THOUSAND OAKS : Councilwomen Seek Help With Research

Dissatisfied with the briefing sheets that the city staff prepares, Thousand Oaks City Councilwomen Jaime Zukowski and Elois Zeanah are lobbying for an administrative assistant to help them pursue independent research.

“As a new council member, I have felt like an unexpected visitor in City Hall,” Zukowski said, describing her difficulty in obtaining information about upcoming issues.

Zeanah suggested that staff reports, which usually include recommendations for a yes or no vote, may often be biased.

“Unless we go more and more to rubber-stamping approval of staff’s recommendations without being fully cognizant of the issues involved,” each council member must analyze the issues individually “so the power rests with the people who have been elected and not with the bureaucracy,” Zeanah said.

Zeanah said she could use an administrative assistant to help her get necessary information to explore the issues. Each of the county supervisors maintains a staff of four aides, she noted.

Zukowski brought up the idea at last week’s meeting. Council members did not discuss the possible cost.

Although seats on the Thousand Oaks council are supposed to be part time, carrying a salary of $765 a month, most members said they work long hours attending committee meetings, drafting reports, reading documents and conferring with constituents.

Of the five council members, only Councilman Frank Schillo holds down a full-time job in addition to his municipal duties. He quickly lashed out at Zeanah and Zukowski for proposing that the city hire research assistants.