This section of the agenda allows members of the public to address the City Council on any item NOT otherwise on the agenda. Members of the public, when recognized by the Mayor, should come forward to the lectern, and identify themselves. Comments are normally limited to three (3) minutes. In accordance with State Open Meeting Laws, no action will be taken by the City Council this evening. For items which are on the agenda this evening members of the public will be provided an opportunity to address the City Council as each item is brought up for discussion. – From every City Council Meeting Agenda I can remember.
Some things just seem to go together:
· Hot dogs and Mustard
· Pie and Ice Cream
· Chips and Dip
· Burger and Fries
· Livingston and allegations of Election Fraud – From – Damned If You Do-Damned if You Don’t – November 2018
Livingston California: 12/15/2018
A POSTSCRIPT TO THE ELECTIONS OF 2018
Allegations of election fraud, sign theft and/or other political shenanigans have been part and parcel of Livingston politics for as long as I can remember. This time around was not much different.
I’ve heard allegations about
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A candidate’s business partner working the polls
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A candidate’s daughter volunteering at the polls
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A candidate’s parent crossing into the 100 foot buffer zone in an effort to “help” other people vote.
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And a photo making the rounds in Facebook: claiming that a candidate was hanging out “at the polls”
Just to name a few. But I am going talk a little about on just one of the complaints: the complaint about a candidate hanging out “at the polls”. When I looked at the photo in question I noticed the location: the corner of F and Prusso.
Most of us, when we see or hear the words “at the”, usually visualize someone or something really, really close to something. Like: at the door. Close. Very. Very. Close.
The words “at the polls”, also implies candidates are doing something they ought not be doing on Election Day: like standing so close to the polling station doors they could reach out and knock.
Candidates and their supporters are not supposed to be that close to the polls on election day.There is a 100ft buffer zone around the polls that day. Candidate’s or their supporters Crossing into the buffer zone for some last minute electioneering that day is against the rules.
But, if we grant that the word “at” could be synonymous with “nearby”, “somewhat close too”, “relatively close to”, or “somewhat close by” to the polls, than there were not one but 2 teams of offenders that were “at” the polls.
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#TeamMcCabe: located on the corner of F and Prusso and
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#TeamSamra located on Prusso, directly across the street from the polling station located at the Child Development Center.
I wondered if either of these gathering sites could possibly be considered within the 100 foot buffer zone. So, I went to the Child Development Center the day after the Elections and, starting from the Center’s front doors, “paced” them off. Granted, it might have been more precise if I had actually taken a measuring tape along. But, as near as I could tell, neither gathering site violated the 100ft buffer zone rule.
Although there may well have been other Election Day Rules bent or broken that day, (that I have not been able to verify personally), the locations at which each “political team” was set up did not appear to break the 100ft Buffer Zone Rule.
Election Results were as follows
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Mayor: Gurpal Samra, 36% 0f votes cast
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Council Member (4 yr term): Raul Garcia, 16% of votes cast
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Council Member (4 yr term): Gagandeep Kang, 16% of votes cast
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Council Member (2 yr term): Maria Baptista-Soto, 15% of votes cast
A BRIEF RECAP OF THE DECEMBER 04 2018 CITY COUNCIL
This is not meant to be an entire record of everything that was said or done that evening. For that, you can watch the entire meeting on YouTube by clicking on the following link =>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc9FrnjlqBA
This post highlights some of the things that caught my attention: some of which, I think, give glimpses into the political alliances which were forged during the Election Cycle and seem to live on in the New Council.
The December 04, 2018 City Council Meeting saw the Declaration of the Results of the November 6, 2018 General Municipal Election and the seating of the newly elected council members. There was the Presentation of Colors by the Police Explorers Group, and the new Mayor and Council Members were sworn in.
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Mayor Samra was sworn in by District Supervisor Rodrigo Espinoza.
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Council Members Raul Garcia, Gangandeep Kang and Maria Baptista-Soto were sworn in by the City clerk
Appointments of Council Members to various Boards and Commissions was postponed to a future meeting: to give the New Council Members time to figure out which Boards and/or Commissions interested them.
After the swearing in, one of the first things the New Mayor did was state that, (now that the elections were over), we are all “friends” as soon as we walk through the Chamber Doors, and should not “personalize” things.
The first step down this rosy road to friendship and political fairness was to elect the newly elected Raul Garcia as Mayor Pro Temp over the more experienced Juan Aguilar Jr. (who had also run for the position of mayor). Juan Aguilar Jr. was nominated for Mayor Pro-Temp by councilmember Maria Baptista-Soto. But that nomination died for lack of a second.
There was a presentation and Renewal of Oath by the Police Explorers Unit. Then, the Police Foundation presented their donation of Ford Transit XLT to the PD. After that, it was time for “Announcements and Reports” by the County Supervisor, City Staff, and City Council Members.
It was at this point that the New Mayor announced the second step down the road to fairness and political fair play by declaring “I do not allow” public comments or questions about City Staff Reports given during this part of the meeting.
These “Announcements and Reports” by City Staff, he stated, were to the council. The audience would be free to listen to these reports from City Staff, but would not be allowed to ask questions or make comments until the Citizens’ Comments portion of the meeting. If the County Supervisor wanted to invite responses or questions, that was his prerogative, but members of the audience would not be allowed to comment or ask questions about Reports presented by City Staff at that time.
(This declaration signaled a substantial shift in attitude towards Public Comments by members of the audience. While other Mayors may have taken a more democratic and liberal approach to Public Comments: allowing the audience as many opportunities as possible; Mayor Samra appears to have a much more autocratic and restrictive view of public commenting.)
Announcements and Reports this evening included:
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Public Works
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The Recreation Department
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and the City Manager.
The City Manager’s reports included several major changes and projects on Livingston’s horizon, including:
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An Industrial Laundry service which has officially taken over the old Fresenius Building
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A group of investors had purchased the 30+ acres near Hammett and Campbell. Another Truck Stop is on the plans in addition to the AM/PM that has already been approved.
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Along the B Street corridor, there are discussions about a mixed use commercial project with senior housing: which would compliment the Medical Campus which should open in Spring.
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Funding will be available to redo the Winton Parkway exchange
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The City is looking at projects for the Next cycle of CMAQ money.
The only Public Hearing for the evening was Resolution Approving Site Plan and Design Review the New Microbiology Laboratory Project within the Foster Farms Plant Complex. At first, it seemed the project might be postponed to a future meeting, as the new Mayor Pro-Temp stated he’d like a little more time to go over the Staff Reports and documents. However, after more discussion, the Site Plan and Design Review was approved.
A Contract for Traffic Signal Maintenance Services to St. Francis Electric was also awarded that evening.
The Gardening Snail 2 