(FREMONT, CA.) – Members of Fremont’s Charter Advisory Committee cannot at first agree on which form of government they wish to recommend to the city council.
On one hand, Committee members Sathya Sankaran and Kim Marshall are in favor of a strong mayor form of government.
The rest of the committee, however, supports the form of government Fremont currently follows: the council-manager form of government.
Though these positions have been generally consistent across the committee’s past two meetings on Mar. 30 and Apr. 6, they have not been much of a problem until the committee’s meeting on Apr. 13.
Here, they begin to discuss adding additional staff positions meant to specifically support the mayor and city council.
City Attorney Rafael Alvarado points out that any staffing changes made would be currently limited to Fremont’s guidelines under its current form of government, which may restrict some of the ideas being discussed.
This raises a question for Committee member Dharminder Dewan, who inquires about whether it is imperative that the committee come to a consensus regarding government structure.
In answer to his question, Alvarado explains that while the committee can continue to try and reach a consensus, it is not required, and it would not prevent them from discussing and recommending other changes.
“In areas where there is no consensus, we’ll simply report that back. [...] One scenario is you don't reach a majority recommendation on form of government but you do on staffing levels and similarly with other subtopics that are created.”
Photo Credit: https://fremontca.viebit.com/watch?hash=U5WVZnmq4jPsoAqF / Rafael Alvarado
Even so, Dewan expresses his desire for a consensus on government structure, making a motion to backtrack and come to a consensus before moving forward, which passes with ease.
Though in agreement with this plan, Committee member Rick Jones points out that the city council will make the ultimate decisions on these topics and is not bound to this committee’s recommendations.
Using this point, he further emphasizes that it is okay if the committee cannot reach an agreement on everything.
Sankaran uses this opportunity to reiterate her reasons why a strong mayor government is necessary.
“[Community members] have expressed a lot of difficulties in finding staff to address their concerns. For them, the familiar faces [are] the people [they] elected, which would be [the] mayor and city council.”
Photo Credit: https://fremontca.viebit.com/watch?hash=U5WVZnmq4jPsoAqF / Sathya Sankaran
She argues that because residents most often go to the mayor with their concerns, despite the mayor not being the primary official in charge of addressing them, giving the mayor more power to address them through a strong mayor government structure would make things more convenient and satisfactory for the residents.
Mixed in with this conversation are some committee members' opinions on whether Fremont should become a charter city.
Multiple members express that becoming a charter would address the same problem Sankaran mentions above.
Committee member Brad Hatton presents a similar stance that he believes there is an alternative way to address these problems. His idea, however, requires maintaining general law status and not becoming a charter city.
“I believe that the problems that need to be fixed can be fixed under general law. I’m not convinced that under a charter [would allow us…] to solve our problems.”
Committee member Ben Yee counters this claim with his experience as a planning commissioner.
“We hear people complaining to us, ‘why do you build, build, build?’ Well, our hands are tied, because [we are] a general law city. [...] We have to be a charter city to untie our hands, to be able to have some control with these things that are happening at the state level.”
Photo Credit: https://fremontca.viebit.com/watch?hash=U5WVZnmq4jPsoAqF / Ben Yee
Before the discussion continues further, Jones points out that the majority of the committee is still in favor of maintaining a council-manager government structure.
Following this observation, Dewan makes a motion to include this government structure in the committee’s recommendation, as well as recommending Fremont become a charter city.
This motion passes four to three.
If you have any questions, please email me at madison.v@lead4earth.org or comment below.
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