Amador County – The Ione City Council last week voted 4-1 to reconsider revised terms of agreement with the Ione Police Officers Association, after clearing up a 2-2 vote that deadlocked on the issue in June, due to an absent council member.
New Interim City Manager Jeff Butzlaff (BOOTSLOF) in a report for last week’s meeting, July 19, said that, according to the Council “Protocol Manual,” a “motion to reconsider an item previously voted on can only be made by a Councilmember who voted in the majority.” He said “in the case of a 2-2 deadlock,” that, after the fact, would “be one who voted in opposition.”
The New City Attorney, James Maynard, of Cota Cole LLP, however, reportedly said that “any member of the City Council can request that it be brought back” and that it could be reconsidered.
Butzlaff said the Council then voted 4-1 to reconsider the entire agreement packet for the City Council’s terms of agreement with Ione Police Department’s Police Officers Association. He said the Council will reconsider the same bundled agreement at its Aug. 2 regular meeting.
City Clerk Janice Traverso said the Council at the meeting said it had deadlocked on the issue at its July 5 meeting, but Traverso said Friday that the meeting actually took place in June. She said the 2-2 deadlock on the Police Association agreement occurred at a June 27 special Council meeting, just before former City Manager Kim Kerr left. She said it was one of the issues Kerr wanted to finalize before her last day on the job, June 29.
Traverso said Councilwoman Andrea Bonham was absent, and Mayor David Plank and Councilman Daniel Epperson voted yes, and Councilman Lloyd Oneto and Vice Mayor Ron Smylie dissented, to make the 2-2 deadlock vote on the contract terms of agreement with the IPD officers association.
Butzlaff said the Council voted again, last Tuesday, voting 4-1 to reconsider the POA contract terms, with Smylie the only “no” vote.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
