Earlier this week the Council met to discuss one significant item:
The Council appointed Frank Gavidia to the Community Financial Sustainability Committee (CFSC). We also renewed the term for the two existing members, Howard Kaplan and Hank Stratford. Both existing members were appointed previously but due to lack of quorum the Committee could not meet. Between the three, there is a Certified Financial Analyst (CFA), a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
During the interview process with the Budget and Audit Committee, Frank was asked why he was stepping up to serve now. He mentioned that even though he felt he was treated unfairly while serving on the Planning Commission based on politics, the fact was that this committee was needed to help build trust within the community and he could be effective in that role. And since no one qualified had stepped up to serve, he believed that his knowledge and experience would be a benefit to the City overall.
The mission of the Committee is to act in an advisory capacity to the City Manager and City Council to make recommendations on the annual budget and other financial matters related to the City. It is the goal of the Committee to increase engagement in the community regarding City financial matters. The Committee has wide latitude on how they wish to direct their inquiry and activity. They are charged with identifying areas to evaluate for financial savings and/or revenue generation.
As the idea of the CFSC was originally brought forward by Councilmember Cloven, it was odd to see him engage in what could only be described as mansplaining while he berated Vice Mayor Trupiano over the candidate's perceived political views. The members of the CFSC are a group of people who have stepped up and offered to serve for the benefit of the City and I look forward to seeing the work that they produce.
The Council voted 4-0-1 to appoint the new member and renew the existing members. After introducing the idea, stressing the importance of the work, and trying to get the CFSC off the ground, Councilmember Cloven abstained.
At the end of the meeting during Council Reports, Vice Mayor Trupiano reported out some troubling information. She has been working at securing sponsorships for City Sponsored Special Events, and has been having a very successful year. Unfortunately, she was informed by some sponsors that members of the CBCA have been contacting them and challenging their support of City events. This is actively working against the interests of the City.
While Vice Mayor Trupiano has been working diligently to secure sponsorships benefiting the City and it is incredibly disappointing to learn that there are those trying to undermine that good work. She announced that until that organization can be more focused on supporting the businesses in this community, which is why it was started, rather than pushing their own agenda, she can no longer in good faith be a part of it and promptly cancelled her membership to the CBCA.
