A Potentially Explosive Night Melts into Softness

On an evening when Channel 35 failed to televise the often flamboyant gestures from the dais, the Councilmen were not aware of the blackout and carried on anyway with their gesticulating, unwittingly, before only the modest in-person audience.

Juicy debates that were heralded never materialized.

When anticipation came to shove, there was mostly bluster muting non-sizzling discussions about capping the number of Speaker Cards that would be acted upon at the weekly meetings; designing a profile of the next City Manager faded fast; and the need for supervision of suspected ruffians at the Skateboard Park ended with seeming satisfaction for all.

The first issue, written comments by residents, was defanged before anyone could put up his dukes.

Then it turned out, despite insistent balloons of ballyhoo, that virtually nobody cares who City Hall hires next to manage the community.

Finally, the Council decided there will be a price to pay for the reported rough-housing at the Skate Park.

The Genesis of a Strikeout

The headline agenda item was a proposal that quietly was added on Friday when hardly anyone in the community was paying attention.

Apparently with the intention of streamlining Council meetings that threaten to turn into all-nighters when disputed subjects are debated, the proposal was to condense public opinion.

On those occasional Mondays when the number of written speaker comments exceeds 20, the Council was asked to decide whether it wanted each one read or preferred to have them lumped into “for” and “against” categories, announcing only the final tally read.

On a recent night when there were 92 written comments —all of a single, identical opinion— the clerk needed nearly an hour to read the legible ones into the record while people in Council Chambers otherwise amused themselves.

And so on yesterday, it came to this:

First there was a furious day-long exchange of emails, between activist groups angry over potentially having their speakout times narrowed at Council meetings, and City Hall. By nightfall, the issue was shrewdly defused faster than a fingersnap at the outset of the meeting.

Residents had warned Council members that passage would be a public relations disaster — and worse. Not that the Councilmen needed to be reminded.

With the aplomb of diplomat who can identify folly from a mile away, Councilman Andy Weissman neatly sidestepped a cinch community war by employing deftly embroidered language to kill the topic.

Pretty or ‘Interesting?

With lexiconic curvature, Mr. Weissman suggested this was the dumbest idea of the decade — without coming close to uttering such inflammatory words.

With the suavity of a man who has experience telling a non-pretty girl that she is “interesting” without offending her, Mr. Weissman weaved through a minefield unharmed.

He first pointed out that the not-so-mysterious proposal came from city staffers. Perhaps in the fullness of their hearts, he said, they were only trying to ease members’ burdens on nights when large crowds of a single persuasion descend on Council Chambers.

And he knew the thinking of his fellows.

“I am not sure there are three (Council members) who want to change our current policy,” Mr. Weissman said. “If we are not inclined to want to change the policy, perhaps it ought to come off the agenda,” which sparked applause from the assembled. “I don’t want to see it come back,” he added.

Little did he suspect this would provide a wide opening for Vice Mayor Gary Silbiger to step into. The Vice Mayor envisioned two kinds of death, the eternal type and that when the monster re-rises out of the swamp.

Meanwhile, however, City Clerk Martin Cole offered a panacea, an obscure-sounding procedural technique for permanently killing the item, called “tabling — not to be continued.” Sometimes, though, dead does not seem to mean all the way gone. Mr. Cole’s assurances were not assuring to some uninsured members who sought additional insurance against their own lack of assurance.

“I want to make it perfectly clear I don’t want to see this item coming back,” said Councilman Chris Armenta, unconvinced death in this procedural sense was a fulltime pastime.

Concurring vigorously with Mr. Weissman’s death wish, Mr. Silbiger then took umbrage at his newest target of frequent criticism, perceived interference by City Hall staffers in policy-setting matters.

“Staff has to let the policymakers, elected officials, those who the public voted for, set the policy and have policy, only when required so by vote, here, of the Council,” Mr. Silbiger said. “There should not be interference. There should be a separation between policy and administration.”

At which point Mayor Scott Malsin entered the debate on defense. “The staff was only trying to make meetings run more smoothly,” Hizzoner said.

Mr. Silbiger, speaking methodically, as is his trademark, objected to “tabling” the matter. He contended that the term did not connote forever, implying, instead, it could return in the future.

He offered a dead-er proposal.

“I move that this item shall not return to the Council unless required consensus of Council members vote on it to do so,” the Vice Mayor said, “because ‘tabling’ does not show the feelings of the Council.”

“I don’t think the (Silbiger) motion is necessary,” Mr. Weissman objected, “because I think staff probably got the message.”

Managing a Lack of Interest

Next came the dud of the evening.

A month after Vice Mayor Silbiger strongly pursued a separate first-time item in which residents would advise the Council of the kind of new City Manager they thought should be hired, it seemed nobody actually cared.

Only Karlo Silbiger, the Vice Mayor’s son, spoke up. Later, fellow activist Tom Camarella agreed with Mr. Silbiger’s central point, that the executive should be required to take up residence in Culver City.

Otherwise, City Hall will be on its own.

It May Get Expensive

For the 13 months the Skateboard Park has been open, critics have complained that not only do 95 percent of the boys ignore the safety equipment rules, the grounds attract a disproportionate number of young men of questionable character.

Although the Council delayed binding action, members agreed in principle that daily staff supervision will start in March. Additionally, fees will be imposed at the same time. Similar to a successful system used by the city of Santa Monica, the fees, daily (between $3 and $5.50) and otherwise, will vary by age groupings.

COUNCIL NOTES — The third weekend of January will be a golden period, said Bill Wynn, chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King Day (actually two-day) celebration. Culver City’s tribute will start with a King film and surrounding program on Saturday night, Jan. 17, at the Senior Center at 6 o’clock. Sunday, Jan. 18, the main event, from noon until the dinner hour, will feature a play, entertainment and a marketplace. Monday the 19th will be Dr. King’s 79th birthday and Tuesday the 20th will be President-elect Obama’s inauguration. Back in Culver City, the public is invited, Mr. Wynn said, to the next meeting of the King Day committee, Wednesday evening at 7 at the Senior Center…