From April 2000, when Sue McCloud won election to the mayorship of Carmel-by-the-Sea, to June 2006, Mayor McCloud has amassed a record of meddling, micromanaging “governance.”
The Record:
1. October 2000: Mayor McCloud downsized the Planning Commission from 7 members to 5 members.
2. November 2000: With Mayor McCloud instigating the formation of a new Design Review Board, the City Council established the Design Review Board, even though the Design Traditions Report, unanimously approved by the Planning Commission, recommended design review be accomplished by a sub-committee of the Planning Commission.
3. July-December 2004: Community & Cultural Commission, composed of members Lucia Dahlstrand, Chair, Doug Pinkham, Vice Chair, Denny Gambill, Roger Fremier and Carol Hilburn, was dissolved by Mayor McCloud; soon thereafter the Community & Cultural Commission was “combined” with the Community Activities and Recreation Commission to form the new Community Cultural and Recreation Commission.
4. June 2006: With the mass resignations of Carmel Art Board Members Belinda Vidor Holliday, Eleen Auvil and Margot Petit Nichols, the Carmel Art Board was put on “the shelf for the moment.” Alibing her decision to “put the Art Board on the shelf for the moment,” McCloud cited the city council’s approval of a $90,000 contract for the review of city-owned artwork. She stated that “The results,..., will dictate the role of the art board,...”
5. June 2006: Mayor McCloud dissolved the Community Traffic Safety Commission, composed of Members Robert Clifford, Tom Conmy, Warren Neidenberg, Carl Roetter and Robert Spencer. As reported by Mary Brownfield in 28 July 2006 edition of The Carmel Pine Cone, “Commissioner Tom Conmy expressed disappointment and frustration. ‘It’s too bad, because it’s a good commission, and I think we did a lot of good things,’ he said. ‘Why they want to change it, I don’t know.’” Mayor McCloud stated that they were “getting all into projects that had no approval at the council level.” And she said “the council will determine who should take on the complex issues of traffic and parking in the 1-square-mile city.”
Conclusion:
Sadly, the present meddling, micromanaging mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea displays a pernicious aspect of the authoritarian style of leadership; and that is, she telegraphs a lack of TRUST in everyone – employees, commissioners, board members, residents – everyone. And that is perhaps the most dangerous, damaging and destructive consequence of all!
1 comment:
Over the phone and in person, Mayor Sue seems sincere. Then you reflect on what she said and realize it was irrelevant gibberish. Not to harsh a word for it, I don't think. Because I've been duped, you have to understand all aspects of the goings on of the city are pre-scripted and pre-ordained by Mayor Sue, and if not, or when she loses control, others have to be blamed and pay for it. I should know, I did.
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