Pasadena : Summit for Commissioners
City Director Rick Cole has called for a “citizens summit” before the Board of Directors to discuss what he believes is a pattern of attacks aimed at undermining the power of the city’s volunteer commissions.
The commissions, such as the Design Commission, the Cultural Heritage Commission and the Transportation Advisory Commission, review issues and provide advice to the Board of Directors.
Cole said that in recent months, commissioners have been unjustifiably replaced to quell dissent; funding issues have been decided without consulting the appropriate commission, and commission decisions have been routinely overruled by the Board of Directors or city staff.
The result, he said, is a growing anger in the volunteer ranks over the city’s “arrogant” and “punitive” treatment of commissioners.
Cole said the city bureaucracy has been trying to undermine the commissions because of a perception that they are interfering in the city’s smooth operation.
The summit is expected to take place in the next two to three weeks.
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