated he found it interesting people felt there were political implications when our city does it and yet 10 other cities •in the Valley have done it, and he hadn't heard the same arguments in those cities. He wondered why it was wrong in our city and not in the others. Councilman Newbrander stated that this city had worked with the Cities of Indian Wells and Rancho Mirage on the fire district and hopefully with a police district. She pointed out we had all done Proposition A together for the fire tax, so it did seem that we should go together on this. She stated she personally did not care. Councilman Puluqi stated it seemed to him that there was not a lot of faith in the people who were going to run. For someone to feel they were unexpendable was wrong since the country had been running that -2- MINUTES ADJOURNED CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 21, 1981 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * way very well for over 200 years. He said the change was, in his opinion, for one reason only and that was to stay in office longer. Everyone can be replaced including himself. Mayor Wilson pointed out that the issue was not one of to stay in office longer or not. The issue first of all was that the State Legislature decided that for the democratic process, there should be more involvement, more participation in city elections, that in the past, very few people were turning out for it; therefore, they recommended and passed legislation giving the ability to cities to set their elections concurrently with State and National elections. That's the issue. Whether or not we want more people to participate or whether we want small pressure groups try to control this city by only those interested coming out and getting involved at election time. We believe in the democratic process; he thought we ought to believe in letting all voters or as many voters as possible decide on who is going to run this city and who isn't. MR. LINDSTROM addressed Council again stating: It seemed to him the local municipality not only in Palm Desert but in other areas have the idea that their jobs are predicated on longevity. That's why the Council would like to extend their jobs -- extend the election. He said it seemed sort of funny that the Federal government does not extend the Federal election, the President of the United States. Also, he said the Council talked about going to the polls -- he had spent 4 years lobbying in this country federally for the people of this country -- 40 million of them. The reason why people don't go to the polls, the reason why people don't care is because of apathy, he said. He continued that the politician had set himself up as a demagogue. He doesn't listen to the people. He basically does what he feels is right. He also does what the special interest groups would like, and that is why he was against the Council extending the term. Councilman McPherson invited Mr. Lindstrom to attend a few of the City Council meetings to see first hand that that was not true in this city. Mayor Wilson stated it was not the way it worked in Palm Desert and basically, back to the point, apathy -- this was one of the reasons why the State Legislature passed this law to extend the elections was to get over this point of apathy and get more people involved in local elections. He felt that the statistics show the difference in a municipal election and a State and National election that 3 and 4 times the number of people turn out for those elections. He felt the facts would support that. Councilman Snyder stated he had voted against the idea at the last meeting. If he had his way, he would extend it to November, 1983, only because that would consolidate our local elections with the school board elections. He stated he resented the fact that anyone would think that a councilman fits into a politician's group label, State or Federal. Every Councilman sitting here has to walk down the street tomorrow morning and face the people with whom he has made the decision concerning. He said he was rather proud of that in that he felt he had never made a decision here he was not willing to walk down the street the next morning and meet anyone. Any vote he would make on this certainly would not be with concern whether or not there is propaganda and/or the right of election being questioned. The only purpose of this was to increase voter turnout and cut costs for municipalities. He found it sometimes totally unbelievable the manner in which people elect people to positions and give the right of this council to make laws and create ordinances. These people are not properly qualified or looked at - 3- MINUTES ADJOURNED CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 21, 1981 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * to determine if indeed they should be running the city. The more people who make that decision to put the right people iri the job, the better. Mayor Wilson stated the ordinance to extend the date to November of 1982 to consolidate the election with Statewide election in 1982 and at the same time it would also extend the terms of the other people not up for election at this time to November of 1984 rather than April of 1984. With no further discussion, he called for the vote: AYES: McPherson, Newbrander, & Wilson NOES: Puluqi ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: Snyder B. RESOLUTION NO. 81-155 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA, REQUESTING THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE TO PERMIT THE COUNTY CLERK OF SAID COUNTY TO RENDER SPECIFIED SERVICES TO THE CITY OF PALM DESERT RELATING TO THE CONDUCT OF A GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN SAID CITY ON APRIL 13, 1982. (Continued from the Meeting of December 17, 1981.) Mayor Wilson noted that no action was necessary on this item due to the action taken under Item A of this Section. C. RESOLUTION NO. 81-156 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING REGULATIONS FOR CANDIDATES FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE, PERTAINING TO MATERIALS SUBMITTED TO THE ELECTORATE AND THE COSTS THEREOF FOR THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN SAID CITY ON TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 1982. (Continued from the Meeting of December 17, 1981.) Mayor Wilson noted that no action was necessary on this item due to the action taken under Item A of this Section. V. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Wilson noted that Council would adjourn to Study Session to finish discussing some items from the last Study Session Agenda. Upon motion by McPherson, second by Newbrander, and unanimous vote, Mayor Wilson adjourned the meeting at 4:50 p.m. ATTEST: SHEILA R. GILLIGAN, CIT ' ERK CITY OF PALM DESERT, LIFORNIA -4- OY WILSON; MAYOR