LA JOLLA – Recently wracked by internal dissension, the
La Jolla Town Council
on July 10 swore in five new trustees to replace members who resigned in protest over the policies and leadership style of the current president.
This most recent action came in response to weeks of infighting and serious disagreements among group members that have led some community members to call for the current council to be dissolved. The current council has complained that some of its members have been bullied and harassed at work for continuing to support the present council and its policies.
The July 10 LJTC meeting was unusual in numerous ways. For one, the five new LJTC board members — Arthur Myo, Don Searcy, Karan Gurung, Kevin Healy, and Simeon Rosas — were sworn in by Jamul tribal elder Kenny Meza, rather than by a city official, as is customary.
The newly sworn-in members were also appointed by LJTC president Mary Soriano, not vetted or elected by LJTC board members.
Also, for the July 10 meeting, the group’s bylaws were unexpectedly amended, decreasing the number of council members from 12 to seven. That was done so that a quorum, the number of members necessary to vote and take action, could be satisfied with fewer board members present. Previously, LJTC’s board comprised 13 to 23 members.
But the recent departure of eight trustees — two dismissed by Soriano — who’ve resigned since April from the LJTC board has hamstrung the board, because trustee defections rendered the group unable to achieve a quorum, precluding their taking any actions.
On July 10, Soriano defended the council’s performance during her tenure. “We have so many accomplishments,” she said, noting, as one example, “We filled 470 potholes in La Jolla.”
She also cited repairs made recently to the Children’s Playground at La Jolla Rec Center as another instance of positive developments made during her administration.
“It’s the unity of this council that’s pulled together through all of this,” said Soriano. “As council president, my responsibility is to protect this council and our trustees. We’ve had some hardships lately. We’ve gone through quite a bit.”
An official statement by the reconstituted LJTC board was then read into the record “to address ongoing concerns of inappropriate conduct that has impacted our organization’s ability to serve the community.”
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Excerpts from that statement read: “The purpose of La Jolla Town Council is to promote the social, cultural, educational, and environmental betterment of the community. We respectfully request that you (council critics) discontinue all communications to current LJTC trustees and cease public statements that may be detrimental to the organization. LJTC has experienced ongoing disruptions that have raised concerns for our trustees’ well-being and our operational effectiveness.
“These ongoing disruptions have unfortunately affected LJTC’s ability to conduct business efficiently,” continued the official statement.
“We have experienced delays in presentations to our community, and have had to modify meeting formats to accommodate these challenges… Any and all harassment and bullying will not be tolerated by LJTC. Moving forward, LJTC remains committed to serving the La Jolla community with integrity and professionalism.”
“Let us just continue,” said Soriano after the reading of the new group’s official statement. “We’re just serving the community. That’s all that we’re trying to do.”
Several people from the audience, including a couple of LJTC board members who have resigned, spoke out against the current town council, alleging some of its actions have been done unilaterally and without the proper consent or authorization of the general membership.
“The decisions that have been made here are wild,” said LJTC trustee Cody Petterson, who has been dismissed from the LJTC board. “It’s honestly such gaslighting. I’m shocked. All I’ve ever asked for is that we have a public discussion. This is not an honest or transparent process. You’re going to have empty meetings because people are just not going to feel connected to this at all.”
From the audience, Catharine Douglass also expressed shock at the ongoing proceedings, pointing out her surprise that “pillars of the community” have been called out by name publicly during LJTC board infighting.
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One audience member pointedly asked the current council, “How can you appoint new trustees, when there wasn’t a quorum to do it?”
Another person suggested this council controversy is destined to “ultimately end in legal proceedings.”
La Jolla Town Council
Established in 1950, La Jolla Town Council is a long-standing community association serving the residents and businesses of La Jolla. It was initially begun to amplify La Jolla’s voice to the San Diego City Council.
Renowned scientist Roger Revelle, who was instrumental in founding UC San Diego, played a key role in the council’s formation and early development. The council subsequently evolved from the unification of 37 different civic groups in the community including its then chamber of commerce, merchant association, and conservation society.
LJTC acts as a liaison with the city on land use, beautification, crime and other pertinent community issues. It also serves as a forum for community discussion and debate. LJTC continues to be an active force in La Jolla, holding regular meetings, participating in community events, and working with city officials.
The group is supported by volunteer members whose work is accomplished through numerous committees.
