The Impact Of Monahan's Letter

FMW AND AB 35
Yesterday, while Richard Dick stood before the City Council to tell them of the evils of Jose Solorio's AB35, another part of the Facilities Management West team was dispatched to Sacramento to speak before the Assembly Appropriations Committee about the bill. Their PR folks were kind enough to send me a link to the text of the presentation their spokesman, Guy Lemmon, was planning to make before that committee Wednesday. You can read it in its entirety HERE.

MONAHAN'S LETTER
During the City Council meeting Tuesday evening several speakers stepped up and criticized Mayor Gary Monahan for recently sending a letter on City letterhead, signed as Mayor, opposing AB35 and supporting the purchase of the Orange County Fair and Event Center by Facilities Management West. That letter, and his response to the criticism Tuesday evening, made it clear that he's a big supporter of Facilities Management West's bid. You can find his letter HERE.

"WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?"
Some of Monahan's supporters ask us "What's the big deal? It's just his personal opinion." Well, a review of Lemmon's prepared text demonstrates for us EXACTLY what the problem is. Early in his text the following two paragraphs appear:

HERE'S THE "BIG DEAL"
"We have recently distributed a letter to the committee regarding our opposition to AB35, the measure before you today. Our letter lays out in some detail the history of the transaction, and how the sale authorized by the state contains benefits far more lucrative and beneficial than what is vaguely promised in AB35.

In addition, the committee also received last week a letter of opposition from the city of Costa Mesa. The two letters combined express the details of the fiscal concerns of this bill."

COSTA MESA SUPPORT IMPLIED
Clearly, Lemmon's testimony is designed to imply that the City of Costa Mesa, based on Monahan's letter, officially opposes AB35 - which is absolutely not true. There has been NO official position taken on that bill in open meetings. However, the way this council operates, there may have been discussions in closed session and decisions made, but the law requires that such official positions be made in open session. No discussion of this issue has taken place and no vote of the council instructing Monahan, as mayor, to relay an official position has been taken.

TWO CONCLUSIONS
We are left with a couple conclusions to draw from this situation. First, Monahan went rogue - off on his own, without consultation or acquiescence of the majority on the council - and sent his letter to Sacramento. Or, second, his letter DOES represent the position of the majority on the City Council, but that it was arrived at secretly, in violation of The Brown Act. I see no other alternatives.

MONAHAN MUST RECANT
The voters of this city, with their overwhelming support of Measure C last year, made it clear that they oppose the sale of the Fairgrounds - to anyone. In my view Monahan should immediately send a letter of clarification to the Assembly Appropriations Committee informing them that his letter was his opinion ALONE and that it did NOT represent the official position of the majority of the City Council nor the residents of this city.

LATE BREAKING!
AB35 PASSES APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
Late today Solorio's bill passed the Appropriations Committee on a 10-2 vote. Read about it HERE.