At a critical point in last Mondays City Council meeting, I was reminded of the artificial environment created by wrestling matches where the results are determined before anyone gets into the ring.
At stake was a proposal for redeveloping corner property across the street from City Hall.
Appeal Unappealing to Some
Having been turned down by the Planning Commission three months ago, developers of 9900 Culver Blvd. were appealing to the City Council to reverse the call.
For the second time in two weeks, the uncommonly indecisive Council was trying to reach a verdict. When stumped the first time, they said they needed more information.
This time they did not get that far. Clumsily, they surrendered before even talking over the case.
Nobody had a chance to ask:
What Would Custer Do?
The Council just bailed. Like parachuting before an aircraft leaves the ground.
Here is what led to the most embarrassing evening this City Council ever has caused.
A large crowd of partisans turned out in anticipation of a ruling on the much-talked-about 9900 Culver plan. Most residents present were opposed. A buzz rippled across Council Chambers, and they made noise throughout the meeting.
Form Is Followed
When it finally was the publics turn to speak out, nearly everyone expressed vehement opposition. Each speaker received drum-banging applause, which breaches decorum. The scenario was so formful it could have been sketched out two weeks, two months before the meeting.
After the final speaker retired, a gigantic wave of anti-9900 momentum filled the still buzzing room the way the airbag in your car blows up.
Silent Night, Unholy Night
So far, no member of the City Council had breathed.
For no evident reason, Mayor Alan Corlin called a timeout.
He announced an attention-grabbing 13-minute recess.
The mayor gained even more attention when he said he wanted to meet privately with Councilman Scott Malsin and City Manager Jerry Fulwood.
Twenty minutes later, when the meeting was resumed, Mayor Corlin promptly called on Mr. Malsin.
Said the Councilman: Mr. Mayor, I would like to suggest that we continue our deliberations until the earliest possible time due to the comments made by the public.
A Large Surprise
There it was. Utterly predictable residential opposition to 9900 Culver had, amazingly, baffled the apparently easily baffled City Council.
Go figure.
I guarantee you that the least prepared member among them knew exactly what was coming from the community that night. Why the expression of shock?
It was about 10 gallons over the top.
Unfortunately, Mr. Malsin did not stop with that request. Given his capacious cerebral capacity, there is no doubt he could have ended after those 25 surprising words and made a plausible case to any Council member who would object.
Crowd Keeps Gaining
Smelling victory, not to mention the City Councils capitulation, the crowd was crowing louder and louder the longer Mr. Malsin spoke.
In one routine try, by just doing what was formful, the protestors had defeated City Hall, the City Council and the developers.
Mr. Malsin, meanwhile, was still talking. He was not content to advance one mere uncomplicated proposal. He traveled and traveled and traveled down arcane sideroads, and I dont know if one person from City Hall was able to track the entire trajectory of his speech.
Never Before, Never Again
Such a script from the dais may have been unprecedented. In past momentous decisions, the Council has gone with public sentiment and it has gone against popular opinion.
This time, though, the members did something unique.
The proposal was that the Council back down without firing a shot, without even a debate over merits of the concessions and adjustments made by the exasperated developer.
I looked around Chambers, anticipating, momentarily, the arrival of anti-9900 cheerleaders, armed with megaphones, to capitalize on the momentum that must have bounced all the way across Culver Boulevard.
Hitting Bottom
What I was watching had the feeling of having been pre-arranged. It had not, I am confident, but the appearances were there.
Appearances that probably was the worst gaffe of all.
Mayor Corlin was back on his heels for the 40 more minutes that Mr. Malsins meandering, longwinded, heavily oversold proposal was discussed.
Rivals Roared
The Mayor got into it extensively with Vice Mayor Carol Gross, who, from a rhetorical standpoint, appeared to prevail.
She stood her ground in challenging the private meeting Mr. Corlin called, and its contents.
They Were Petty, Too
Civility between and among typically quarreling members deteriorated faster than usual. Nastiness arose several times. But in each instant it was trumped by pettiness. Several found it irresistible to be pedantic.
I trust Council members took a long, long bath after they got home that night.
They really did need to clean up from the unsightly mess they had caused with a series of blunders, tactical and otherwise.
Mending Fences and Decisions
After the bath, they should have sat in a corner until promising to make colossal amends at the meeting of Aug. 6.
But, as Ms. Gross said, dont count on it.
They may need more information.
Meanwhile, the Vice Mayor and Councilman Steve Rose may take deep bows for their comportment.
