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Did Gibson purposely doctor the agenda?

January 13, 2015
Bruce Gibson

Bruce Gibson

BY KAREN VELIE

San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson’s last act as chairman of the board of supervisors was to shut down public comment and board discussion over Supervisor Adam Hill’s appointment to vice chair in violation of the Brown Act.

The Jan. 5 agenda, the last agenda created with Gibson as board chairman, did not include the usual public comment period as required by law. Even though multiple speakers were prepared to argue against Hill’s appointment and Supervisor Frank Mecham had already been voted in as chair, Gibson continued to lead the meeting and ordered Supervisor Debbie Arnold not to challenge his decision.

In 2016, Arnold and Hill will be running for reelection. Because of Gibson’s action, Hill will have the advantage of serving as chairman.

Gibson’s insistence that the board follow a disputed rotation allows Hill to serve twice in eight years while Arnold will not serve as chairman during her first four-year term.

Noting Gibson’s Brown Act violation, local activist Julie Tacker sent a cease and desist to the county detailing the failure to allow public comment and the absence of speaker slips in the county chambers during the Jan. 5 meeting.

County Counsel Rita Neal responded in a letter to Tacker saying the county would promise not to repeat the violation and that the board would open public comment on the item at the Jan. 13 meeting.

In addition, if a member of the board asks to agendize the appointment of Hill as vice chair in response to Tuesday’s public comment, Hill could lose his vice chair position.


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The Brown Act is not in Gibson’s ‘purview’ and neither is the public’s interests….


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Gibson: You are a master of abusing the Brown Act and of accusing others of doing so to cover your own tracks. I’ve seen it at the Sup meetings and at the air board meetings. You are the antithesis of a public servant–arogant, self-serving, demeaning to others (especially women), controlling, and hypocritical–especially hypocritical.


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Just another “affair of the heart”.


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What is wrong with County Council? She promises that the Supervisors won’t do this again.

It is her job to advise the Supervisors to follow the law. So she says that they did not follow the law, but they promise not to do it again. What is wrong with this scenario?


She cannot guarantee an action in the future. She can only correct an action already taken or about to be taken. Was she paying attention during the meeting? Is there any way to get rid of an ineffective attorney? How many times does she have to show how ineffective she is, and how the supervisors do not pay any attention to her, before the county hires someone who can handle the job?


Please, let’s ask that County Council, Rita Neal, be relieved of her duties–that she is obviously not doing anyway.


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Sorry. County Counsel not county council.


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You misunderstand the circumstances. It is the Board, not Rita Neal, who is considering making the promise not to reoffend. The Brown Act contains a provision that if such a promise is made, then the Board is shielded from any lawsuit. Rita is absolutely being dutiful to recommend the Board make such a promise. She is not in error here whatsoever.


You are also mistaken that Rita can correct an action or prevent one. She has no such power. All she can do is advise the Board. It is the Board—Gibson/Hill—that have been ineffective and acted improperly.


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Yeah, but I think Rita’s loyalties are misplaced. She represents the county, not Gibson. It would be refreshing, to say the least, to see her advise on the basis of what is good for the county, not what is good for Gibson. Hell, he’s had her on a tightrope ever since he philandered with his subordinate. About time she step for the sake of SLO.


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Take it one step further.


Counsel works for the people of the County, not the institution.


It is the job of Counsel to uphold the Constitution: to protect the public from enemies within and without, not supervisors or staff, but to serve the public and ensure that their rights are protected.


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We should be able to just get rid of them as easily as we empowered them.

To Reverse the power and difficulties

Even if a candidate wins by majority, if s/he does not get a certain % of the registered voters then he is not elected because more and more people are getting apathetic or powerless to the reality of elected officials and have stopped voting!

Secondly if a political official is elected, and s/he is in violation of the Brown Act, it should only take one single petitioner to start a RECALL instead of hiring a mass of people to go out in the street to collect a mass of signature!

Finally The Brown Act should have a penalty attached to it (A taste of their own medicine)!

Will it happen, unlikely, because they are the same one who decides.!


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This kinda reminds me of the story of the Fox and the Scorpion.


Why in the world would anyone be surprised that our good buddy Gibson, who has shown such disdain and contempt for those wishing to participate in public comment, would stack the deck against it…ha ha ha.


Folks….Gibson is who he is…and does what he does.


Stop being shocked at his actions and do something to STOP Him.


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well, that would have been to not have him reelected. when there is apathy and bullying, similar to that in the community of morro bay, you end up with these sorts of policy makers term and term again. in order for change, the community/region has to be get educated about what is really going on in their community and then get involved – a perfect example to cite of what CAN occur is the example of Arroyo Grande.


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Short answer to headline question–

Of course he did!


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What a piece of work,I don’t understand how this self absorbed dolt gets reelected, are the voters of this county so uninformed or just plain stupid,I would say they are uninformed as the bird cage liner we have for a newspaper around here leans with gibson and the rest of the socilists so hard you’d think they were saints, I saw no reason that Meril Clift could not have been elected last go around other than he didn’t get out enough to push his campaign,even if he was a newby to this position I believe he would have been by far better than what we have now.


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Myself, please read my response to “smilr4thecamera’s” reply to MaryMalone’s post on 01/13/2015 at 2:31 pm. NO ONE should be surprised that Bruce Gibson continues to reign on the County Board of Supervisors.


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So? Nothing will be done. The city can hire unqualified relatives because “that’s the way it’s always been done” the county can handle employee benefits by sending out flyers, the Oceano board members can avoid paying property taxes because “if you audit me, you have to audit everyone” the allegations of theft of donated gift cards, the CONSTANT Wallace issues, the firing of a Whistle blower that exposed fraud, the CMC doctoring files, the sexual trysts with subordinates and on and on and on and it just gets brushed off, but hey, Cal poly athlete sold pot! It’s curtains for him. Constant constant constant unethical behavior. Even blocking the Local news from taping Oceano board meetings.


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great viewpoint.


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