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Uploaded: Tuesday, January 29, 2013, 8:51 AM
Atherton City Council: Colleagues question mayor's call for more collaborative spirit
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by Renee Batti
Almanac Staff
Two City Council colleagues have called into question the sincerity of Atherton Mayor Elizabeth Lewis' statement last month sounding the call for a more collaborative council after Ms. Lewis bypassed them for all committee appointments they had requested.
Appointed in December by her colleagues to a one-year term as mayor, Ms. Lewis had urged council members to "put aside personal agendas," and emphasized the need for more civility on the council, which for years had been marked by public bickering and the exchange of accusations of bad faith.
"I am greatly saddened by the mayor's committee assignments," Councilman Jim Dobbie said in a written statement read, in his absence, by Councilman Bill Widmer at the Jan. 16 council meeting. "She has deliberately excluded from all the important Atherton and relevant committees the two council members who have the most successful business experience."
Mr. Widmer followed his colleague's statement with his own, saying he was disappointed that he wasn't assigned to any committee or regional agency he had requested, and was placed on regional committees he found meaningless or couldn't serve on because of his schedule.
The mayor traditionally appoints two council members to each major town committee at the beginning of each year. One alternative is also appointed. Council members are also appointed to represent the town on regional agencies, such as the City/County Association of Governments and the Menlo Park Fire Protection District.
Council members Dobbie and Widmer were particularly peeved at having been left off the Audit/Finance Committee despite their current membership on it and their requests for reappointment. Mayor Lewis appointed herself and Vice Mayor Jerry Carlson, with new council member Cary Wiest named the alternative.
In his written statement, Mr. Dobbie said: "In the last two years Bill Widmer and myself have been key players in changing this town from a financially irresponsibly run administration gradually descending into bankruptcy into an administration which is now running on normal business principles and is close to breakeven financially." Mr. Widmer, too, argued that he and Mr. Dobbie have the strongest financial backgrounds, and should have been allowed to continue their work on the committee.
But Mayor Lewis said in an email that there had been a tradition of the mayor and vice mayor sitting on the finance committee, and that Mr. Widmer broke that tradition last year when, as mayor, he appointed Mr. Dobbie rather than her. "In my judgment, the mayor and vice mayor should be on Finance," she said.
Mayor Lewis said she used her best judgment in making the appointments, and noted that the number of committees that council members serve on dropped from eight last year to only four this year meaning there were only eight seats to fill rather than 16.
Mr. Widmer noted, however, that with eight spots to fill "you'd think that each (of the five) council members could have been given one seat" that he specifically requested.
Council members Widmer and Dobbie were assigned seats on one committee only: the Environmental Programs Committee. Mr. Wiest, the only council member who requested that committee, was appointed the alternate.
Mayor Lewis, Mr. Carlson and Mr. Wiest, who is serving his first term, were each assigned seats on two committees.
Former council member Kathy McKeithen also took aim at Mayor Lewis at the meeting. Citing the mayor's call for greater transparency and a more collaborative council, Ms. McKeithen said the committee assignments didn't support the mayor's words, and instead represented a "personal vendetta" against two council members who often were on different sides of an issue from Ms. Lewis and Mr. Carlson.
In her email, Mayor Lewis said that not everyone gets the appointment he or she requests. "... (T)ruthfully, my personal experience over the past four years was that I did not get the assignments I wanted; however, I accepted the assignments (and) proceeded to serve as requested."
One example, she said, was when she was denied her request in 2010 to be reappointed to the Transportation Committee. Then-mayor McKeithen, she said, "denied my request" and replaced her with Mr. Dobbie.
Mayor Lewis said she wished Mr. Widmer had talked to her before the meeting if he was unhappy with the appointments.
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Posted by Walter Sleeth, a resident of the Atherton: Lindenwood neighborhood, on Jan 29, 2013 at 4:14 pm The new Mayor wasted a golden opportunity to heal wounds left from the last couple years Council sessions by failing to wisely appoint her colleagues to Committees and Liaison posts that her colleagues were best suited. It is particularly sad in that both Councilman Widmer and Dobbie are experienced in the areas that they sought to contribute. Clearly, Council positions require Council people to learn new areas that they may not have experience in, but to purposely weaken the capability of the overall Council by not using players in the positions they can best contribute does not speak well for the Coach.
Ms. Lewis’ defense to what occurred seems particularly weak in that there is not a Rule that requires the Mayor and Vice-Mayor to sit on particular committees. In particular, Mr. Widmer’s actual workday employment is focused on financial analysis; no other Councilperson can claim such.
It must also be noted that while last year’s meetings quite regularly saw some ‘elbows’, the January meeting demonstrated ‘knees’ as well. The Mayor gave Mr. Widmer, who had prepared a serious analysis of the salary and benefits issue on the Council’s 1/17/13 agenda, little or no courtesy, when he tried to show his Power Point presentation to the Council and the residents attending the meeting. The Mayor was also less than fully attentive to several residents who spoke on issues during the meeting.
Hopefully, Ms. Lewis will reflect on the January meeting and realize that there is merit in the reactions of her colleagues, and the concerns of a number of residents. This community needs to have a talented and well functioning set of Council members. And, at least as of the January meeting the Town does not yet have a well functioning Council.
