No Family Fair!

     In the weeks that have passed since the Whittier Uptown Association yearly general meeting on August 27, 2009, I have heard from a few sources about the events that took place after I and about 35 other people left the meeting. Why did we leave the meeting, you ask? Let me explain.

     As you may already know, the meeting was advertised as one where Association members could “show your support” or “express your concerns” (see the WUA Flyer in the attachment section). In attendance at this meeting were approximately 35 Association members opposed to the Wednesday Night Family Festival. Many intended to speak and some very obviously had brought visual aids to help bolster their position.

     After one or two people had asked if they could speak, Association President Paul Brenier made a statement to the effect of “There will be no question and answer at this meeting. This will only be a report from the board to the association members as to what the board has accomplished this year, etc.”. While I am paraphrasing here, make no mistake; this was absolutely the gist of Paul Brenier’s statement. He did not say “We will have a question and answer period after our yearly report” or any words to that effect.

     It was at this point that about 35 people (including myself), stood up and exited the building. It was our collective feeling that we had been wronged. Many of us were angry about the situation, and I believe rightfully so. We assembled outside the entrance of the Crystal Marquis and discussed the situation for about 30 to 45 minutes.

     Apparently, sometime toward the end of the meeting, the WUA Board decided to have a question and answer period. It is my firm belief that:

     1. The Board originally never intended to have a Q and A period at the meeting.
     2. The Board only decided to have such a Q and A period after all of the Festival opponents had left the building.
     3. The 6:00 board meeting that preceeded the general meeting was kept secret just for such reasons.

     So, I now fully expect Paul Brenier (or someone on the board) to soon make a statement that it was all just a “big misunderstanding”. Believe me, there was no misunderstanding. This was our Uptown Association Board playing games with its members. It was my impression that they were there to represent us. Maybe I just had a “big misunderstanding” about that too.

                                                            Kim Wicker

                                                            Monte’s Camera

     Since the phrase “The Brown Act” often gets injected into discussions regarding groups conducting meetings in private, I’ve decided to place a link here (see “Sites of Interest” in the right column) that will take you to the actual California State Government Code 54950.

     I am certainly not a barrister, nor do I profess to always understand “legalese”, but, after a brief scan of “The Act”, it appears to me that legally, The Brown Act only pertains to Government formed Boards or Panels.

     However, at the annual general meeting of the Whittier Uptown Association on August 27, 2009, one association member queried the Board as to whether they were adhering to the Brown Act, and if so, if they fully understood why. It was at this point that Association Vice President Jason Rosano replied that “We are Brown Act compliant”. To me, this means that although an organization is not necessarily bound by California State Law, in the case of the Whittier Uptown Association, the Board has elected to adhere to the statutes of the Ralph M. Brown Act.

     As I stated earlier, I am no lawyer, but after doing a quick scan of the law, it would appear to me that any body that considers itself “Brown Act Compliant” would not engage in any sort of private communications whatsoever. And, such a body would not hold a meeting whose existence was hidden from the general membership.

     Therefore, the Whittier Uptown Association Board meeting that was held on August 27, 2009 at 6:00 pm at the Crystal Marquis, prior to the so-called open general meeting, would be completely non-compliant with the Ralph M. Brown Act.

     If I am incorrect, please let me know.

                                                             Kim Wicker

                                                             Monte’s Camera

     Chuck Marsden stopped by this afternoon and dropped off a copy of a letter his attorney wrote to the WUA Board on behalf of Chuck and many others (see the Attachments link in the right column). In a nutshell, it asks for an open forum to be held where any and all of our concerns may be brought forth. In other words, the type of forum that the flyer for the WUA meeting on 8/27/09 alluded to.

                                                            Kim Wicker

                                                            Monte’s Camera

     I created this blog out of frustration. Last night, I attended the yearly general meeting of the Whittier Uptown Association. The meeting was touted as a time and place to “express your concerns”. However, Association President Paul Brenier quickly made it very clear that this was anything but the case. There would be NO time allotted for anyone to express any concerns whatsoever. This sort of stonewalling is what the current Association leadership has come to represent and I don’t think any of us should take it lying down.

     I am hoping for this to be a public place where we can air our concerns and organize our opposition to the current Association board and its’ heavy-handed tactics.

                                                             Kim Wicker

                                                             Monte’s Camera