City Government

Councilmember McElhaney Seeks Justice at July 31 Public Ethics Commission

Published

7 years ago

July 28, 2017

By R.M. Arnold,

The Public Ethics Commission (PEC) staff released a report Monday accusing Councilmember McElhaney of violating the city’s ethics rules when seeking to get an out of town developer to build according to the code.

“I take our city’s ethics laws seriously and I look forward to this matter being finalized on July 31 by the Public Ethics Commission,” she said.

The controversy stems from an appeal the Councilmember’s husband filed on behalf of the neighbors impacted by a questionable condominium project.

“I was the one that got my wife involved. The guy was extremely disrespectful to my neighbor, and all we wanted him to do was build right,” said Clarence McElhaney Jr. who filed the appeal.

“At the outset when my husband brought the issue to my attention, I asked our City Attorney for guidance about whether I could assist my neighbors with the condo project given that it is next to my house, and I followed the advice I received,” said Councilmember McElhaney, who maintains that she did nothing wrong.

Community members had spent over a year trying to collaborate with the property owner and the planning staff, to improve the design to complement the neighborhood and address safety concerns, but their concerns were ignored.

“They came to me as a last resort,” says McElhaney, who expressed concerns that there is a pattern and practice of ignoring Black residents when out-of-town developers seek to get permits.

McElhaney’s husband then followed the same public process available to everyone to bring the issue to the city Planning Commission. During the appeal process, there was an issue as to whether the design of the project met the city’s open space requirements.

“I felt like the commission would benefit from having a subject-area expert opine, so I asked a local architect to testify on this specific technical question,” said Councilmember McElhaney. “If I had thought asking the architect for help could implicate the ethics laws, I, of course, would not have done so. My husband paid an independent planner to represent the neighbors, so if we thought that we had to pay for the expert testimony, we would have done so. There is no guidance we received that suggested that this was necessary.”

After numerous allegations against the councilmember, the only issue that must be clarified now is whether asking an architect for help on behalf of a community effort is a gift to the councilmember.

“I appreciate the PEC staff and the important work they perform on behalf of the city,” she said. “But I also believe that this matter exposes important public policy questions such as this that should be answered by the full Commission in a public forum. I look forward to resolving this matter with the Commissioners on Monday the 31st.”

The meeting will be held 6:30 p.m. at Oakland City Hall, Hearing Room 1.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

5 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.