An attempt to add controversial website founder Motecuzoma Sanchez to another city commission during Tuesday’s city council meeting ended abruptly when a motion to confirm his appointment failed to be seconded.
The motion by District 1 councilmember Michele Padilla to add Sanchez to the city’s planning commission was pulled off the consent agenda by District 3 councilman Michael Blower. Sanchez currently sits on the Charter Review Advisory Commission which recommends to the council salaries and benefits it believes council members and the Mayor should receive. He was also nominated for that commission by Padilla.
Sanchez has previously served on the City’s Water Advisory Group and the Strong Communities Advisory Committee.
Blower, who was elected in 2022, said he didn’t believe Sanchez should be added to the planning committee due to some of the controversial content on his 209 Times website. But he also filed a motion to address Sanchez’s status on the commissions at the Council’s next meeting on April 2.
Saying the planning commission is a “very, very important commission,” Blower said Sanchez should not be confirmed.
“I feel an individual who runs an organization who has routinely attacked the city manager, who has routinely attacked city staff, who has routinely attacked council members, I don’t think is an appropriate person to be on the planning commission,” Blower said.
He also said that he found a section of the council policies which allows a majority of members to remove someone from a commission for any reason including “conduct unbecoming a public official, violating the city’s conflict of interest ordinance, or failing to comply with statutory requirements.”
“I believe this individual has violated some of those,” said Blower.
Sanchez was in attendance at the meeting and spoke during public comments to address Blower’s statement. Sanchez said Blower was retaliating against him because of Blowers’ “political alliances.”
After discussion, Padilla made the motion to vote on Sanchez’s candidacy for the planning commission, but failed to get a second from any of the attending councilmembers or Mayor Kevin Lincoln. District 3 Councilmember Susan Lenz was absent.
Later in the meeting, Blower made his motion to add a vote on whether Sanchez should be removed from the other commissions, and it was seconded by Brando Villapudua of District 5.
In other actions, the city council approved the motion to accept Regionally Coordinated Homelessness Action Plan for Round 5 of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Grant (HHAP 5) grant program. The action authorizes City Manager Harry Black to execute a memorandum of understanding with San Joaquin County and San Joaquin Continuum of Care.
Warmsley made the motion to approve, and Dan Wright seconded. It was approved unanimously.
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