Before rival Councilmen Mehaul O’Leary and Scott Malsin enlivened the usually dreary end of the meeting with a sprinkle of well-aimed barbs, the City Council again demonstrated last night that, unlike wrestling, agenda results cannot be reliably forecast.
Transferring the School Board’s twice-monthly meetings down the block to City Hall was supposed to be cream-puff easy. Instead, the pastry wound up being smeared across the faces of the smarty-pants who thought School Board member Karlo Silbiger had singlehandedly bagged his pet project.
Which was precisely the problem that a majority of the five Councilmen had with this seemingly straight-forward subject. It has appeared to be entirely and only a Karlo Silbiger production. He looks like an outlier to the Council, too much like a one-person campaign. Why is Mr. Silbiger flying solo? How does the rest of the School Board feel?
The Council does not know because, say members, they never have formally, officially, substantively, heard from the other four Board members. All they know is what Mr. Silbiger has told them in a half-dozen appearances strung across the first 10 months of the year. Until they do, they are disinclined to proceed.
Wasn’t This Supposed to be Easy?
Shifting the site of meetings from the cozy School District headquarters to the more spacious, live-television friendly, relatively plush Council Chambers was a signature vow of Mr. Silbiger’s lengthy, successful campaign for the School Board last year. He wasted no time taking the subject by the neck, but the Council’s growing hesitation is rooted in the conviction that Mr. Silbiger seems to be driving an empty bus.
The closest the Council has come to receiving a formal application was a few weeks ago when Board President Steve Gourley wrote that his members would like to move the meetings to City Hall.
But the gentle note lacked details — such as whether the Board is amenable to paying a $1,600 annual rental feel, whether the Board would adjust its second and fourth Tuesday meeting nights to accommodate scheduling conflicts at City Hall.
Mr. Silbiger had hoped to have the move completed in time for the first December meeting when Scott Zeidman will be installed as President. That seems unlikely.
Councilman Andy Weissman set the tabling tone last night. In pursuit of gravitas, Mr. Weissman said he wanted to receive a written request from the School Board, reflecting member backing for the Silbiger plan, and outlining nagging details like the yearly rent of Council Chambers and meeting-night scheduling conflicts.
The Council only has heard Mr. Silbiger’s opinions, and those are judged to be reed-thin reasons for making what formerly seemed like a simplistic switch of venues.
In Other Business
After the Council, without a hiccup, formfully approved a heavily community-backed, somewhat ephemeral Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, the audience was treated to a splash of unplanned drama.
Last spring when City Council assignments were reorganized, Mr. O’Leary, the newly selected Vice Mayor, sought the lead seat as Culver City’s representative to the Expo light rail authority. Such an appointment carries more prestige, influence and visibility than virtually any other of the many backbench, low-grade appointments.
Mr. Malsin, quiet aware of his edge in Council seniority and his status as a veteran member of the Expo delegation, resisted Mr. O’Leary’s bid with uncommon vigor. Mr. Malsin said given his background of service and accomplishment with the light rail group, combined with the nearness of light rail’s arrival in Culver City, he was, by far, best equipped to complete the high-powered project.
Mr. O’Leary verbally scuffled, and sources said at the time, if he had fought a little longer, he probably could have secured the needed 3 votes to be the lead delegate. Rather, he deferred to Mr. Malsin.
Last night was a re-creation of that night in April. A subject arose at yesterday’s Expo meeting with which Mr. O’Leary, the deputy delegate, was entirely unfamiliar. Mr. Malsin, by contrast, was richly prepared for just this moment, Mr. O’Leary said.
He faulted Mr. Malsin for not keeping him informed, a situation that O’Leary supporters had predicted last spring. Once again last night, Mr. O’Leary backed away before the flames of their ongoing disagreement became too warm.
