COMMENTARY Carmel’s Clueless City Council

“The mayor and city council appear to be a perfect storm. None seem to understand the basics of leadership and management. The former city manager, Jason Stilwell, ran amuck with expenditures, and the mayor and council were clueless.”

“When the misadventures of Jason Stilwell became known, the mayor and city council should have resigned. And I think they should do so now.”

Source: ‘People who don’t have a clue,’ Robert L. Fox, Carmel Valley, Letters to the Editor, The Carmel Pine Cone May 22, 2015, 24A & 13A

“Before they (Steve McInchak and Rose Franzen) were put on leave, with threat of possible criminal felony charges, based on Mark Alcock’s work, their judgment was that Alcock did not show any indication that he was a computer “expert” in the work they saw him do, nor were they aware that he had been hired to spy on them.”

“Alcock and Nagy were brought to the city by Sue Paul, who, in a short time following her hire, assumed responsibility and authority over almost everything and everyone in the city. She abused city staff and facilitated an egregious waste of city funds. Her tenure was a grave disservice to the City of Carmel,..”

Source: ‘A grave disservice,’ Stephanie Pearce, Carmel, Letters to the Editor, The Carmel Pine Cone May 22, 2015, 13A

“Frankly, Mayor Burnett, you and the city council should be outraged at yourselves for all the misery you brought upon all the loyal public employees you allowed Stilwell to cast to the winds, without even vetting his methodology. And finally, Mayor Burnett, can you and your city council cohorts imagine the pain and anger of the McInchak family, whose husband and father was fatally defamed by Stilwell, aptly enabled by the police chief, the city council, and yourself?”

“You and the council gave up the right to be “angry.” The citizens of Carmel, the harmed employees, and the McInchak family are the only ones who have the right to be angry. Your only sentiments should be shame and remorse.”

Source: Mayor doth protest too much, Don Lassig, Pacific Grove, Letters to the Editor, The Carmel Pine Cone May 15, 2015, 30A

Whether the explanation for the contracts fiasco, McInchak travesty, et cetera, is that the mayor and city council members were “clueless” or the mayor and/or city council members were directly instrumental in some of the actions of former City Administrator Jason Stilwell and by extension his cohort Administrative Services Director Susan Paul, the contracts fiasco and McInchak travesty represent serious breaches of public trust involving the city council's fiduciary and oversight responsibilities. That the mayor and city council members have not resigned already indicate that they are absolutely clueless as to their duties and responsibilities to their respective city government positions and the citizens of the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, their constituents.

Written & Published by L. A. Paterson