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Morro Bay to fire city attorney

October 22, 2013
Jamie Irons

Jamie Irons

The Morro Bay City Council decided to fire City Attorney Rob Schultz during a closed session meeting Monday.

After more than three hours of closed session discussions, the council directed its outside legal counsel, San Luis Obispo attorney Steven Simas, to negotiate a termination settlement with Schultz. The council did not provide a reason for choosing to terminate Schultz.

The council voted 3-2 in closed session to fire Schultz, with council members Noah Smukler and Christine Johnson joining Irons in supporting the termination. Council members Nancy Johnson and George Leage cast the dissenting votes.

Irons attempted to fire both Schultz and Lueker last month but faced heavy resistance. A petition to recall Irons since began currently circulating Morro Bay.

The council has not called a meeting to specifically discuss firing Lueker, but Irons has not indicated, either, that her job is safe. Firing both executives without cause is expected to cost the city more than $300,000 in legal fees and severance pay.

The contracts of both Schultz and Lueker call for nine months of severance pay, although some dispute their legitimacy.

The previous Morro Bay City Council improperly amended each of their contracts in November 2012 to include nine months of severance pay, as opposed to six months. The council did so in a closed session meeting, which violates the Ralph M. Brown Act.

Schultz, however, faults the current council for not correcting the mistake and approving the contract in open session, as he instructed them to do.

Schultz also says that his original contract contained nine months of severance pay. However, the previous council improperly lowered the severance pay to six months before raising it back to nine.

More than 100 people attended Monday’s 3 p.m. special meeting. Most public comment speakers opposed firing Schultz.

 


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There’s another meeting scheduled at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning to discuss hiring a temporary attorney to replace Rob Schultz. Of course, it’s scheduled at the best possible time to keep working people from having any input. Jamie Irons is a phoney. His only interest is in developing the property he owns in the area by the post office. People need to sign the petition to recall and put an end to this. He’s incompetent. The emperor has no clothes. It’s time for everyone to realize that following someone over a financial cliff is not the road to the future. It’s the road to bankruptcy. You, your children and your grandchildren will end up paying for believing in people who have no idea about how local government works.


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I’m sure all the night cooks, waiters, dishwashers, store clerks, hotel workers, etc. of Morro Bay will be glad to know that they’re not “working people.”


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Nobody made any effort to exclude the people that you mentioned. It seems from many or your comments that you fancy yourself as a modern day Che Guevara.


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POWER TO THE PEOPLE!


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Except that it never works that way. The ruling class in any Socialist nation leaves little for the people that they claim to be concerned about. They are also usually brutal and oppressive. Give the people liberty and allow them to learn to improve their lives. They great thing about Capitalism is that if you are a dishwasher you can learn new skills, obtain further education and improve your financial security. You are stripping liberty away from anyone that you insist provide for “the people” that is not voluntary on their part.


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Nobody made any effort to exclude the people that you mentioned. It seems from many or your comments that you fancy yourself as a modern day Ayn Rand.


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Actually, I only fancy myself as a working class, family man that is thankful for the ability to live in Morro Bay and the things that I have in life. I look at the folks that you seem to disdain as people that are the same and people that I see doing good on a regular basis. I am active enough in town that I know most of the folks that volunteer and participate in community events. I have’t lived in town for nearly as long as some of the “good old boys” yet when I arrived and started to work along side of them I was welcomed with open arms and made to feel like part of my new community. As far as the Ayn Rand comment, I take that as a compliment.


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She was a disturbed woman. Very controlling.


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i tell ya i watch that meeting and if that Irons smacks his mouth one more time and says “okay, thanks for your comment” I think I’m gonna go soak my head in the Bay.


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there, he just did it again – smack, smack, smack.


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Did you soak your head in the bay?


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It’s too bad our only alternative to Irons would be someone from the Yates/Pierce/Grantham/Borchard/Barta/Johnson/Leage coalition that has shackled this city for so long. After listening to Congalton I’d kind of like to see Schultz and Leuker stay around. Maybe Janice Peters is the answer but i doubt the above-mentioned greedlings would let it happen. She’s too fair and level-headed.


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I believe Janice Peters would be willing actually.


