The Claremont City Council holds its first meeting of 2009 tonight, beginning at 5:15pm with another in a seemingly endless series of special closed session meetings. (You get the impression this is where the real business of the city gets done, without that bothersome public to interrupt the flow of things.)
The closed session agenda lists two items up for discussion:
- A conference with the city's labor negotiators: City Manager Jeff Parker, Assistant City Manager Tony Ramos, and Personnel Manager Shawna Urban.
- A conference with the city's legal counsel, City Attorney Sonia Carvalho, regarding "anticipated litigation." Or, money in the bank for Carvalho's firm, Best, Best & Krieger - gotta love those billable hours.
The regular, public City Council meeting will convene at 6:30pm, beginning with a sanitized summary of the earlier closed session. The regular agenda seems pretty pedestrian:
- Ceremonial matters: Introduction of new Human Services Commissioner Bob Miletich and a recognition of the Doubletree Hotel for their sponsorship of the city's Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration.
- Consideration of City Manager Parker's "proposed and amended" employment contract. As a result of the Council's December evaluation of the City Manager's performance, they've rewarded him with a 3% raise and a pay-for-performance bonus of an undisclosed amount. Of course, the devil is in the bonus details, conveniently hidden away.
At least Parker, whose salary will now be $211,150 per year, made out better with his raise than his predecessor, Glenn Southard.
[Update: See today's Wes Woods Daily Bulletin article here. Parker will offer to freeze his COL raise for 90 days. He has "no problem" leading on this one. Makes one even more curious about the TOP-SECRET "pay for performance" portion. The comments to the aforementioned Bulletin article are especially biting.] - Delaying discussion of a sidewalk installation plan for Foothill Blvd. between Mountain and Berkeley Aves. until staff can consider some alternatives. This plan generated some controversy because it would involved removal of the large trees that line that section of Foothill. The residents in the homes on the other side of the block wall there weren't too happy about the prospect of losing those trees.
The council is being asked to hold this one over until their February 24th meeting. - Review of the Human Services Commission Strategic Work Plan. This is the guiding template for most of Claremont's community programs and services. The most interesting bullet point under the work plan is "Alternative Revenue Generation," which includes "Approval and Implementation of Sponsorship Policy."
Can you say, "Naming Rights?" Imagine, if you will, a newly built Padua Park with a great big neon Claremont Toyota sign festooning the entrance. Or the "Metamucil Senior Center" in Larkin Park.
This is how things get done in Claremont. Policy changes buried as tiny bullet points in little-read commission work plan. - Approval of an entertainment permit for Walters Restaurant. This link was dead, so we have no idea what sort of entertainment is being proposed.
- Appointments to the City's Sustainability Committee. A number of names listed here. The most interesting of which is Barbara Musselman, the president of the local League of Women Voters chapter, chair of the Police Commission, a member of the city's Affordable Housing Task Force, and a member of the city's Committee on Human Relations.
Talk about recycling! Barbara's taking up enough space as it is. How about opening this one up to one of the many equally qualified community members who don't have a committee or a commission seat?
Claremont City Council Meeting
Tonight, 7:00pm
City Council Chambers
225 Second St.
Posts
