Dear Editor,
Unwrapping the facts…sit tight a while longer, Paso Robles. As your Mayor, along with my colleagues on the Paso Robles City Council, regarding Mr. Ty Lewis’s claim against the city, we are limited in what we can say at this time. I can tell you that:
“The city received the claim from Mr. Lewis, submitted it to our insurance, and, based upon advice from the insurer, has rejected it. Mr. Lewis is currently out on a job protected leave and our assistant city manager Mr. Huot, is serving in the position of interim city manager until these issues are resolved.”
I can tell you, it has been very frustrating for the community, the city staff, and the council to read and hear the public accusations that are not all factual. However, without all the facts of this case being known, it is wise for elected officials not to make any specific comments at this point in time. For City officials to comment on these issues publicly may create liability for the city, which does not serve anyone.
Because the claim by Mr. Lewis is a personnel matter, our city initiated an investigation into the allegations. The final report of the findings will be presented to the city council in closed session upon completion by the investigator, hopefully very soon. It is my intent to bring as much of the investigation forward to the public in a legally transparent manner.
It is my position that it is essential for our elected officials to uphold integrity and serve as role models for Paso Robles. In particular, this includes following chapter 2 (Code of Ethics) of our Council Policies and Procedures which has been used by our City Councils since before I was elected back in 2005.
When Councilmembers prioritize ego, personal gain, or favor for a particular group over the public good, it undermines the trust our Roblans want to give its leaders. I will always advocate for government transparency, especially with unfortunate matters like this, and will also demand unquestionable ethical behavior from my colleagues.
As your Mayor, I take responsibility for not demanding this level of commitment sooner from my colleagues after assuming this position last year. Something more should have been done previous to my public statement made at the August 6th Council meeting (+2:53 into the meeting), where I made a personal apology to Commander Lehr and our Police Department in general for berating comments made to him by one of our Councilmembers at the July 16meeting. This was not the first time demeaning comments had been made from the dais toward our city staff and legal counsel.
I read Mr. Clive Pinder’s very credible Opinion piece [online]. Thank you, Mr. Pinder, for plugging in the cord of this very important spotlight. Our Roblans also need to know the facts about a conspiracy and the people behind it, which lies beyond the walls of City Hall. Their intent is to remove Mr. Lewis from his city manager position by any means possible, including nefarious.
Personally, I never watched soap operas and drama should be left to the stage, trouble is, this council is on that stage right now.
It is my hope that our City Council chooses to work towards a future where we ALL reflect the highest standards of public service and trust.
John Hamon, Paso Robles Mayor
