La Palma’s City Manager Connel McNamara is under scrutiny this week from a group of residents opposed to the city’s proposed ballot measure after he was personally seen removing a sign from a city right-of-way.
Robert Carruth, a financial services executive and a longtime La Palma resident, said he had a multi-day exchange with City Manager Conal McNamara following the incident.
Carruth frequently acts as a watchdog for residents. He and at least two former Mayors are now part of an ad-hoc group organized to oppose the city’s proposed ballot measure “W”, which, like the Los Alamitos ballot measure, would rewrite the city’s current term limit provision that would allow some Council members to stay in office for decades.
“I was just fortunate enough to be driving home from work that day and I saw him (McNamara) do it,” said Carruth. Carruth acknowledges the opponent’s sign was in an area of the Public Right of Way (PROW) that could have been determined to violate a city ordinance, but other signs were in similar places and not removed, said Carruth.
Carruth said after the incident, he followed the city manager back to City Hall and photographed him carrying the “No on W” sign into city hall.
In a email to La Palma Mayor Marshall Goodman, Carruth said “The City Manager’s action clearly and intentionally discriminated against a single group because the sign included speech that the City Manager and members of the City Council opposed.”
“The City Manager did not delegate the matter to Code Enforcement for the investigation and follow-up,” as written in the code, said Carruth. Instead, he took it upon himself to personally confiscate the sign.”
“Did he take this action independently or did a La Palma City Council member instruct him to remove the sign,” asked Carruth in the email.
In his response to Carruth, according to emails submitted to ENE, McNamara acknowledged picking up the “No on W” sign but explained it was because both the Code Enforcement officer and City Clerk were out of the office for various reasons.
“Unpermitted election signs are generally handled by the City Clerk,” explained McNamara, “as she has records and contact information for candidates and others putting up signs.”
“As you are aware, staff does not work on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays so (generally) no enforcement occurs during those times,” the city manager aid.
The city manager said Code Enforcement handles political signs and realtor signs differently. This one sits in right of way.
“I removed it (No on “W” sign) because I saw it (in the PROW) and because Kimberly (City Clerk) was not at work,” the city manager said. McNamara also claimed that other signs in the right of way were real estate signs, not near where he removed the ballot measure sign.
“The two violations are not related,” he responded, “as I was unaware of your claim that there were realtor signs, in a different part of the City (again, we would not be removing realtor signs or election signs on the weekend as we do not have staff resources to do so),” said McNamara.
He said “sometimes new real estate agents do not know the City’s regulations and, because we are a business-friendly City, we try to work with them so that we do not have repeat violations.”
“I do not remove real estate signs because generally, Marion (Code Enforcement Officer) can address them in a timely manner,” he said.
Carruth said four of the current city council members voted in favor of a city ordinance that restricts public signs in rights of way in certain periods before elections.
“By this action, the city is advocating for the passage of Measure W by prohibiting opposition speech via temporary sign while allowing other speech via temporary signs during the restricted period,” said Carruth.
McNamara denied his actions constituted public advocacy on behalf of Measure W.
“City staff does not take a position on election-related matters nor is my action to remove an unpermitted campaign sign in broad daylight while wearing City logo branded clothing an indication of advocacy,” McNamara wrote, “because you believe a real estate sign in a different part of the City was not removed.”
“Had I removed an opposition sign to the measure but failed to remove a supportive sign that I had also seen, it would clearly be a different situation,” the city manager wrote in his detailed response to Carruth.
“As you state, it is well known that a supermajority of La Palma City Council members supported voter approval of Measure W; however, it is untrue that the City Manager has taken any position for or against the measure,” he wrote.
In his email to Mayor Marshall Goodman, Carruth also demanded the Mayor clarify whether the city was going to enforce its temporary sign ordinance fairly “or will it continue to discriminate against protected political speech that the city opposes.”
Goodman simply replied via email, according to emails forwarded to ENE by Carruth, “l
hope you are well. A staff member will get back to you in due time.”
Carruth said when confronted, McNamara rather than simply leave the sign at city hall for him to pick up, introduced the city’s police department to demonstrate the power he has over the staff.
Carruth said McNamara told him “he had already given it to the police and they’re keeping it at the station, so you can pick it up there.”
“You’re trying to intimidate me,” Carruth said he told McNamara, “instead of leaving it at the front counter of city hall, you’re making me go into the police station.”
“Why not leave it at City Hall,” asked Carruth.
Moreover, Carruth said when he followed McNamara’s instructions and went to the police department to pick up the Measure W sign Thursday evening, city police officials said they had no idea what Carruth was asking about.
Carruth said McNamara had already left his office at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, even though staff in the city purportedly work until 6:30 p.m. to enjoy perennial three-day weekends.
“He responded to my email saying, “I’m sorry, I dropped the ball, it’s my fault,” Carruth said McNamara told him. “We’ll have somebody drop it off at your house,” he said McNamara told him.
“Not necessary,” Carruth said he told McNamara, “I don’t want police officers coming to my house, I don’t need that. I’m happy to come and pick it up.”
“A few minutes later, a police officer knocks at my door. I told my wife, ‘that’s a form of manipulation and control,’” said Carruth. “I specially asked for this not to happen,” said Carruth, noting that the officer was courteous, but “it was specifically what I asked not to happen,” said Carruth.
Later this past weekend, Carruth forwarded a photo of a “Yes on W” sign erected in a public right of way.
“Basically, the city is changing the way they enforce the code,” said Carruth. “They voted for the new code in 2022, but now that it’s not convenient for their cause, they’re going to play games and maybe skirt the rules.”
“McNamara, who works for them, isn’t going to enforce the code the same way it was just two years ago, and if that is not discrimination, I don’t know what is,” he added.
The ENE has repeatedly reached out to McNamara and Goodman for additional comment but as yet, there has been no reply.