Fire department review heats up the City Council meeting
By Nancy Needham  nancy@theacorn.com

With the flip of a microphone switch, a public speaker making comments during a City Council meeting was silenced by Mayor Andy Fox.

"I just shut your mike off so nobody hears you," Fox said.

Newbury Park resident John Fonti was about two minutes into his comment on the agenda item about the city's fire service operation and financial review when the mayor cut the sound off.

A City Council resolution signed on Sept. 14, 2004, directs the mayor to act in a manner that is welcoming to the public at all times, even under pressure or during controversial issues.

It is also the mayor's job to keep other members of the council in order and to make sure those speaking stay on topic with what is written on the agenda.

During the public comment portion at the beginning of the meeting, the public is allowed to speak about any topic they choose, but when speaking on an agenda item public speakers must stay on that topic, said City Attorney Amy Albano after the meeting.

"The mayor may provide feedback to assist any speaker from continuing to stray into areas over which the city has no control or jurisdiction," a city resolution signed by Fox on March 18, 2003 states.

When Fonti began speaking, he responded to Councilmember Dennis Gillette's earlier statement that over the past three years the overpayment to the fire department for services added up to about $18 million.

"That's some real money," Gillette had said.

"To add to Mr. Gillette's calculations, I would say 14 years at $6 million a year is $80 million. Now that's real money, Mr. Gillette. That's $2,000 for every household. Mr. Gillette says this is unfortunate. I would say this is gross negligence at best," Fonti said.

Fonti went on to say how every five years or so the city reviews the police services it purchases from the county and asked why the city didn't review the fire department on a regular basis, too.

"The consultant's report and the newspaper said fire services were reviewed routinely, but mysteriously stopped after a certain councilman sitting here tonight was elected 13 years ago. Why was that? What's the excuse?" Fonti asked.

He was allowed to continue to speak when he brought up that the council member was the No. 2 man in charge of the Los Angles City Fire Department, the second-largest fire department in the country. He didn't name Fox, but his description made it clear who he was talking about.

"This councilman even campaigned every four years as a fireman and administrator," Fonti said.

His microphone went dead after he mentioned a controversial lawsuit at the LAFD.

"Remember the recent black firefighter dog food hazing incident which cost Los Angeles over $3 million?" Fonti said.

Fox told him he was out of order and said he would not allow him to continue unless he would go back on point. The two spoke back and forth for a few moments, then the microphone went back on for about 40 seconds more.

"So we're talking about this report and the recommendations in the report and how it could be very convenient that the second recommendation in the report, which is totally unsupported, that the creation of a municipal fire department would just so happen to provide a job for a certain councilman here tonight," Fonti said.

"You're finished," Fox said.

Fox then said that bringing in a new fire chief was not a part of the report.

After the meeting, Fox didn't return a phone call asking him to comment on the proceedings.