Civility proved scarce during Monday evening’s City Council session.
Although these meetings customarily conclude with councillors making community announcements and observing moments of silence for recently deceased community members, this particular meeting devolved into accusations, gavel strikes, and visible frustration.
Tensions ran high from the start Monday night, following a month-long dispute over a water and sewer discount program for homeowners that was defeated by a single vote (see related story).
The situation intensified when the Council addressed an order placed late in the agenda by Councillor-At-Large Roy Avellaneda. The order sought to schedule a conference between the Council and the City Clerk’s office regarding campaign finance filing deadline enforcement procedures and findings from the state’s campaign and political finance office documenting campaign finance law violations connected to Council President Damali Vidot’s campaign committee.
“I was a little surprised when I saw that you allowed this particular order to be placed before the Council,” District 1 Councillor Robert Bishop told Vidot. “One councillor going against another councillor, it should be ruled out of order. It’s a personal thing, and I don’t think those types of things should be put on the floor.”
Vidot determined Avellaneda’s motion was out of order. She stated she had raised the matter in the interest of transparency but would not permit orders containing personal attacks against her to proceed.
“I think this matter is totally inappropriate, and Councillor Avellaneda, I understand you wanting to embarrass me, but this is not the place to do it,” Vidot stated.
Avellaneda countered that his motion contained no personal attack on Vidot and was grounded in factual information. He appealed Vidot’s ruling.
No other councillors supported Avellaneda’s challenge to overturn the decision.
The situation deteriorated further as the meeting approached its conclusion during the announcements segment typically used to close proceedings.
District 4 Councillor Enio Lopez alleged that Avellaneda had introduced proposals benefiting his own business interests, a claim Avellaneda rejected.
Vidot struck her gavel repeatedly in attempts to restore order.
“We are looking very circus-like,” Vidot stated. “I ask that we display a little decorum and reflect on the type of representation this community needs.”
As the meeting concluded, several councillors had abandoned their seats while overlapping conversations dominated the chamber until Vidot managed to quiet the room for a final moment of silence.
Following adjournment, multiple councillors displayed frustration and expressed concern about the conduct witnessed in the Council chambers.
In other business conducted earlier in the evening, the Council received correspondence from City Manager Tom Ambrosino requesting consideration of a request for proposals regarding use of the Salvation Army building for residential and commercial purposes.
District 6 Councillor Giovanni Recupero requested that the City Manager explore options for converting the building, currently owned by the City, into a community center.