Commissioner’s resignation not forthcoming

Jenny Marder

Planning Commission Chairman Ron Davis will not cede his city seat,

despite some residents’ demands Monday night that he do so.

The discovery that Davis was using an internet alias to post

e-mails regarding a Planning Commission debate on a local message

board has triggered a rush of name calling and fiery debate.

Critics have called Davis unethical, dishonest and offensive.

Those backing the commissioner condemn the e-mail group as gossipy

and exclusive.

A small group of residents argued at Monday’s City Council meeting

that the Davis’ use of the fake name, Stuart Welch, was grounds for

resignation.

“This is not about personalities or gossip or Internet anonymity,”

said city government watchdog Mark Bixby, who discovered Stuart Welch

and Ron Davis were one and the same by comparing the IP address.

“It’s about ethics and honesty and the expectation that public

officials should always be honest with the public.”

Bixby is the founder of the message board H.B. Talk, which was

created in January 2004 to give people a chance to discuss

city-related issues in an online format. The message board has about

80 subscribers.

Davis, who has admitted to penning e-mails under the name Stuart

Welch, said he created the user name to respond to contentions that

he had violated the Brown Act by allowing commissioners to attend a

series of closed meetings with staff members.

City officials said that informational meetings between staff

members and commissioners are frequent and permissible by law.

City Atty. Jennifer McGrath said at Monday’s City Council meeting

that Davis has not violated any law.

The issue has gotten blown completely out of proportion, City

Councilwoman Debbie Cook said.

“Anonymous speech is presumptively protected by the constitution,”

Cook said, pointing out that the Federalist Papers were also first

published anonymously.

The 85 essays were written and published by Alexander Hamilton,

John Jay and James Madison in 1787 to urge New Yorkers to ratify the

proposed United States Constitution.

“I’m not going to fire Ron Davis,” Cook said. “It’s his speech,

not mine and I like my appointees to be independent.”

Davis declined comment further on the issue.

“As far as I’m concerned, this matter is closed,” Davis said.

“There’s a point at which the volume has to be tuned down on issues.”