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Public commenters press Riverside council over city manager conduct and procurement questions
Summary
Multiple public speakers raised concerns about the city manager's contract, alleged staff communications involving the manager's spouse, and procurement documentation; callers urged audits, access to purchase orders and personnel action based on conduct.
Several members of the public used the council's public-comment period to press elected officials about the status and conduct of the city manager and to request reviews of procurement and personnel matters.
What public speakers said: One caller alleged that the council had issued a certified letter to "Susy Freeman" and said such communications had created stress for city staff and raised questions about the manager's household communications influencing internal operations. "El consejo ha dado una carta certificada a Susy Freeman..." the caller said, urging transparency and that records be reviewed rather than relying on rumor.
Other residents urged an audit of purchase orders and questioned why certain contract extensions were placed on the agenda when several new council members were not present. Ern Kassovich asked to see procurement documents and said, "En el departamento financiero de Riverside tiene que ser auditado," calling for resident access to verify orders.
A nonprofit operator, Anthony Bentan, described community service work (food, clothing and outreach), requested help connecting to city resources after losing a community truck, and said his organization had distributed thousands of meals. "He pasado 3000 alimentos cuando lo necesitan," he said, asking how the city could help support local service efforts.
Why it matters: The commenters framed their concerns as matters of transparency, city personnel conduct and fiscal accountability. Multiple callers tied their requests to potential impacts on staff morale and on service delivery to residents. The council did not take formal action on personnel or procurement during the public comments recorded in the transcript.
Council response and next steps: The mayor acknowledged comments and noted the council would move into closed session later in the agenda (Brown Act items listed for closed session). No formal motions or personnel actions were recorded on the public-record portion of the meeting; callers requested further review and access to records.
Context and limits: These remarks were made during public comment and reflect callers' allegations and requests; the transcript records the claims but does not include an on-the-record council finding or staff rebuttal resolving the allegations. When claims referenced internal conduct or personnel files, the public record was not expanded in the open session and the council indicated closed-session items were on the agenda.
