The Cypress City Council has agreed to replace the Council member serving as its representative on the Orange County Fire Authority, but not before a bit of confusion and some consternation.
In the first meeting since the Council’s reorganization, former Mayor Pro-tem Bonnie Peat was replaced by Mayor David Burke as the city’s representative on the OCFA Advisory Board.
Despite recommendations from the Orange County Fire Authority and several residents, Burke recommended himself as the most appropriate representative.
“I’m a big believer in having principles in my decision-making,” said Burke, explaining his recommendations for various local boards and commissions, saying he was trying to lead to fair and consistent outcomes.
“And so there were a few principles I tried to rely on in making these assignments. First, I tried to listen to my colleagues and pair them with assignments they were interested in. Second, I tried to maintain continuity to the extent possible, out of respect for the functioning of these boards and committees,” he said.
Burke acknowledged “These are challenging decisions, and we are lucky we have a number of qualified candidates on the council to serve in these different roles.”
Peat was the city’s representative on the OCFA Board until this meeting. The city acknowledged receiving two letters of recommendation for Peat’s retention on the OCFA Board, one from the union and another from the Chairman.
In addition, local citizens turned up to support Peat.
Rob Johnson, twice Mayor and who served eight years on the Council said “I believe Bonnie Peat, who I’ve known for 12 years, would be a good representative for Cypress serving on the OCFA Board. She can handle difficult assignments,” he said.
Another former Mayor, Anne Hertz Mallari said “it’s critical to assign the most qualified who has the most experience” to the post, she said.
Former Mayor Scott Minikus said personal relations were an asset while recommending Peat.
“I think that learning about, and getting to know the people on a very personal level on the Orange County Fire Authorityis helpful. With that, I would ask my colleagues to recommend that council member Peat remain on the Orange County Fire Authority. Thank you.”
Pearl Bolter told the Council that she thought Peat was “the right choice” to represent Cypress on the OCFA. “It makes common sense to maintain the people that are on the board instead of replacing them.”
“I’m hoping that 2025 will finally see an end to the decades of cronyism that have existed on this council, so I support Mayor Burke as a fresh new voice on the OCFA. The gentleman is an attorney, a very knowledgeable man, a very smart man, and I think that OCFA would be served well by the Mayor,” he said.
Peat made her case for the re-appointment to OCFA.
The former Mayor Pro-tem resigned from the Vector Control commission (mosquitos) and said she let the mayor, and other city officials, know of her interest to remain as the city’s OCFA representative.
“I did meet with the mayor, letting him know of my interest,” she said “and it had nothing to do with a crony type of attitude,” said Peat.
“So I want to make sure that’s clear, any one of these committees or boards is really for our residents. What’s in the best interests of our residents? It has nothing to do with should I be on this one,” she said.
“Yes, I resigned from Vector Control,” she said, and “I had told the mayor that I’d be willing to do that, and I did do it last week. I served the last two years.”
“So as I go through and I look atthis, and I look at experience and knowledge. I’m sorry, but I’m going to come down. I’m the best choice,” she said. “I want to be on it, and I think it’s in the residents’ best interest,” she said, All of the appointments, she said are “about the residents we are representing.”
Burke said public safety is his top priority and he believed public safety was also the top priority of residents.
“I think public safety is my top priority, and if you look at that vision statement on the wall. It’s our city’s top priority. And I think all my colleagues are committed to that,” said Burke.
“I wanted to personally ensure that our city has great representation on Orange County Fire Authority,” he said.
At that point, Burke made the motion to approve the appointments, as Peat made a substitute motion to separate the OCFA appointment to her. Her substitute motion was seconded by Council member Scott Minikus.
On Peat’s substitute motion, Minkus and Peat voted yes, while Chang and Mayor Burke voted no. Mayor Pro-tem Leo Medrano, abstained, giving the victory to Peat under the city’s municipal code.
Medrano protested, saying he was told under the city’s code, the abstained vote would count in the affirmative.
Fred Galante, the city’s legal advisor, said the city’s municipal code is clear.
This is not the standard from Robert’s Rules of Order or Rosenberg Rules of Order, but it does state in the municipal code that an excused disqualification and abstentions shall be counted by the city clerk as a vote in favor of the particular motion, so that that seems fairly straightforward, and I think that the city clerk had it correct,” said Galante.
City manager Peter Grant, who apparently misread the city’s municipal code, admitting the vote should be taken over because asked earlier, had ill advised the Mayor Pro-tem about an abstention.
“Council member Medrano asked me that question before the vote, and I did not give him the correct answer,” acknowledged Peat. “Mr. Mayor, that was my fault. I apologize, and would suggest that the appropriate thing to do, if council member Medrano desires, would be to take that vote again. That’s my responsibility. I apologize,” he said.
Therefore, on the second vote, Peat and Minikus remained in the affirmative, while Burke, Medrano, and Chang voted no. On the original motion, all the council members voted yes except Peat, who voted no.
Burke will represent the city of Cypress on the OCFA Board.