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How can you possibly make a statement that is so narrow minded? Perhaps you need to spend a little time with any of “coalition” that you so much despise. Many that you noted have built successful businesses in our town employing our family members, paying tax revenues and improving the lives of many. When you look at what happens in our town it is this group that goes out of their way to help. Drive through the traffic circle on a Sat. morning and many of them are their pulling weeds. Harbor Festival? Look who is working most of the weekend as well as for days before setting up. The money raised there goes to non profit groups in our area. Then there is the planning, organizing and recruiting vendors all year. Merchant’s Street Faire? These people are again organizing, planning recruiting for this twice yearly. They set it up, take it down, empty the trash and clean the streets. Meals of Wheels? Youth Garden? Cleaning around the Rock? Scholarships for our high school youths? I can go on and on. These people serve because they love the community. They have work/business, family, health problems and every challenge that we all face but they are all there doing these things. How dare you or anyone else make ignorant statements like that. Disagree with their opinions? Fine. Want something done differently? Go contribute your efforts, build the base of respect that they have bulit due to their contributions to our city and then get yourself elected or volunteer to help someone that you respect get elected. There is no greed involved with these people. Instead of ignorantly calling names do something to make a difference like they do every day.


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Whoa! First, how do you know I don’t volunteer and participate in civic activities? Two, it WAS my opinion that I expressed and how dare you tell me “how dare” I. Three, these people have also MADE a lot off of this community, benefited from it greatly and pulling a few weeds and throwing a couple hundred here or there does them more good (business-wise) than good (the visibility of it) and is not the huge sacrifice you make it out to be. Fifth, it is close-minded to suggest that they are the only people contributing to their community in positive ways. Sixth, call it a coalition, a clique, good ol boy network, whatever you want – it’s a very common thing in communities and not that hard for the oad-minded to see.


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“broad-minded” – sorry


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No, you constantly cast aspersions at those that you disagree with. Item by Item. 1. Did I say you did not volunteer? I made a point of the good that the people that you note are doing. A little defensive due to guilt? 2. I challenged your opinon because it is totally biased and just plain wrong. That is how I dare. You cast aspersions at people doing well yet don’t want any criticism in return. Doesnt work that way. 3. Why do you hate people that earn profits? They reinvest, provide more jobs, pay more taxes, help with charitable causes. 4. Time, money and effort are highly valuble. Those that don’t value it have never gone out and done it. 5. Nobody said that they were the only ones contributing any where. I know many more than the group that you mentioned. I confronted your “opinion.” Nothing more. 6. People gain recognition and credibility through what they give to the community. Their efforts create relationships that provide a benefit to them. There is nothing wrong with that. I would say that your failure to grasp that and your netgative feelings toward that concept indicates that you do very little in the way of communtiy service.


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Just for you, I’ll go pull a weed at the circle.


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that’S what I been sayin about that Circle – it’s in the wrong place. Put it somewhere where it don’t get so much weeds. Weed-pulling is bad for the back. you need a low center of gravity and bill Yates is a tall guy.


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Don’t say anything about weed-pulling to probiz. (Very sensitive).


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ok, thanks slopocles. wait – what side are you on again?


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Anti-recall. Wanna convert?


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I donknow. Let me think about it.


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You wouldn’t have to sign anything. And you only have to work 4 hours a day and everyone gets the same amount of food, money, and free time.


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Your words tell everyone more than you are smart enough to comprehend. You have no point to make so you belittle, call names, cast aspersions and mock. You hate the “good old boys” because they have created success and you have nothing. You aren’t smart enough to surround yourself with those that can mentor you and help you to achieve anything so you mock them. You are probably living with your Mom telling her about how brilliant you are and how you showed those people online. I am also guessing that one or more of those that you keep railing about in the “good old boys” group fired you for showing up to work drunk or high or not showing up at all. Grow up, get involved, quit expecting handouts and be thankful for what you have. Even if it not much, you have the opportunity to do more if you get out of your own way with your foolish attitude.


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Probiz, you’re starting to scare me. Out of curiosity, how many hours of FOX do you take in per day? How many hours of right-wing radio? Who’s your guy? Glenn Beck? Billy-Boy?


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We welcome your thoughtful comments on the issues at hand.


Please: Less about each other, much less.


! or ? moderator@calcoastnews.com


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Probiz, you ought to lift and re-post your comment of 10/25 9:09 a.m. onto each current successive MB mayor article from CalCoast. It’s a breath of fresh air of the truth.


Exceptionally well put, and factually accurate. A breath of fresh air amongst mostly snippets and posturing on this board. I encourage you to keep it posted in up to date stories. People need to hear your position on this.


Good luck to all MB on the Irons recall. The tinhorn jerk deserves recall simply for dooming MB to the “move the plant” thing. Tossing a tested public servant like the city attorney in a clumsy and nearly illegal manner just makes him (Irons) more and more incompetent and transparent.


Jeez, how can any public official be so blind and so WRONG as Irons? It will ALWAYS be cheaper and more cost effective to rehabilitate a wastewater plant, compared with buying/siting a new one. Irons should be forced from office tomorrow, were it possible, by MB property owners and tax payers.


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Free yourself from the shackles and “Irons” of despair

Remove the Mayor from his chair.


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It’s like we’re in the Irons Age, peclian1. Get it?


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