Anaheim residents got their first chance Tuesday night, Aug. 15, to give the City Council their thoughts on what the city should do next to reform itself following the release of an independent investigation into corruption allegations, with many calling for more transparency from elected officials.
The heightened interest in Tuesday’s meeting comes after the release of a city-commissioned investigation into City Hall dealings, including questions of corruption, past campaign contributions, contracts, city dealings, council decisions and potential Brown Act violations. It was the first council meeting following the July 31 drop of the 300-page report by Laguna Niguel-based JL Group, which took a year and cost the city $1.5 million.
Mayor Ashleigh Aitken created an advisory committee, the members of which were announced last week, to help digest the investigation and discuss what reforms Anaheim should enact. Several residents expressed dismay that the committee’s first meeting Friday was not open to the public.
“I don’t know what transparency means to them, maybe we have a different dictionary, but what they are doing is not what we see as transparency,” resident Sandra Cazares said, “having meetings behind closed doors, not having us involved — it’s not right.”
Before Tuesday’s council meeting began, Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development held a news conference and called for councilmembers to start taking action.
“This council has the opportunity right now, with this report that everyone in the community has in front of them, to show that they are ready to do something about it,” OCCORD Campaigns Manager Fernando Delgado said.
Tuesday’s agenda had several initial reforms Aitken asked staff to include for the council to discuss. Councilmembers were set to discuss, after this newspaper’s deadline, stronger lobbying ordinances and talk over a new city whistleblower protection ordinance, as well as publishing more of their engagement calendars for the public to see.
Wes Jones struck a more tepid tone during Tuesday’s public comment period and called the proposals on the agenda a good start, but said there needs to be an entity to provide oversight for the city’s ordinances, like lobbying.
“The thing that (Aitken) and the council will be held responsible for is the final product,” Jones said. “People will be watching.”
Cynthia Ward, a former councilmember aide, said the report confirmed wrongdoing that some residents had spoken about for years.
“We see low-hanging fruit already on the agenda,” Ward said. “This doesn’t fix everything … but this is a start.”
Ward, who is also one of the eight members on Aitken’s committee, said she wants people to know that more reform suggestions will be brought forward as the group gets going.
“I hope the public gives us the chance to make a difference instead of condemning our participation because the format isn’t to their liking,” Ward said in a text. “I’m optimistic.”
Source: Orange County Register
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