PRO AND CON

A letter by Fountain Valley Councilman Chuck Conlosh was one of two in

a flier distributed by Concerned Citizens of Fountain Valley that

questioned the city’s government. Conlosh’s letter, as it appears in the

flier, is reprinted below, along with a rebuttal by Councilman Larry

Crandall. Conlosh and Crandall are running for reelection in November.

THE FLIER

For the past 15 years, I have fought to uphold the law as a police

officer. However, in my position as a council member in Fountain Valley

for the past few years, I have seen some disturbing things going on in

Fountain Valley government that threaten the individual freedoms of each

and every resident.

There is a current effort within the council to pass an ordinance that

would force each resident to park their vehicles inside their garage.

While the details of this proposal have not yet been spelled out (like

whether parking on the street would be prohibited), this type of paternal

attitude by some in our government is not consistent with the freedoms we

all cherish as American citizens. No one should be telling us we have to

park in the garage!

There are other threats as well. The city has refused to investigate

possible wrongdoing by high-level city officials, even when it is

publicly brought to their attention. The city has also refused to lift

the ban on changeable signs, favored by many churches to provide weekly

messages to parishioners, despite the fact that these same churches could

legally hang banners with different messages every day. City Council

meetings are taped on special recorders at a special speed, making it

impossible for citizens to obtain copies of tapes to listen to what the

council is doing. And the city recently imposed a rule that citizens

addressing the council may only address it as a whole, thus limiting the

ability of citizens to direct their comments or questions at the specific

statements of conduct of individual council members.

As citizens, we have a duty to speak out when government begins to

become insensitive to the freedoms we hold dear. I encourage all of our

residents to make their voices heard on these and other issues, so that

our city government can once again become responsive to the people.

CHUCK CONLOSH

Fountain Valley

* CHUCK CONLOSH is a member of the Fountain Valley City Council and is

mayor pro tem.

REBUTTAL

“Freedom? Trust? Are we, the citizens of Fountain Valley, willing to

give these up?” I have confidence that all citizens of Fountain Valley

will respond with a resounding “No!” That certainly is my response!

These three questions are posed on the front page of a four-page

printed piece that was found on the doorstep of some residents in

Fountain Valley on Monday. With curiosity, I turned the page to find a

letter from my fellow Councilman Chuck Conlosh and another letter from a

citizen, Lourdes Peterson. Just as they have exercised their right to

express their thoughts, I am exercising my right as an individual to

speak out and my duty as an elected official to correct misinformation.

Five specific issues are addressed in the handout and each one needs

attention.

In the first place, there is no effort within the council or at the

recommendation of city staff to issue an ordinance that would force

residents to park their vehicles inside their garages. I have been in

attendance at every City Council meeting and study session, and I can

assure that you will not have to give up your freedom to choose where to

park your vehicle, be it in your garage, in your driveway or on the

street.

The second issue of changeable signs for churches and synagogues is

currently being studied. To state that there has been a refusal on the

part of the council to lift the ban on changeable signs is simply wrong.

No decision has been made as of this writing. The council has directed

staff to return to us wording that would, in fact, allow changeable

signs. This council has not flatly denied a proposed change.

In regard to the third issue of the taping of public council meetings,

it is correct that the meetings are taped. But in regard to the

impossibility for citizens to listen to the tapes, I can only refer to

the most recent reference of Lourdes Peterson when she addressed the

council at its last meeting and mentioned that she came to City Hall and

listened to the taped recording of a previous meeting. Rest assured that

every citizen can replicate her experience and access the taped

recordings.

Fourthly, when conducting business as a legislative body, be it at

school board meetings or City Council meetings, it is a meeting in

public, not a public meeting. Comments, questions or specific statements

can all be directed through the chair to either fellow elected officials

or staff. This has been the case since the early 1960s and, for some

reason, had lapsed for a period of time in our city government until,

when attending a meeting of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, a

memory was jogged. No liberty of speech is being taken away by following

this protocol.

The final issue is the gravest and needs the sunlight of truth. I, as

a seated council member for two years, have no idea of what is being

referred to as “possible wrongdoing by high-level officials.” I took an

oath of office two years ago, as did my fellow council members when they

were seated. It would be malfeasance in office for me or any other

council member to have knowledge of wrongdoing by any city official and

not bring it to the attention of the other members. Council member

Conlosh has a duty to bring this to our attention in order for any

necessary action to be taken. Because this handout is in the public

realm, both the nature of the wrongdoing and the individuals involved

need to be attended to in public, not in a closed-session meeting.

“Freedom? Trust? Are we the citizens of Fountain Valley willing to

give these up?” No! Am I, one of your City Council members, going to take

these away? I answer with a resounding “No.”

LARRY CRANDALL

Fountain Valley

* LARRY CRANDALL is a member of the Fountain Valley City Council.