Bell Gardens : Shredding of Old Personnel Files Left for New Council
City Council members have backed down from a plan to destroy 6-year-old city personnel files after Bell Gardens residents angrily accused them of “trying to hide something” from the community.
Four of the five council members were recalled in December and must leave office in March. At last week’s City Council meeting, critics said the files should not be destroyed until a new council has a chance to review them.
“It looks suspicious,” said one resident. “It casts a dark cloud on you on your way out of office and could be something that will haunt you for a long time.”
City Atty. Peter Wallin told the audience that state law allows city leaders to purge personnel files that are more than two years old, and that the files scheduled for destruction concern employees who left the city at least six years ago. Wallin recommended that the council get rid of the files.
But Councilman Allen Shelby said the decision should be left up to the new council, and the attorney’s recommendation was ignored.
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