Residents urge recall after court finding against Councilman Lopez; council enters closed session on pending litigation
Loading...
Summary
At a Montclair special council meeting, two residents urged a recall of Councilman Lopez, saying they have gathered over 50 of 80 required signatures and citing a court finding; the council then moved into closed session to discuss pending litigation and directed staff to report legal costs at the next meeting.
At a special meeting of the Montclair City Council, residents urged action after what they described as a court finding involving Councilman Lopez, and the council moved into closed session to discuss pending litigation.
Alice Garcia, who identified herself as a Montclair resident, told the council she is helping lead a recall effort and said, "As of this afternoon we have secured over 50 of the required founding signatures" toward an 80-signature threshold. Garcia told the council the group is gathering the remaining signatures and said the effort responds to a court ruling she summarized as finding "Mr. Lopez liable for conduct involving fraud, oppression, and malice." She added that the "true cost" of the litigation is also human, saying victims have been made to feel unsafe in public spaces and that taxpayers have borne legal settlements and fees (Garcia referenced $550,000 in taxpayer costs).
Resident Bruce Copeland told the council the trial had demonstrated facts and urged the body to act on integrity concerns. "The truth comes out when we go to trial," he said, and asked the council to agendize the topic for a public meeting so residents and council members can have a back-and-forth discussion. Copeland also asked the council to consider removing a portrait or display he said serves as a painful reminder for victims and to explore limiting Mr. Lopez's visibility at meetings and his participation on monetary votes given the city's financial exposure.
The city clerk told the council there were two public speakers; both were residents who used the public-comment period to press the council for action. Mayor Dutre reminded the council that staff had been directed at the previous meeting to place an item on the Feb. 1 agenda to report how much legal cost the city has incurred related to this case and to identify options for recovering funds.
A speaker identified on the record under the council's roll-call label said the only item on the agenda was to meet in closed session regarding the pending litigation "Garcia Lopez versus Montclair." Mayor Dutre then announced the council would go into closed session. The council took no further public action before adjourning to closed session.
The statements made by residents about the court finding, the dollar figure for settlements, and the number of recall signatures reflect speakers' assertions during public comment and were not independently verified at the meeting. The next public step noted on the record is a staff report about legal costs scheduled for the Feb. 1 meeting.
