Resident, former board chair urge reconsideration of removal from Public Infrastructure Advisory Board

A special discussion item (D31) concerning the removal of Juan Martinez from the Public Infrastructure Advisory Board prompted public comment from resident and former PIB chair Mike Jacobich. Jacobich told the governing body he believed Martinez was being removed because he had asked questions that the mayor or councilors did not like and said several meetings had been canceled to prevent Martinez's attendance.

"The removal of any volunteer from advisory board just because he asked questions and a mayor doesn't agree with his perspectives is despicable," Jacobich said, and he asked that Martinez be allowed to serve the remainder of his term. Jacobich recounted his own experience serving on the PIB and said he felt he had been blackballed from appointments after disagreeing with elected officials.

Mayor Weimer and the governing body moved through the agenda after the public comment; no formal vote on the PIB removal was recorded in public comment at that time beyond consideration on the docket. Jacobich said he would post further details online for residents to review.