Home Antioch Antioch: Ogorchock Blasts Mayor Wright Over Council Committee Assignments

Antioch: Ogorchock Blasts Mayor Wright Over Council Committee Assignments

by ECT

During Tuesday night’s Antioch City Council Meeting, Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock did not take kindly to newly elected Mayor Sean Wright’s recommendations on council committee assignments.

At one point, she called the appointments “lopsided” and “disrespectful”.

Wright explained Tuesday evening the appointments came after sitting down with each of the councilmembers and discussing the things they were doing. He also stated he sat in deliberations with former mayors as much as he could to get feedback.

“I asked and got as much feedback as I could in this endeavor to make sure our council is able to sit on committees and represent us well throughout the region,” said Wright. “These are the appointments that I have come to.”

The council had to make 5-separate votes to approve each councilpersons committee assignments.

Councilman Tony Tiscareno asked if it was an error on the Tri Delta Transit appointment as Wright had listed both Mary Rocha and Monica Wilson on the committee.

Wright replied it was not an error.

“It is appropriate and possible as I have talked to the city to allow Mary Rocha to finish out her term which I believe runs through June,” explained Wright. “That is a six-month term allowing her to finish out as vice chair. So I am proposing we allow that to happen at which point we will make an appointment to replace her as her term expires in June.”

City Clerk Arne Simonsen clarified that there was no requirement that the Tri Delta Transit representative be a member of the city council—citing the County Board of Supervisors and City of Brentwood do something similar.

Wright highlighted this was a request by outgoing Councilwoman Mary Rocha.

Councilwoman Ogorchock asked the Wright if anyone was told prior to the list being available if they were told they had these positions.

“I talked to each and everyone of the councilmembers and as I decided which ones, as I was talking to councilmembers I would let them know what I was leaning towards them,” explained Wright.

“What about Ms. Rocha?” asked Ogorchock.

“I did talk to Ms. Rocha,” stated Wright.

“So you did talk to her prior to the vote that she would be in that spot?” asked Ogochock.

“She had asked and said that would be something I would bring forward to council. So yes,” replied Wright.

“To me, it makes it a little bit difficult for council’s vote on it if Ms. Rocha feels that she has that position. I believe it first needs to come back,” said Ogorchock.

Ogorchock asked Wright to reconsider his appointments on TRANSPLAN and place councilman Tiscareno on that committee.

“Mr. Tiscareno has a history with the TRANSPLAN committee and he has been successful in getting escalators for BART when that was being asked and we were having a hard time through the City to get it with BART. With his connections and history he has, unless he has told you differently that he no longer wishes to do it. I would request you place him, and maybe you as the alternate,” stated Ogorchock.

Wright stated he appreciated her thoughts, but he had done a lot of research and talking to people and that he was going to deny that request.

Tiscareno stated he was fine with what the Mayor proposed for committees, including leaving him off TRANSPLAN, but explained the problem was trying to schedule the meetings—that alternates were needed.

“These are something that if you can’t attend, you assume I am going to attend. That is something you have to pre-plan. These committees are scheduled as standing schedule. What I am seeing here is you are taking over quite a bit of the responsibilities of a lot of these committees. It’s kinda leaving some of us out of the loop,” explained Tiscareno. “I understand where councilmember Ogorchock is coming from and didn’t have any predetermined conversations with her and she just mentioned this and I appreciate her support. I am having a little problem not having any responsibility. Its going to be quite embarrassing when we have council reports and I am going to say every single meeting I have nothing to report. That is what is going to be happening and I will be adamant saying I have nothing to report other than the golf course which we have once a quarter.”

Mayor Pro Tem Lamar Thorpe asked Tiscareno other than TRANSPLAN, what other committee makes sense for him that would be substantive.

“Everyone of them has standing meetings where you have to report,” says Tiscareno. “According to what I am seeing here. I am going to have maybe a report every 6-months. When we met, I had asked to maintain my transportation because of my experience with legislators and such. I understand the mayor has a right to make his appointments and be advised by others and was advised differently which is fine. That is his prerogative. Its just something that I was looking forward to so if that’s not going to happen, it’s my prerogative not to vote for it.”

