City of Thousand Oaks,  Politics

Ventura County D.A. Begins City Council Probe

The Ventura County Star is reporting that the Ventura County District Attorney is beginning an inquiry into whether members of the Thousand Oaks City Council violated open-meeting laws in a controversy leading to the city manager’s departure. Read the story here:

The council voted unanimously last month to seek an investigation into itself following allegations that City Manager Phil Gatch was being forced out.

Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Pena called for an investigation, saying Gatch informed her he was being forced out by Councilman Andy Fox. Gatch told her that Fox implied he had the three votes necessary to fire him, she said.

Gatch’s supporters repeatedly accused the three council members of deciding in private conversations to push Gatch out.

Fox, Councilwoman Jacqui Irwin and Councilman Dennis Gillette, for their part, stressed at the April 19 meeting that they had not violated the Brown Act, but questioned whether other council members and staff had improperly revealed conversation from closed session meetings.

Gatch left his office this month. The council accepted his resignation on a 3-2 vote in April. The vote came nearly two years after he was hired on a 3-1 vote in July 2003. Then-councilman Bob Wilson, Bill-de la Pena and Councilman Ed Masry voted for him. Fox dissented, and Gillette abstained. Irwin replaced Wilson on the council after the November 2004 election and voted with Gillette and Fox to accept Gatch’s resignation.

Gatch officially vacates his position on June 30.

Flap previously reported on this controversy here and here.

This inquiry is going nowhere.

It is simply sour grapes from a Mayor who is, now, along with Councilman Masry votes within a minority coalition.

The City Council has better things to do…… so do them!