By Gene Felder
Let’s examine the claims that Chris Quilter made in his Oct. 4 Indy column titled, “Bye George?” starting with information from this paper. The Laguna Beach Independent published a Dec. 11, 2021 letter to the editor, “Mayor Bob Whalen Has Learned Nothing from Brown Act Violation.” In the letter, Orange County Senior Deputy District Attorney Steven Schriver, Special Prosecutions Unit, wrote: “In response to complaints concerning possible violations of the Ralph M. Brown Act by the Laguna Beach City Council, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) conducted a review of the City Council’s June 29, 2021 closed session regarding Hotel Laguna. Based on this review, there is substantial evidence that the city councilmembers violated the Brown Act with respect to the public notice of the closed session and/or the scope of the matters considered during the meeting.”
Quilter offered “to donate $1,000 to Village Laguna if anyone could prove that the council’s infamous closed session in June of 2021 violated the Brown Act. Given the DA’s letter above, it is clear that Mr. Quilter owes Village Laguna $1,000.
Councilman Whalen and others still refuse to answer questions about the closed session, despite Steven Schriver, Orange County Senior Deputy District Attorney, Special Prosecutions Unit writing, “For its part, the city council waived confidentiality with respect to the June 29, 2021, closed session and openly discussed the proceedings during its Aug. 24, 2021 meeting.”
Quilter also brings up former City Manager Shohreh Dupuis, who without any city manager experience, was promoted by the City Council majority of Bob Whalen, Sue Kempf and Peter Blake. They also defended her at every turn until it was obvious she had to go. Quilter writes, “Aside from adding insult to injury, how smart was it to give Dupuis more ammo for a hostile workplace lawsuit?”
Many do not know that the police chief works under the city manager. When Dupuis was pulled over for holding and talking on her cell phone while driving, it was inappropriate for her to invoke the name of Police Chief Jeff Calvert to pressure the officer. When the bodycam video was released, the city spent extra money to fabricate context, issuing an expensive video press release available on YouTube.com. If the context of the video was to exonerate the city manager, it failed miserably. The video shows her invoking the name of the officer’s boss, which, to me, borders on creating a hostile work environment.
“Instead, the taxpayers are out $450,000 that could have been put to good use,” Quilter writes regarding part of the termination package granted Dupuis, inferring that Councilman George Weiss cost the city that money. However, the city council majority voted to settle before receiving the independent report about any hostile workplace accusations.
Quilter also writes about “speculation that she [Dupuis] wasn’t the victim of a hate crime, but slimed her own property in a play for sympathy.” The initial report was that feces was scattered on her house, and the entire community rallied in support. Something like $10,000 was offered as a reward to bring the criminals to justice. Then it was reported that the material was fish emulsion. Suspiciously, after over a year, the city has never corrected the misinformation nor reported publicly on the findings of its investigation.
Quilter also asks, “If anyone can prove Whalen and/or Kempf ever floated the absurd idea of replacing the library with a parking structure.” On April 12, 2022, there appeared on the “consent calendar” (an agenda item not to be discussed) the possibility of the library property becoming city property and the city then to lease the building to the county for only three years. What was going to happen to the library after three years? One has only to view the 2022 Strategic City Planning Session video to hear then Councilmember Blake recommending that the library space be converted to a parking structure. Thanks to the leadership of Councilmember Weiss and outcry from the community, the agenda item was discussed, and the lease set at 25 years.
Weiss saved the library. I support the reelection of Councilmember George Weiss.
Gene is the Host of KXFM’s “Village Laguna Hour,” Treasurer of the Laguna Canyon Conservancy, President of the Top of the World Neighborhood Association, Treasurer of Laguna Residents First and serves as an alternate on the Coastal Greenbelt Authority.
