Three citizens ejected from SLO County Board of Supervisors’ meeting

September 19, 2013
Bruce Gibson

Bruce Gibson

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson tossed three speakers out of Tuesday’s board meeting following an argument that ensued after community members asked for information about a pledge Gibson and a fellow  supervisor signed.

Speaking during public comment, several community members asked the supervisors to explain the International Council For Local Environmental Initiative’s (ICLEI) Resilient Communities Pledge and county staffer’s engagement in the program. Supervisor Debbie Arnold suggested that the board set a time for staff to give a 20 minute presentation to explain the ICLEI movement to the board and the public.

Arnold also requested that staff provide more information regarding the Regional Water Quality Board and the Los Osos Community Services District’s concerns about the progress of the Los Osos sewer project. Arnold noted that many of the board’s Tuesday meetings had ended by noon, giving the board plenty of time to explain the issues publicly.

Adam Hill and Gibson, both of whom signed the ICLEI pledge as county supervisors, argued that Arnold should ask staff to explain the agreement in private and not waste their time responding to a small group of people who do not have the best interest of the community.

Members of the public began voicing outrage calling Hill and Gibson “bullies.” Gibson responded by ordering Templeton resident Bill Pelfrey, Los Osos resident Linde Owen and Cayucos resident Richard Margetson out of the county building.

Watch the entire meeting or start about 40 minutes in to view the altercation.


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The SLO County Board of Supervisors meetings need to be held in the early evening like most city council meetings.


And NOT for the convenience of the board during the day when most are working but in the early evening when the voting public can attend.


HOW DO WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN?


It seems the way to get some supervisors to do what you like it to either have an affair with them or become their significant other, just saying


Maybe we should have the right to attend any public meeting at any hour so that commerce will force the best hours to hold public meetings?


ICLEI is a part of the ‘United Nations’ Agenda 21. Comrades Gibson and Hill fully understand the importance of stiffing local dissent as they push the party agenda. Do your homework and research Agenda 21. You must comply with the party line. Dissent will not be tolerated. Your leaders know what’s best for you———-submit or else.


Maxfusion, I am probably the last one who would usually point this out in a posting situation, but when you rant about socialists, etc., you sound like a loon.


Well, I read everyone one of the comments, and with local water tables such as they are, I would say there were some some pretty fine whines in there…


Ejecting persons who are vocal “out of order” is a difficult call. Gibson does poorly at this call.


QUIETING without ejecting them, even habitual violators, shows a more mature and persuasive and functional chair. Gibson falls short of this and is therefore just a bully. His Imperial Impatience belies his immaturity as a public officer.


Normally, the chair evicts to preserve decorum which is a valid goal. However, when the public and board conduct of a chair and cohorts is so egregious as to be toxic to quality government, you sort of have to expect that outraged public may find it difficult to remain “decorous”.


Using public funds to pay your paramour, while running around on your spouse, as published reports about Gibson report, qualifies as just one of Supervisor Gibson’s abominable behaviors.


Attempting to HIDE their (Hill + Gibson) signature on an extremist enviro manifesto by trying to block Supervisor Arnold’s inquiry shows their contempt for equality and open government and public information on the board meetings under their command.


I cannot wait for Gibson to go away. He is badly unqualified and demonstrates this on a regular basis.


What a crock. Gibson got himself a ton of votes doing what he did.


Let’s not forget that during the last election, we had a choice of voting for a POS or a bigger POS. Maybe the other POS would be have been better at keeping his pants zipped.


Here is another question who told/allowed these two ego manics to sign this pledge,did they do it on their own under their names or under our names as public servents, did the board give permission to do this or was it just a random thought.


The term, a small group, does not apply because the head count on the internet is and unknown. Certainly a much higher count would exist if the Board of Supervisors were to allow their meetings to be broadcasted on the radio, as in the past. Those few that can attend public meetings during a work day need to be heard.


The easiest and most affordable public access, public oversight, is radio. Could this be the reason it was squelched?


That decision not to broadcast was made by the radio station, not the Supes.


The decision not to replace the previous broadcasting with county-sponsored broadcasting, was in the hands of the County Board of Supervisors.


Not entirely the radio station, the station felt it was not in their interest to continue to meet the requirements demanded by the BOS to broadcast the meetings, and they felt it better for the listeners to not carry the meetings. Then no other broadcaster could meet the requirement set forth by the BOS, mainly cost to the broadcaster.


When it comes down to it, if the BOS wanted to get it done, it would have been done.


They chose to put funding CAPSLO and ever girlfriend-pleasing projects instead.


We, the voters, get it. Hopefully, you will get it next election.


Gibson is power hungry. His ego far exceeds his ability. But, no doubt the north coast voters (and Hearst) will put him back in office; water or no water.


Both Gibson and Hill have been very cranky. Perhaps they need to start new affairs. That has always seemed to cheer them up in the past.


What makes you think they haven’t already started?, once a cheater always a cheater.


They are usually more up-beat when starting a new affair. Those midnight cries of “OH! You’re the biggest and the best!” usually perk up a man’s….ego.


Paraphrasing MM: “If only everyone would follow the commenting guidelines.”

From the CCN Comment Guidelines. Don’t use: 1. Vulgar, obscene, offensive, threatening or harassing language;


I’ll keep that in mind.


How about you keep this in mind: such judgments are highly subjective. I don’t believe what I posted violated the guidelines. Ultimately, it is up to the mod, not you or I.


The groundwater levels are dropping in Cambria! Hey, isn’t that in Gibson’s district? Good lawd, you’d think this guy would fix his own district before picking fights w/ Mecham and Arnold, or those who are rightfully upset at his performance and want to be heard.


Cambria has been under a moratorium since 2001.