-Staff Writer-
Signal Hill Vice Mayor Larry Forester has publicly apologized for making “offensive” remarks to a resident at a local restaurant last July for being critical of an adult charter school proposed in the city.
In response, Mayor Ed Wilson has asked city staff to create a “code of civility and conduct” for elected and appointed officials that the Council discussed at its meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
During the Council meeting, Andrea Webster, a Signal Hill resident and business owner who is black, spoke at length about the incident that she said took place on July 18 and involved an exchange regarding a charter school proposed by the Conservation Corps of Long Beach.
Last month, the Conservation Corps suspended its plans to open a second charter high school for adults age 18 to 25 at an office building at 1982 Obispo Ave. in Signal Hill.
The charter school, which requires a zoning-ordinance amendment and a conditional-use permit to operate, would be offered to adults who have dropped out of traditional high school and are pursuing high-school diplomas and workforce training.
During public workshops, some residents expressed concerns that the charter school, which would be located near a new high school being built by the Long Beach Unified School District, would bring crime, traffic and parking problems to the area.
Conservation Corps officials state that a small group of Signal Hill residents have “misrepresented” the organization and have spread misinformation and “slanderous” statements about the adult students seeking a “second chance” at an education.
Webster said Forester, who was copied on the emails, approached her in a “veiled manner” about the topic while she was having dinner at Delius restaurant in Signal Hill.
After the two shook hands at the restaurant, Forester asked her questions about the Conservation Corps and then said, “I think you are just prejudice against your own kind,” Webster said at Tuesday’s Council meeting, eliciting gasps from the audience.
“I’m sorry, but I find that extremely offensive,” Webster said, adding that she filed a complaint with the City after the incident. “!I don’t know anybody in 2014 who speaks like that other than people who are prejudice when they are accusing other people of being prejudice.”
Webster went on to say that Forester falsely characterized the incident in another publication as a “loud argument,” adding that her “mouth was agape” after Forester made the comments.
“Race was never an issue in anything that we were discussing about the Conservation Corps, but you played the race card up,” Webster told Forester. “! And I hope that someday you take full responsibility ! and stop trying to spin it.”
Other residents then came forward about Forester’s behavior, including Signal Hill resident Matt Simmons, who once ran for City Council. Simmons said that Forester was “rude” to his mother and her neighbor and that the vice mayor once threatened to sue him.
“It’s not the first time it’s happened,” Simmons said. “! We all know how we should behave. I think what it comes down to is accountability. This is not a new issue! This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Forester, who said he supports the mayor’s call for a code of conduct, publicly apologized to Webster, Delius’s staff and the rest of the Council for his remarks, admitting that he was “wrong.” Forester, however, stood by his initial description of the incident and added that he is an “LGBT minority” and has an African-American roommate.
“There are things that are being phrased here that I don’t agree with,” Forester said. “But I am sorry I insulted you. I obviously went the total, wrong direction. If you choose to not accept my apology, that’s your choice.”
Forester, who has lived with HIV since 1994, said various medications that he takes for the disease have caused mood swings and behavioral imbalances that he is working to address with his doctor. [See Forester’s Letter to the Editor on page 4.]
“I’ve been working with my doctor to address this imbalance and hope that I’ve not offended others during this difficult time in my life,” Forester said. “Obviously, I have, but I think there are certain circumstances that have been taken out of context. I look forward to working with Mayor Wilson and my Council colleagues on implementing the code of conduct.”
Maria Harris, a Signal Hill resident who regularly speaks at Council meetings, applauded the Council for proposing a code of conduct, but she said it lacks any consequences.
“There needs to be consequences attached to the behavior of an elected or appointed official who does not comply with the spirit and the values embodied in the code of conduct,” said Harris, who added that Forester once yelled at her and grabbed her arm in the Council Chamber.
City Attorney David Aleshire said codes of conduct are typically used as a set of “standards” and “are not enforceable ordinances.” However, Aleshire said he is working with city staff to create a “procedures manual” that would include a “censure process” for appointed and elected officials that the City currently doesn’t have.
Such a process would allow the Council to pass a “moral judgment” against a councilmember, but it would hold no criminal or financial penalty, he said. Still, Aleshire said the procedure would be documented and would require “due process.”
Regarding a “sample” code of conduct presented by city staff, councilmembers Michael Noll and Tina Hansen said more discussions are needed on provisions regarding the Council’s interactions with city staff. Still, Hansen noted that there is a “limit” on what the Council can do with regard to reprimanding councilmembers if it’s not a criminal act.
Councilmember Lori Woods said she doesn’t want a few specific incidents to have an influence on a long-term city document.
“I think it’s important, as we move forward in this, that we not overreact to the interactions that some city residents have had with councilmembers,” she said.
Mayor Wilson, who noted that he is the only African-American on the Council, said the incident regarding Forester’s remarks “deeply offended” him and was partly what made him bring forward the proposal for a code of conduct. He said the code, once finalized, would set a “minimum standard” for elected officials.
“We cannot change what’s happened,” Wilson said. “But, what we can do is set our ground rules and set our standards for moving forward.”
Other Council highlights:
Signal Hill Mayor Ed Wilson (middle) introduces new employees Tiauana Staples, (second from left) an account specialist for the finance department, and Tara Mallé, (fourth from left) recreation coordinator for the Community Services Department. Also pictured (from left) are Finance Director Terri Marsh and Community Services Manager Aly Mancini.
Watershed management The Council filed and received a report by city staff on watershed-management programs for the Lower Los Angeles River and the Los Cerritos Channel. According to a city staff report, project costs for the Lower Los Angeles River watershed are estimated at $293 million for the next 15 years while costs in the Los Cerritos Channel are estimated at $332 million. These costs would be shared with participating cities and Los Angeles County Flood Control District, according to city staff.
Affordable-housing project The Council, acting as the Signal Hill Housing Authority, unanimously approved a change order in the amount of $45,000 for the removal of additional asbestos and construction-management services, required for the demolition of city-owned property at 1456 E. Hill St. and 2170 Gundry Ave. Los Angeles-based Meta Housing and Long Beach-based architecture firm Studio One Eleven were selected by the City to develop a 72-unit affordable-housing development on the 1.61-acre site.
Elected mayor During new business at the end of the Council meeting, Mayor Wilson requested that city staff look into deadlines for when the Council could propose a ballot measure on whether to make the mayor’s position elected instead of based on a system by which a councilmember nominates another in a rotation process. City Attorney Aleshire said there may not be enough time to put such a measure on the March 3, 2015 ballot, however he said the Council could discuss the item for a future election.
The Signal Hill Council’s next meeting is scheduled for 7pm on Nov. 4 at the Council Chamber.
