_0.jpg)
Blair accuses top city officials of lying. Council members to proceed with Blair censure
For the record, the proposed tax got a thumb down from the council. The fireworks began at the end of the meeting, during council comments, an agenda item reserved for updates from councilmembers.
Blair’s attacks also prompted the call for a recall effort.
Blair began the process of digging her own grave when she accused City Manager Nathan Olson and Chief of Police Darrell Smith of lying to her, inexplicably singling out Olson’s son and Smith’s daughter.
“I’ve been led to think a lot of things that aren’t true lately, and I just wanted to ask on the dais, because I can’t seem to get a straight answer otherwise. Nathan, is it true that you and Darrell (Smith) are soon to be in-laws? Is that true?”
The question prompted various reactions from Olson, irate councilmembers, and Smith.
“Is it true that our kids date?” asked a surprised Olson.
Mayor Ray Madrigal interrupted, telling Blair that her question was inappropriate. But the mayor’s plea failed to halt Blair’s attack.
“I’m asking because I’ve been led to believe multiple things about multiple people, and I can never seem to get a straight answer,” she said. “And when I ask for more clarification I (ask) why I keep being given false information. I come to find out that the people who (we) need to investigate are related to each other.”
Councilmember Dave Brown chimed in: “Councilmember Blair, that’s their business. It has nothing to do with nepotism.”
“I can’t get a straight answer,” Blair responded.
“To be honest with you I don’t think it’s any of your business,” repeated Brown.
Blair countered: “It does matter when the city manager and the chief of police are related. Doesn’t it matter?”
Councilmember Jeff Chedester, visibly appalled at Blair’s discourse, urged her to end the matter.
“I’m asking because I was told a number of things that weren’t true,” said Blair.
Smith, sitting in the audience, appeared to have had enough and approached the lectern. “Because my name was brought up I feel I have the right to come up and respond.”
Smith scolded Blair and suggested that it was none of her business. “I don’t ask you who your kids are dating,” he said. “I don’t ask you who your husband is related to. It has nothing to do with the job that I do, or the job Nathan does. We are not blood-related. I am offended by that comment.
“I’m offended by the comment because you are all elected officials, and your energies should be for the benefit of the city. And I believe that you, Ms. Blair, have an ulterior agenda with everyone you disagree with or everyone who opposes your opinion. This is a non-partisan position, and I’m completely offended by your partisanship on the council.”
Smith continued to chastise Blair before bringing up the issue of a recall.
“I have heard you spew negative comments about many people in this community, (about) elderly people, people who don’t agree with your opinion, (and) people who don’t share your party values. And, I think it’s absolutely time to put a stop to it, and I’m holding the council accountable to put a stop to it, and if they won’t, I absolutely hope someone will absolutely recall you because I believe that you do not have the respect of the constituents you think you have. And once you bring my family into it, then the gloves are off. If you want to have a professional conversation with me, you know where I am. And you know the answer to your question, but you ask the question anyway.”
Smith didn’t let up, chastising the first-term councilmember relentlessly.
“You perceive yourself as a highly educated person, yet you don’t have any common sense. So, this is my observation and my observation alone, and I ask respectfully that you leave my family out of it. I have never attacked you personally. I’ve never attacked your family. I don’t disclose any information in your Facebook prosecutions that you actually participate in on a daily basis.”
Smith told Blair that if he lived in Lemoore, he would lead a recall effort.
The public may be running out of time to get a recall on the ballot in time for this year’s general election. For starters, Blair, elected in 2016 under the “at-large” process, would be recalled by all voters. Earlier this year the council passed an ordinance requiring voting districts, abandoning the at-large process.
A recall effort would require 2,527 signatures city-wide, and if started today the names would have to be gathered and verified by Aug. 7, the current deadline for getting signatures to run for city council in the Nov. 7 election. However, a recall election could be held sometime after the general election.
Blair accused Smith of blatantly lying to her and demanded an investigation. “The reason I asked is that because you have lied to me twice, and I want to ask for an investigation in that some things I have said behind closed doors,” she said. “I would like to ask for an independent investigation (when a family member is involved) because I do think that’s relevant.”
Brown suggested that if Blair wanted an investigation, she ask for consensus from the council to conduct an inquiry. Councilmembers Madrigal, Neal, Chedester, and Brown refused Blair’s request for an investigation.
Olson lamented the fact that behavior from some councilmembers is reflecting negatively within the community, and with prospective developers. When people want to come to our town, and developers come in, said Olson, one of the first questions he gets is how long he’s been the city manager and how’s the council?’
“I think I have pretty thick skin, but I’m getting tired of it. Other communities, people I know, we’re like the brunt of the joke. What’s going on in Lemoore?”
“You’re absolutely right,” answered Madrigal. “This kind of behavior scares developers away.” The mayor said he'd received emails from potential developers who have quoted from council meetings. “This kind of behavior, this dysfunction, I call it dysfunction, and it’s scary to people,” he said. “When you have members of this council who do nothing but say things in social media, whatever you want to call it, it’s one-sided, and I have been on the end of it many, many times. Ms. Blair just accused Chief Smith and Mr. Olson of being dishonest.”
He cited the recent meeting during which councilmembers discussed censuring Blair because of her social media post, suggesting many of her posts were blatantly false. Councilmembers decided not to pursue censure at that time. “We had a discussion about this before, and we decided not to censure Ms. Blair for her behavior, but I think it hasn’t done any good. It hasn’t done any good, and I think we should bring it back.”
This time around councilmembers, despite reservations from Neal, gave the go-ahead to start a censure process, giving the city attorney the power to begin developing the process.
