Orlik accused of violating ordinance
Janine Marnien
City Councilwoman Debra Orlik violated a city resolution by
mailing out stationery with strong similarities to official city
letterhead, officials said Wednesday.
The resolution, passed in October, limits the use of city
letterhead and logo to official city business.
The city logo is “shaped somewhat like an arched window with a
green and brown oak branch across the top ... with the words ‘City of
La Canada Flintridge across the bottom half,” according to the
resolution. The city letterhead lists the names of the council
members on the top right and the city logo on the top left.
Orlik’s stationery features an image that resembles the city logo,
with Orlik’s name, the words “City Council” and “City of La Canada
Flintridge” on the top left side. A message at the bottom states
Orlik paid for the stationery and mailing expenses.
City officials discovered the stationery when a letter penned by
Orlik was inadvertently delivered to City Hall.
“Bottom line, Council member Orlik did have her own stationery
printed up but the stationery is very similar to city stationery,”
City Manager Jerry Fulwood said. “All that is a breach of the
resolution.”
Fulwood issued a memo Sept. 3 to Orlik and her council colleagues,
informing them of the stationery. There are no penalties for the
unauthorized use of city letterhead without approval from the
council, Fulwood stated in his memo. It is unclear what could happen
if the remaining council members decide to seek penalties, he said.
“I cannot make statements on what the City Council could or could
not do in future actions,” he said.
Orlik, who voted in favor of the resolution, denies breaching it.
“My letter doesn’t violate it because the resolution states with
specificity what the city logo looks like,” she said. “My letter just
has my name and address on the right.”
City Atty. J. Kenneth Brown and Assistant City Atty. Mark W.
Steres could not be reached for comment. The council could choose to
censure Orlik, Mayor Dave Spence said Wednesday, but added that such
action was not likely.