CMPA appointment issue

Below is a clip from the March 11 city council meeting where I asked city attorney Rusty Wells about the process for the pending CMPA appointment. The council was in the process of passing a resolution to accept the power to appoint and remove CMPA board members, but as the CMPA was in the process of making an appointment, the Council intended to let the CMPA make the appointment, provided it come back before the Council for approval.

In an effort to make sure I as well as citizens understood the process, I asked City Attorney Rusty Wells to explain.

Mr. Wells explained that the planned arrangement would work assuming the CMPA amended their articles of incorporation and bylaws to implement the resolution. Unfortunately neither I nor City staff anticipated the possibility that the CMPA agenda could be arranged in such a way that the appointment would be made before they amended the bylaws.

Also below the video clip is a copy of the March 12 CMPA meeting agenda.

The Community Maritime Park has been a controversial project in our community. My concern is that the CMPA's recent appointee and the process by which he was appointed further erodes the public confidence in the project and adds another degree of controversy and divisiveness.

Interestingly enough, the four council members who voted in favor of discussing this issue at a special meeting on March 15 all supported the new city charter, while most of those opposing discussion did not. The 2008 city council elections and and the city charter vote made it apparent to me that city residents want change. I've heard again and again that "business as usual" is not acceptable. I want to thank my constituents who have expressed their concerns about the process. I will continue to work to be a strong voice for the people of District 4.

I am sure this issue will come up at Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting. I believe that a vote on this appointment will be a vote on who has influence at City Hall — is it the citizens and taxpayers of this community, or is it a select group of well-connected individuals who have long exercised too much clout?



CMPA Board Meeting Agenda 3-12-10