Pomona Budget Crisis Cools as Administrator Takes Heat : Council Deadlocks 2-2 in Move to Oust Lampman, Under Fire During Squeeze

An effort to oust City Administrator Ora E. Lampman ended in a 2-2 standoff by the four-member City Council during a closed executive session last week, city officials said.

Council members Mark A. T. Nymeyer and Nell Soto opposed the administrator in the vote of confidence. Mayor Donna Smith and Vice Mayor E. J. (Jay) Gaulding supported him.

“I just feel some things haven’t been handled properly,” Soto said. “I’ve seen some occurrences where I feel some things haven’t happened to the best interest of the city.” She did not elaborate.

But Smith, who in the past has been openly critical of Lampman, said her colleagues were acting “more emotionally than responsibly” in their attack on the administrator.

“Any city manager serves at the will of the council. When ours leaves, I want the best,” Smith said. “I doubt with everything Pomona is going through and has gone through that we would be able right now to attract the best.”

The 56-year-old Lampman, who has served in the $72,000-a-year job for 10 years, would not comment on the vote.

The incident came after a dispute earlier last week over Lampman’s recommendation that Acting Fire Chief Ron Robertson be confirmed as permanent head of the department. As city administrator, Lampman has the authority to make the appointment with the council’s concurrence.

But the council at last Monday’s meeting deadlocked 2-2 on the confirmation, with Nymeyer and Soto in opposition. After the vote, Nymeyer publicly berated Lampman for bringing the issue to the council without enough votes to ensure its passage. He accused the administrator of insubordination.

Two days later, council members met in executive session, during which, it was later revealed, they ended up stalemated on the vote of confidence.

It is not the first time that Lampman, who came to the city as a member of the engineering staff in 1962, has come under fire.

During budget sessions last year, he was accused by Smith and Nymeyer of failing to provide the council with a full range of options for resolving the city’s financial woes.

Later, when the council voted to authorize Lampman to sign the city’s application for an American Express corporate credit card, Smith cast the lone dissenting vote because, she said, Lampman could not be trusted with the card.

In September, Lampman pleaded no contest in Citrus Municipal Court to a drunk-driving charge that resulted from a December, 1985, arrest by Claremont police.

In response, council members docked his pay for one week and restricted his use of a city vehicle to work-related activities for 30 days. Normally, Lampman has unrestricted use of a city car.

The council has had only four members since April, when Smith was elected mayor midway through her four-year council term. An election to fill her vacant council seat has been scheduled for Nov. 3.