In a major shake-up at last night’s City Council meeting, a few community members — backed by applause from an undetermined number of supporters in the overflowing Council Chambers — insisted during public comment time that the newly-elected City Council members be sworn in.
A rapid-fire series of events ensued. The Council certified the election and called City Clerk Nancy Shollenberger forward to swear in the new Council Members. The new members took their seats as Tonja Torres, Rob Stockly and former Mayor George Maurer departed Council Chambers.
“To see what is happening here tonight saddens me very seriously,” said Mayor Maurer. “I’m disappointed. I leave here very sad tonight.”
Torres was visibly shaken.
“Of faith, hope and charity, the greatest of these is charity,” said former City Council candidate Bill Tice, who spoke at the public podium to express his concern over the upset. Tice, just a few minutes earlier during public comment, had brought levity to the evening with his concession speech — “I’ll summarize it. I concede.”
The residents who favored the unscheduled swearing-in claimed that the original post-election Council meeting dates had been changed and that there was no reason not to proceed with reorganization since Shollenberger and the newly-elected members were all present.
Council Member Enid Joffe explained that the dates for the Council reorganization and the April 18 business meeting were set at the March 14 meeting with unanimous approval.
It was “not a secret, not a change,” Joffe said. “It is in the public minutes.”
Joffe added that she had concerns about whether the length of term for the departing members would be met if the new Council members were sworn in last night.
Stockly attempted to further explain the reasons for the schedule — that the City Clerk and Tonja Torres were not available on April 25, which would have been the usual second Council meeting for the month of April. Everyone with a role in Council reorganization was available on May 2, so the date was set, Stockly said.
Torres made a plea for honoring Mayor Maurer’s long service to Sierra Madre.
After the former Council members departed, the new Council began business with John Buchanan as presiding officer. The mayor and mayor pro tem will be selected at a future date.
At the conclusion of last night’s meeting, it was unclear as to the plan for what was originally to be the May 2 reorganization meeting. A resident asked, later in the evening, whether it was still possible to honor Mayor Maurer.
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Check back later today for a recap of last night’s agenda items.
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