07-28-11, Hal Weber Questions the Glendale City Council Regarding Selection of New
City Manager
A rumor reportedly making the rounds at Glendale City
Hall is that retiring City Manager Jim Starbird will in CLOSED SESSION
recommend to the City Council, without permitting any public input or the
application for the job by any interested non-current Glendale employee (no
matter how qualified), that Hassan Haghani be selected and appointed Glendale's
new City Manager.
According to a July 7, 2011, article by Melanie Hicken
in the Glendale News-Press, "Manoukian
demands end to closed door Starbird meetings", Glendale Mayor Laura
Friedman said the City Council, which is tasked with appointing Starbird's
successor, would soon meet to begin discussing
replacement plans.
No mention was made regarding whether or not the
public would be included in those discussions.
During Oral Communications at the 07-26-2011 Glendale
City Council Meeting, Berdj Karapetian, a former President of the Glendale
Chamber of Commerce, requested that the selection of a New City Manager be an
Open Process. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVVJ5-KF2hY
I have sent the following E-Mail message to Mayor
Friedman and to each of our Glendale
City Councilmen asking
whether or not the discussion(s) for Jim Starbird’s successor will be held in
Open or in Closed Session(s). Each of
their answers, or refusals to reply, will be posted on the Open Government in Glendale California
website ( www.oggc.org ):
-----
Original Message -----
From: halweber@earthlink.net
To: Friedman
- Laura;Manoukian- Rafi;Najarian Ara;Quintero, Frank;Weaver, Dave
Sent: 7/28/2011 4:15:46 PM
Subject: Appointment of a Successor to Glendale
City Manager Jim Starbird
Mayor
Friedman and Councilmembers Manoukian, Najarian, Quintero and Weaver:
Please send
me your individual replies to this message with your answers to the
following question, each of which I will post on my Open Government in Glendale
California website (www.oggc.org) for access
by any interested member of the public:
Is the Glendale City Council's discussion regarding the appointment
of a successor to Jim Starbird's position as City Manager going to be held
in video taped Open Session(s), or will this occur behind closed doors in
Closed Session(s)?
Sincerely,
Hal Weber
----- End of
Original Message -----
ADDENDUM #1:
Additional information regarding the
plans of the City Manager, the Mayor and certain City Councilmen regarding the
subterfuge of appointing a successor to Jim Starbird in Closed Session! Few Glendale
residents are aware of it, but because National Night Out takes place next
Tuesday, August 2nd, the City Council Meeting will take place at
1:00 p.m. in the afternoon, rather than at 6:00 p.m.. Very conveniently the meeting will begin with
the following CLOSED SESSION:
AUGUST 2, 2011
ROLL CALL
1. CLOSED SESSION – 1:00 p.m.
a. Conference with legal
counsel - Anticipated Litigation; Government Code section 54956.9(b)(3)(C)- Claim of Camara -auto
collision.
b. Conference with labor
negotiators. The City designated representatives attending closed session are:
James Starbird, Yasmin Beers, Scott Howard, Michael
Garcia, Matt Doyle, Robert Elliot, Glenn Steiger, and
Richard Kreisler. The name of the employee
organization is IBEW local 18.
c. Public Employee
Appointment – City Manager.
So much for the public’s right to know anything about
the selection process for a successor to City Manager Jim Starbird. Well, we elected these City Council Members,
so we deserve how they respect (?) and represent (?) us!
Hal Weber