11/19/1976 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

CITY COUNCIL iy' TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS 26379 Fremont Road Los Altos Hills, California MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING Saturday, December 11, 1976 cc: Reel 97, Side 1, Tr. 1, - 001-367 Mayor Robert Cheney called the Special Meeting of Council to order at 4:00 PM in the Council Chambers of Town Hall: A. ROLL CALL: Present: Council Members Brown, Grabowski, Hillestad, Proft, Mayor Cheney Staff: City Manager Robert Crowe, City Attorney Frank Gillio, City Clerk Norma Hislop B. CURRENT BUSINESS: Mayor Cheney announced that this was a Special Meeting called by four members of Council for the purpose of considering the removal of the Mayor and declaring that the Office of Mayor is vacant, and election of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore. He noted that at a Special Meeting no other business could be discussed or considered, and requested that any member of the public who wished to address Council speak to this item only. Councilman Grabowski stated that information had come to him earlier this day which distressed him, and based on this information, he did not think that this was the time to remove the Mayor of his duties. He moved instead, that the term of the Mayor be limited to one year. Mayor Cheney stated that this was not the order of business on the Agenda as stated, and did not think that such a motion was in order; that only the item appearing on the Agenda should be discussed. Councilman Grabowski felt that the Resolution he was proposing established a time frame and thought this was in order since the Agenda item did not state any specific time for this removal. In response to Council, City Attorney Frank Gillio stated that a Special Meeting was limited to the items contained in the Notice of a Meeting, and not having heard Councilman Grabowski's Resolution, he had no way of knowing if the proposal fell within its scope. He did note that General Law cities did not have the legal authority to establish the term of Mayor, although this is generally done at the time of election according to Section 36801 of the Government Code, which requires that the City Council meet on the Tuesday after the election and choose one of the members of Council as Mayor. He stated that the only legal authority was that at least once every two years Council choose a member to act in the capacity of Mayor. He also noted that the power of appointment carries with it the power of removal.