Former Melvindale Mayor Stacy Bazman speaks to the City Council during its Jan. 3 meeting.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
MELVINDALE – The City Council rejected Mayor Nicole Shkira’s appointments for city manager and corporate council — a move she said is a cost savings — during its Jan. 3 meeting.
Shkira sought to appoint attorney and former Southgate City Councilmember Bill Colovos, ousting longtime City Attorney Lawrence Coogan.
She also sought to replace City Manager Richard Ortiz with candidate Hassane Jamal at a salary below Ortiz’s current compensation level.
In addition to being city manager, Ortiz serves as the finance director, human resources manager and primary grant writer.
Attorney and former Southgate City Councilmember Bill Colovos (second from right) sits next to a court reporter (right) he brought to the Jan. 3 Melvindale City Council meeting.
Shkira chose to table her second request to reappoint Cecilia Dally as the mayoral and city council secretary, which the city council rejected in December.
The mayor and council had a lengthy discussion debating whether the Dec. 27 special city council meeting which the mayor called was illegal, which hinges on whether or not the need for the meeting constituted an emergency. Shkira called the meeting in an effort to get the City Council to reconsider the reappointment of Dally, but only one council member, Saleim Abuali, attended, so there was no quorum and business could not be conducted.
Colovos brought a court reporter to the Jan. 3 meeting to record the discussion concerning the legality of the Dec. 27 meeting.
Former Mayor Stacy Bazman addressed the council to express her disappointment with the contentious climate occurring.
The next regularly scheduled Melvindale City Council meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at city hall.
Attorney and former Southgate City Councilmember Bill Colovos (left) speaks at the Jan. 3 Melvindale City Council meeting, as Melvindale City Councilmembers Dawn Cartrette, Julie Rauser and Saleim Abuali, City Clerk Diana Zarazua, City Manager Rich Ortiz, Mayor Nicole Shkira and Corporate Counsel Larry Coogan listen.