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Posted by Geez, a resident of the Atherton: other neighborhood, on Jan 29, 2013 at 8:10 pm Really? A well functioning Council doesn't take swipes at each other by professing that they run a "more successful" business they anyone else on the Council; nor would they say that service on a regional committee is meaningless.
These comments reflect more on the lack of commitment to collaborative efforts than anything else. Geez. Get on board and be a part of the team. Cut the crap.
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Posted by videofan, a resident of the Atherton: West Atherton neighborhood, on Jan 29, 2013 at 10:53 pm Talk about sour grapes. You didnt hear elizabeth whinnig like these two when they royally passed her over for mayor a few years back. Do you see what class was shown when she was verbally attaked at the the last council meeting by that horrible past council member?
No, I would say this council appears far superior in class and emotion than that of the past. The skill part will show when the first poster above and the rest of the failure library group cut the whinning, cheap shots and other bad behavior and start working for atherton, and not their next campaigns.
Lets build atherton a new town center council, how about that? Now thats something you can be proud of thats way beter bragging rights than the deeds youve performed in the name of fiscal responsibly.
Rule #1 in the sandbox is to play nice with others.
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Posted by enough already, a resident of the Atherton: other neighborhood, on Jan 30, 2013 at 6:30 am I guess it was too much to expect there would be a sudden change in the council's behavior. The WMD cast is still at it with McKeithen like a jack in the box heckling from the audience at every opportunity. Widmer and Dobbie in their ego driven and self promoting statements continue to tear Atherton apart destroying the character and morale of the town. It is all about themselves and not about Atherton. The time has come to demand they be responsible and behave like adults. As far as McKeithen is concerned it is just best ignore her.
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Posted by Heckling meetings, a resident of the Atherton: other neighborhood, on Jan 30, 2013 at 8:09 am Ms. Mckeithen's heckling of the meeting became very disruptive, and Mayor Lewis showed tremendous restraint. WMD is all about themselves, and lack of respect for residents, employees, and Police Officers. I suggest that if Ms. Mckeithen plans on heckling future meetings, she gets to experience a rendezvous with the Police Officers she has been so fond of attacking over the years.
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Posted by What?, a resident of the Atherton: other neighborhood, on Jan 30, 2013 at 10:09 am Heckling meetings, I was at the meeting, and I heard no heckling. What are you talking about?
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Posted by enough already, a resident of the Atherton: Lindenwood neighborhood, on Jan 30, 2013 at 11:40 am What? So you may recognize it. From a dictionary
heckling
1. To try to embarrass and annoy (someone speaking or performing in public) by questions, gibes, or objections; badger.
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Posted by Class, a resident of the Atherton: other neighborhood, on Jan 30, 2013 at 12:15 pm Video Fan is right. As Mayor, McKiethen put herself and Dobbie on Finance, claiming the Mayor and Vice-Mayor should be on finance to understand the town's finances. The next year WDM skipped over Lewis for Vice-Mayor. Lewis was professional; no story was written.
So now Lewis follows "McKeithen's Rule for Appointments" and gets challenged by McKeithen.
Since both Widmer and Dobbie want to sunset the Parcel Tax and the other council members do not. Why put W-D in charge of the town's finances.
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Posted by Right the Ship, a resident of the Atherton: Lloyden Park neighborhood, on Jan 30, 2013 at 1:50 pm "In his written statement, Mr. Dobbie said: "In the last two years Bill Widmer and myself have been key players in changing this town from a financially irresponsibly run administration gradually descending into bankruptcy into an administration which is now running on normal business principles and is close to breakeven financially." Mr. Widmer, too, argued that he and Mr. Dobbie have the strongest financial backgrounds, and should have been allowed to continue their work on the committee."
Carlson was a finance executive at HP and Lewis owns a nice size business. Time to let them work on the financial problems of Atherton.
In 2007 when Lewis ran against Dobbie and 2008 against McKeithen, they claimed Atherton's finances were sound. Lewis was campaigning that Atherton was headed for trouble. Dobbie and McKiethen said everything was going great.
Lewis was right.
Building Department surpluses were being used to illegally finance the town. Dobbie and McKeithen did not want that known until after they were elected. Millions in the General Fund had to be moved to the right accounts, revealing a financial shortfall that had been going on for years. And as Dobbie now states Atherton was "gradually descending into bankruptcy."
McKeithen was on Finance all those years.
Having a fresh set of eyes on the books is smart.
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Posted by Colleen Anderson, a resident of the Atherton: West Atherton neighborhood, on Jan 30, 2013 at 3:17 pm I will always have trust issues when It comes to Bill Widmer after he stabbed Elizabeth Lewis in the back. [Portion removed; comments on a person's religious beliefs are inappropriate.] He acted like that was OK. I would prefer he showed more ethics, and waited his turn. We are still talking about it to this day. Bill if you are reading this I hope you realize how disappointed we were that you would act this way, and we are all still talking about it. [Portion removed; see above.]
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Posted by Class, a resident of the Atherton: other neighborhood, on Jan 30, 2013 at 3:38 pm Besides Finance and Transportation what other committees are there?
It is time to share. Time for Lewis to be Mayor and Carlson to be Vice-Mayor and with that goes positions on the Finance Committee.
Dobbie responds by not having the "collaborative spirit" when he continued the trend of the council "which for years had been marked by public bickering and the exchange of accusations of bad faith."
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