(Article is updated, above)
April 2004: Council OK's First-Ever MOU With LB City Mgt. Union
April 2004: City Att'y Releases Handbook On Several Categories of Laws & Rules Governing Actions Of LB City Council & Commission Members
April 2004: Dr. Paul Schmidt, City Charter Task Force Chair, Steps Down; New Voting Chair Will Be Elected From Other Members April 12
March 2004: We List Spending By Councilmembers & Mayor To Run Their Offices, FY 02-03
March 2004: We List Topics Proposed For Consideration By Mayor/Council-Selected "Gov't Reform Task Force"
Oct. 2003: HUD Requires City Hall To Repay $1 Million In Grant For Low/Mod Income Housing Promised But Not Delivered
City Hall Made Grant Promises, Took Fed'l Taxpayers' Money, Then Wanted To Shift Funds To Other Projects; Feds Said No; City Hall Must Repay $1 Million Over Three Years
Read Correspondence b/w City Hall & HUD
Sept. 2003: Yikes! U.S. Census Bureau Says LB:
10th Nationally In % Of Residents Below Poverty Level
61st Nationally (out of 69 cities ranked) In % of Owner Occupied Housing Units
Aug. 2003: City Att'y Wins Big Reversal In Court of Appeal: Justices Say LB Campaign Reform Act Isn't Subject To Anti-SLAPP Suit Defense, Reinstate Prop M Enforcement Action Against CCNE (stemming from April 2002 election)
Aug. 2003: Here's Labor Day Holiday Schedule For City Services
July 2003: Freudian Political Slip? Mayor O'Neill On CNN Says LB Has Budget Plan, But State Governor, ER, State Government Doesn't
July 2003: Mum's Morris: "It's the City (Hall) That Lost...I'll Go Another Round"
July 2003: John Morris Verdict Reversal Of Fortune: Trial Court Vacates (Tosses Out) Judgment Against Former City Mgr. Taboada, Reduces Damages Against City Hall to $1, Giving Morris Option Of New Trial On Damages
June 2003: Mayor Names Hankla To LB Harbor Comm'n; Appointment Is Subject To Council Vote; We List Other Mayoral Appointments
May 2003: Punitive Damages Per Jury in Morris v. City of LB: $7,500 Against Former City Mgr. Taboada
May 2003: "Mum's" Owner John Morris Wins $425,000 In Civil Suit Against City Hall, Jury Decides City Hall Punished Him For His Critical Views; Punitive Damages Could Follow Next Week
Mar. 2003: Follow-Up To Jan. '03 LBReport.com Report On Council Office Spending:
Councilwoman Richardson Says Her Office's #2 Expense Ranking (Colonna Is Costliest) Results From Communicating To America's Most Diverse District In Most Diverse City, And More;
Receives Form From City & Keeps Track Of Mileage When City Vehicle Not Used On City Business And Believes Same Form Is Used By Other Councilmembers When Applicable
Jan. 2003: Despite Mounting Deficit & Post-Sept 11/01 Slump, Council Boosts Spending On Itself Oct 01-Sept 02
Frank Colonna, Laura Richardson, Costliest Council Offices, Consumed Roughly $370,000 Each in City Resources, More Than 45% Higher Than Most Frugal Council Office (9th dist.); See Rankings Of Council Office Spending
Most Council Offices Increased Spending Far Outpacing Inflation...But Councilwoman Bonnie Lowenthal Decreases Spending
4 Councilmembers & Mayor Drive City Fleet Cars, 4 Take Monthly Allowance, Carroll Takes Neither (staffer gets mileage reimbursement)
Oct. 2002: Two City Hall Events Collide Oct. 9:
Public Invited To Meet & Dialogue With LB Acting City Manager Jerry Miller From 6-9 p.m. @ Neighborhood Resource Center
Public Invited To Educational/Informational Forum On "Density & Housing" With Mayor And City Staff From 7-8:30 p.m. @ Cesar Chavez Park
Oct. 2002: Oct. 1 Council Meeting Includes Presentations to Exiting City Manager Henry Taboada
Sept. 2002: Councilwoman Richardson-Batts Agendizes Proposal For Closer Council Monitoring Of City Hall Financial Matters, Including Spending From Reserve Accounts...And Reiterates Specific Budget Proposals For Sept. 23 Council Meeting
Sept. 2002: City Manager's Office Invites Public Input -- Including By Email -- In Selection of New Chief of Police
Sept. 2002: Council Votes In Closed Session To Dismiss City Manager Taboada Effective Oct. 4
Vote Comes After Offering Taboada Opportunity To Retire Voluntarily On or Before Dec 31, Which He Declines
Sept. 2002: Baker Moves, and Council Votes 6-3, To Hold Special Closed Session Sept. 4 To Evaluate Performance of City Manager Taboada
[update] Carroll & Colonna Move To Buy Time, Offer Taboada & City Mgt. Opportunities In Coming Weeks To Present City Management's Case Publicly
August, 2002: LB City Services Labor Day Schedule
July, 2002: Council Unanimously Elects Frank Colonna Vice Mayor; Motion by Carroll, seconded by Kell
July, 2002: Council Gives Final OK (9-0) To Boost City Hall Employee Pensions
July, 2002: With Virtually No Public Discussion, Scheduled As Last Agenda Item, Council Votes 9-0 To Increase City Hall Employee Pensions; Pending second vote, LB taxpayers will pay roughly $7 million annually starting 2004 in exchange for non public safety employee unions accepting no pay raise this year & 3% raise next yr.
July, 2002: Councilman Webb Reveals City Hall Considering Proposed LB Property Tax Increase Measure (Prop 13 override) For Nov. Ballot, Promising New Fire Stations
June, 2002: We List Mayor's Proposed Appointments and Reappointments to City Hall Non-Charter (Council created, not Charter required) Commissions, Boards, and Committees; Council Will Vote On Them June 18
June, 2002: Mayor Names Her Choices For City Hall Charter Commissions; Civil Service Committee & City Council Will Vote On Them; We Post List
June, 2002: City Hall Ethics Task Force Releases Draft Recommendations; Read Them Here And Comment On Line By Email
June, 2001: "Listening to You" at Pyramid Draws Small Crowd But Gives City Hall an Earful; includes transcript excerpts
Oct. 2000: Loehmann's Inc. Emerges from Bankruptcy; Could Be Good News For LB Taxpayers
Sept. 2000:
As Oil Prices Soar, LB City Hall Receives Windfall