City Employees Disagree With Councilmember Barrows Statements

The Cerritos City Council met for its second meeting of the month on Feb. 24. and listened to public comments regarding a written statement by Bruce Barrows about the way the council portrayed negotiations with the city’s Union.

In addition, two ordinances were approved prohibiting medical marijuana dispensaries.

In the Feb. 18 edition of Los Cerritos Community News, Bruce Barrows issued a written statement and said, “This year, we were presented a list of demands after the budget was discussed. (please visit the city’s website and visit the July 8, 2010 Council meeting to listen and watch the demands as presented. Copies of those demands are available from our city clerk.) “

Joel Beam, a city employee of the Department of Water and Power, addressed Barrows, on behalf of the Union, regarding his comments.

“In your written statement, you made it a point to portray the Union’s attempts to negotiate with the city’s management negotiating team as demands,” Beam said. “It seems as though this might skew the residents and readers views by using the term ‘demands.’”

In the statement, Barrows also said the Union wants a seat at any table where management discussions are held and for them to have the ability to influence the outcome. Beam replied to this by saying it was a seemingly misguided perception of what he believes the Union actually proposed.

“This proposed committee between labor and management, I believe, was for the sole intent of enabling both sides to have a better understanding of each other’s concerns and a chance to discuss these topics in a roundtable forum many months prior to actual negotiations,” Beam said.

According to Barrows, he doesn’t want this topic to become a political discussion and the council isn’t there to negotiate publicly.

“We have good employees, and I do believe they’re committed to provide the best service,” Barrows said.

The council also approved two ordinances to prohibit the establishment and operation of medical marijuana dispensaries in Cerritos as well as declaring medical marijuana dispensaries a public nuisance.

Ryan Carey, the city’s management analyst, delivered the report on both amendments.  According to Carey, in the case Kruse vs Claremont, California’s medical marijuana law does not require cities to approve zoning for medical marijuana dispensaries.

Carey said the staff contacted 10 neighboring cities and found out the majority of them have already enacted ordinances similar to the two presented at the meeting.