Council approves appointments list despite objections over StopWaste reassignment

San Leandro City Council ratified a list of intergovernmental appointments after a heated discussion about the removal of Vice Mayor Fred (Rey) Simon from the Alameda County StopWaste agency.

Vice Mayor Simon told the council he wanted to remain on the StopWaste board and said he had relevant experience from prior service on a sanitary district. “I took the classes … I have institutional knowledge, and I'm just getting to know my colleagues on Alameda County StopWaste,” Simon said. He also said he was not contacted before the reassignment and called the action “a continuation of the censure fallout.”

Other council members questioned the process. Council member Bolt and Council member Aguilar publicly expressed concern that a longtime appointee had not been consulted. Mayor Gonzales declined to detail her reasons for the reassignment during the public meeting, saying she preferred not to discuss internal deliberations in open session.

Mayor Gonzales then moved to approve item 5(d), the appointments list that included the StopWaste replacement. The motion received a second and the council voted 4 yes, 1 no and 2 abstentions. The clerk recorded the roll call as: Mayor Gonzales, yes; Council member Bolt, yes; Council member Bowen, yes; Vice Mayor Simon, no; Council member Aguilar, abstain; Council member Azevedo, abstain; Council member Viveiros Walton, yes.

Council members who supported the motion said placing another council member on StopWaste would broaden leadership opportunities; opponents said the change should have been preceded by direct outreach to the affected member.

The council also earlier approved the consent calendar without item 5(d); following the consent vote the body returned to consider 5(d) and confirmed the appointments by the recorded vote.