Lately,
a significant number of City Council meeting hours have involved two
matters: discussion of an ordinance to provide more transparency in
labor negotiations and an overhaul of five city advisory panels with
appointments that disappointed some critics.
A
Civic Openness in Negotiations ordinance has been on council agendas
since proposed by Craig Young in December.
As
adopted by the county and other cities, the ordinances “are
intended to increase government transparency by requiring public
disclosure of certain aspects of labor negotiations with public
employee unions,” according to City Attorney Todd Litfin.
Such
ordinances require the public release of offers and counteroffers
from closed-door negotiations and using outside negotiators instead
of top-level staff to represent the city.
Outside
negotiators avoid perceived conflicts of interest, since city
management usually receive the same salary and benefit
increases that are negotiated for employees.
An
obstacle to possible adoption of a similar ordinance is an “unfair
labor practices” complaint against the county by the Orange County
Employees Association, which also represents 69 of 96 Yorba Linda
employees.
Changes
to the collective bargaining process, Litfin noted, “could trigger
a legal challenge from the city's employee unions,” so he suggested
awaiting the outcome of the complaint, which could take six to 12
months, “potentially longer if appealed.”
Council
also spent nearly 15 hours in five special meetings interviewing 55
applicants for 20 commission and up to nine landscape committee
slots.
Thirteen
individuals were reappointed, three didn't seek retention, six were
dropped and eight new members were added. Selected library
commissioners weren't formally appointed, since council might expand
the panel to seven members.
The
new planning commission lineup: reappointed Bob Lyons, Bob Pease,
Karalee Watson; dropped Jim Nebel, Jim Wohlt; added J. Minton Brown,
Dan Mole.
New
parks and recreation lineup: reappointed Doug Dickerson, Stewart
Rixson, Tom Watts; dropped Doug Knarr; added Tara Campbell, Sandy
McKinney. Terri Memole didn't reapply.
New
traffic lineup: reappointed Nathaniel Behura, Jerry Brakebill;
dropped Mary Carbone; added Ed Camarena, Clint Kirkwood, Lynn Melton.
Mark Long and Al Yalda didn't reapply.
New
library lineup will be reappointed Carin Benner, Cheri Hansen and
Natalie Odebunmi, joined by reappointments Marilyn Adams and Randi
Noell and new appointees Ryan Bent and Debbie Burks, if the body
expands. If not, two will be chosen from the latter four.
New
landscape lineup: reappointed Eileen Barme, Bobbi Cooper, Greg
Gianelli, Bill Schuler. Dan Hildebrandt also was reappointed but
resigned soon after, blasting council's decision to drop Judy Murray
and Ken Peterson, past council candidates who opposed current council
members, among other objections. Newly named was Randy Kuroda.