By Brett Callwood
At the City Council meeting on the evening of Tuesday, October 10, Action Item 19.A saw the council, “discuss and consider the revised City Council Policy Statement prohibiting the City from co-hosting any events with individual City Council Members.”
This issue was raised at the previous meeting, by Mayor Tasha Cerda. Cerda had said that, if an individual council member has their name attached to an event rather than the entire City Council, it suggests that the council isn’t united.
However, Council Members Paulette Francis and Wanda Love objected, stating that the individual council member should get the credit if they have done the work. Both asked what the benefit to the city and the council is, should this item pass.
The same concerns came up again this week, and the discussion essentially devolved into an unseemly argument about personal credit.
Prior to the meeting, Council Member Wanda Love posted a statement on social media that began with, “Do you think it’s fair for ONE council member to come up with an idea, raise all the funding, organize all the resources by themselves and pull off a successful event and have to add all of the other councilmembers name on the flier if they have not contributed ANYTHING to the event?”
Love became visibly agitated during the meeting, when Cerda spoke of the need for unity, of an inclusive team. “I haven’t been included on this council since I was sworn in,” Love said. She then pointed out that Council Member Paulette Francis is the only sitting member of the city council who has ever attended one of her events.
Francis had similar concerns, and mentioned her work with non-profits, though she was assured that that wouldn’t be affected.
Surprisingly, Francis voted “yes” when the motion was eventually tabled and it passed 4-1, Love the only “no” vote.
Earlier in the meeting, a copier contract with M&S Technology Group was approved in the amount of $308,373. Departmental Item 13.A also passed, “Amending Chapters 18.04 and 18.13 of the Gardena Municipal Code relating to Accessory Dwelling Units and making a determination that the Ordinance is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.17.”