Wright offered Tiscareno to be an “alternate” to him on Delta Diablo Sanitation which he declined.

In a 3-2 vote (Ogorchock & Tiscareno Dissenting) Sean Wright will serve on the following committees in 2017:

  • ABAG
  • Delta Diablo Sanitation District
  • East Contra Costa Regional Fee and Financing Agency
  • Mayors Conference
  • State Route 4 Bypass Authority
  • City/School Relations Committee
  • Budget Committee
  • Lone Tree Golf Course Committee
  • Sycamore Corridor Committee

In a 5-0 vote, Mayor Pro Tem Lamar Thorpe will serve on the following committees in 2017:

  • ABAG – Alternate
  • East County Water Management Association
  • Mayors Conference – Alternate
  • Budget Committee

In a 4-1 vote (Ogorchock dissenting), Councilman Tony Tiscareno will serve on the following committees in 2017:

  • Community Advisory Board – SF Bay Water Emergency Transit Authority (TBD)
  • Graffiti Committee (as needed)
  • CDBG Committee – alternate
  • Lone Tree Golf Course Committee

Councilwoman Ogorchock rejected the Mayor’s appointment’s for Tiscareno because she says he only has one standing committee and the others do not meet.

“This is lopsided. You have to have an alternate. You have to have somebody that is going to be there on a regular basis. You have to have that history with these companies. I just can’t understand why we are just passing these through,” stated Ogorchock. “I don’t get this. This is frustrating. I don’t know what we are doing here. You (Wright) have gotten 10 or 12 of the 19 committees and some of them you have to have as the mayor I agree, but this is going to be a lopsided council and we come back to report these committees and councilmember Tiscareno does one. I am sorry this is very disrespectful. This is how I feel right now. I don’t approve any of this. This is just not right.”

Wright offered up City/School Relations Committee or the Sycamore Corridor to anybody who would like to serve on them in his place highlighting that they were recommended to him that they be dropped because they were not meeting but instead of dropping them he would take them.

“But they don’t meet Mayor Wright,” replied Ogorchock. “I don’t know who you discussed this with and I truly don’t care, you are the mayor of the City. Its for you to do this on your own not with outside input on these positions. These positions are of value to the city and if you can’t make it and there is no alternative to go, we are not there. We are not present and we have to be present. You are taking somebody off of a committee that has the resources that knows the people.”

In the end, Tiscareno made the motion to move forward after stating he would like to be removed as an alternate to three committees.

In a 5-0 vote, Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock will serve on the following committees in 2017:

  • Community Facilities District CFD894
  • East Bay Division (League of Cities)
  • Northeast Antioch Annexation (as needed)
  • CDBG Committee

In a 5-0 vote, Councilwoman Monica Wilson will serve on the following committees in 2017:

  • Chamber of Commerce Liaison
  • Community Facilities District CFD894 – alternate
  • East Contra Costa Regional Fee and Financing – alternate
  • State Route 4 By-Pass Authority – alternate
  • TRANSPLAN – alternate
  • City/School Relations Committee
  • Sycamore Corridor Committee

At the end of the discussion, Wright asked for a councilperson who wanted to volunteer to serve as an alternate. Wilson volunteered.

“I was the alternate last time on East Contra Costa Regional Fee and Financing, SR4 Bypass, TRANSPLAN, … I was also the councilmember who served on one committee but decided to be a team player and be a part of the team and help move the city forward,” stated Wilson. “With that being said, if you need me to be the alternate, I will step up and be the alternate to those three.”

In a 5-0 vote, Wilson was approved as the alternate.

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2 comments

The Dude Dec 14, 2016 - 12:31 pm

Nero fiddles while rome burns

Julio Dec 14, 2016 - 12:55 pm

Joke is on us!

Jim Simmons Dec 14, 2016 - 1:57 pm

This is not good. Wright meeting with past mayors? Didn’t the public elect him to make decisions because we didn’t like past mayors and what they accomplished. Wright just gave the middle finger to Tiscareno.

wowowoww Dec 15, 2016 - 3:13 pm

I think Wright is going to be a greedy selfish mayor just like the ones prior .I really wish Lori would have won. She says the truth and isnt bought out by a trade or gifts .

Comments are closed.