After Deadline: If I could be a fly on the wall/What did Joe Donabed tell the Hughson council?
City managers come and city managers go whenever political winds turn. Somehow Hughson City Manager Joe Donabed found a way to blow back.
Donabed has had an axe over his head since October, when three of five Hughson City Council members voted to begin the process of firing him.
Donabed didn't go quietly. Instead, he hired an attorney who let the council know he was considering suing the city. Council members emerged from a closed-door talk about the lawsuit this week and gave Donabed his job back by a 5-0 vote.
It doesn't take much to imagine the foundation of the case.
Two of the council members who voted to fire Donabed - Thom Crowder and Doug Humphreys - were recorded having a conversation over the winter in which they vented about certain city employees. I'm still wondering how exactly some of these votes were called for without violations of the Brown Act, a state law that governs open meetings and prohibits elected representatives from having serial meetings out of the public eye. Mayor Ramon Bawanan and Councilman Matt Beekman, the minority votes on the Donabed decisions, have said as much over the past few weeks.
Looking back, Crowder led the city as a councilman and mayor for much of the 1990s. That's when former City Manager Dave Whiteside, whom three current council members this month tried to appoint as "temporary city manager," was running City Hall. Former Mayor Bart Conner nudged out Whiteside in 2001. Conner brought in Bob Wilburn. Both Conner and Wilburn lost their capital in town in 2003, when Conner misused city credit cards for personal expenses (he repaid the money). That opened the door for Crowder's return as mayor.
Personalities aside, Hughson has some serious challenges ahead, particularly with expensive sewer and water treatment projects. Let's see if they're ready to get down to business.
- AA
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I have your answers, AA
Here it goes.
Back in October when this whole thing went down, a bird told me, "You watch, they're [Crowder, Humphreys, and the third guy, I can't think of his name at the moment) going to try and bring back Whiteside." And what do you know, that person was correct.
Are you aware of counsel member, Humphreys, action at a recent football game against Modesto Christian? He should immediately resign as far as I'm concerned. I believe a recall will hopefully be in the works.
Crowder needs to go too. He is a real piece of work. I hope a recall is in the works for him as well. He hates the Chief of Hughson, and the Sheriff's Department. He is a snake in the grass.
I don't know Mr. Whiteside, but from what I have heard from numerous citizens near and around Hughson, he is no good. I also think it's somewhat odd that at first he is unavailable for the job, then a few weeks later he's available. Sounds like some secret deals were made? Unbelievable, these three should all resign immediately.
More to come
Adam;
Order more ink. Crowder simply does not know when to quit when he is behind. Apparently he needs to gain a tad bit more exposure.....