HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 95-61RESOLUTION NO. 95-61
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF DIAMOND BAR CENSURING COUNCILMEMBER CLAIR
HARMONY FOR ACTIVITIES UNBECOMING OF A CITY
COUNCILMEMBER
The City Council of the City of Diamond Bar does hereby resolve and order as follows:
1. Councilmember Clair Harmony mailed a letter prepared on City
letterhead and dated November 23, 1995 addressed to each campaign contributor to
the Diamond Bar -Caucus in connection with the November 7, 1995 municipal election.
Each such letter included as an enclosure the entire listing of campaign contributors
provided by the Diamond Bar Caucus to the Fair Political Practices Commission.
2. In the letter, Councilmember Harmony stated that his office was
conducting an investigation into the contribution of the recipient of the letter to the
Caucus and advised that the findings of the investigation would be forwarded to the Fair
Political Practices Commission and the Attorney General.
3. The letter was mailed to numerous private businesses doing business
in Diamond Bar.
4. The City became aware of the existence of the letters when numerous
recipients of the letters contacted City Hall expressing concern about this investigation
and because at least two of the letters were returned to the City as undeliverable
because it had been mailed in an official City envelope, showing the City as the source
of the letter.
1. Mr. Harmony's letter of November 23, 1995 gives the distinct
impression that an official investigation of the City is being conducted by virtue of its
tone, its appearance on official City stationery, its delivery in an official City envelope,
and its language which appears to mandate that the recipient provide the requested
information.
2. Mr. Harmony's letter suggests that three named individuals, residents
or business people of the City, are engaged in campaign improprieties.
3. Mr. Harmony's letter contains the suggestion that the recipients will be
reported to the Fair Political Practices Commission and the Attorney General merely by
virtue of having made a campaign contribution to the Caucus.
4. In fact, the City is not engaged in any investigation involving campaign
contributions, and Mr. Harmony's letter in that regard has placed the City in disrepute
and is an embarrassment to the City.
5. Mr. Harmony's letter is an abuse of his authority as a city
councilmember. His use of City stationery to acquire information for purely personal
and political reasons is a misuse of such stationery, because it appears that he is
obtaining the information under color of his official authority. He lacks authority to use
City stationery to acquire information by that means.
1. The City Council of the City of Diamond Bar does hereby censure
Councilmember Clair Harmony for conduct unbecoming of a holder of public office and
expresses its strong disapproval of Mr..Harmony's misuse of City stationery under color
of his purported authority to accomplish purely personal and political objectives.
2. The City Council of the City of Diamond Bar does hereby remove
Councilmember Clair Harmony as delegate or alternate to all committees for outside
agencies until the new City Councilmembers are seated and committee appointments
are made.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 4th day of December, 1995.
(
Mayor
ATTEST:
i
1, LYNDA BURGESS, City Clerk of the City of Diamond Bar, do
hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was passed, adopted and approved at a
special meeting of the City Council of the City of Diamond Bar held on the 4th day of
December, 1995, by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Ansari, Mayor Pro Tem Werner, Mayor
Papen
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Harmony
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
ATTEST: �u
Ci Clerk of the City of
Diamond Bar