A Corollary: No Need For Four City Council Members!

The City Council of Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Record:


The Historic Resources Board:

Since May 2006, of the 5 appeals to the City Council of Historic Resources Board’s decisions, the City Council has overturned all of the Historic Resources Board’s decisions. (see City Council Overturns HRB’s Decision: E. P. Young Spec. House REMOVED from Historic Inventory (WATCHDOG date 7/13/2006), City Council Overturns HRB’s Decision: Wild Cottage REMOVED from Historic Inventory (WATCHDOG date 7/14/2006), City Council Overturns HRB’s Decision: Palo Alto Savings & Loan REMOVED from Historic Inventory (WATCHDOG date 7/15/2006), City Council Overturns HRB’s Decision: E.M. White No. 4 “Quiet Cove” REMOVED from Historic Inventory (WATCHDOG date 7/17/2006) and City Council Overturns HRB’s Decision: DeSabla Horse Barn REMOVED from Historic Inventory (WATCHDOG date 7/18/2006)).


Harrison Memorial Library & Park Branch:

At the 22 June 2006 Special City Council meeting, City Administrator Rich Guillen was not only antagonistic towards the library, but recommended not funding the libraries in the amount of $35,000. Further, Mayor McCloud stated that she required statistics from the library prior to making a determination, even though Library Director Margaret Pelikan stated that the library provides the city library statistics every month. Both the mayor and city administrator evinced a lack of respect for the Library Director and patrons of Harrison Memorial Library and Park Branch. Moreover, adding insult to injury, Mary Brownfield of The Carmel Pine Cone reported that after the close of the public meeting, City Administrator Guillen stated that the City would hire a consultant to determine the times of the additional library hours.

The Carmel Art Board:

Just recently, the Carmel Art Board disbanded largely due to the cumulative effects of the Mayor’s and City Administrator’s lack of understanding and disrespect for the Art Board’s expertise and function.

The Former Community & Cultural Commission:

Prior to its dissolution as the Community & Cultural Commission, Mayor McCloud verbally chastised its members for not conforming their actions to her edicts; that is, when the Community & Cultural Commission Members attempted to act as a responsible advisory body with particular expertise and experience, Mayor McCloud demonstrated a lack of understanding of the role of advisory bodies and a disrespect for its members.

The record of the Mayor, City Council Members, and City Administrator vis-a-vis the Historic Resources Board, Harrison Memorial Library & Park Branch, the now defunct Carmel Art Board and the former Community & Cultural Commission, shows their lack of understanding of the role of advisory commissions/boards and a disrespect of Commission/Board Members and the Library Director. Moreover, this record supports the perception that the Mayor, City Council Members and City Administrator are not acting in the public interest. As the 2005 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury Report on Open Government stated:

Whether or not the public interest is being subverted through any covert process may be immaterial if the public has the perception their interests are not represented and outcomes are predetermined.

Given this state of City affairs, a corollary: There is no need for four City Council Members since the Mayor and City Administrator do it all, albeit dysfunctionally and not to the public’s benefit.