SLO City Council holds retreat to discuss tensions between members

The San Luis Obispo City Council met Thursday for a daylong retreat to discuss ongoing tensions — mainly between Councilman John Ashbaugh, who serves as vice mayor, and other council members.

Some council members said they felt Ashbaugh has dominated too much of the conversation at some points during public meetings, and in response, Mayor Jan Marx has cut him off or limited the number of questions asked.

There are also occasions, Ashbaugh said, when yelling has happened in closed-session meetings.

“That kind of behavior is unacceptable. It does cross the line,” he said.

And it’s happened in open session, too, Councilwoman Carlyn Christianson added.

“This is embarrassing. I’m mortified,” Marx said of those times. “We have wonderful people in the audience who have taken their time. ... To me, it’s immature, it’s unacceptable and it’s really embarrassing.”

In the past, simmering tensions between Ashbaugh and Councilman Dan Carpenter have burst into the public arena, including last October when Ashbaugh accused Carpenter of being unprepared and not asking any questions of legal staff during a prior closed-session meeting.

“This is my 11th year on the council, and I have always had a good experience chairing meetings, except with this council,” Marx said. “I feel I deserve more respect than I’m getting.”

In previous interviews, other council members told facilitator Trudy Sopp, who founded the La Jolla-based Centre for Organization Effectiveness, that they want Marx to be stronger on the dais.

Sopp said one council member told her there’s a feeling that other council members are speaking over Marx.

“I ask a lot of questions, I know, because I have a lot of concerns, and to me that’s part of the process,” Ashbaugh said during the discussion. “And when it comes to making the decision, making comments, there’s a time for that, but I don’t shy away from providing background and context.”

The council’s retreat at the Holiday Inn Express was an effort to air ongoing issues and brainstorm ways to work together in a more effective, professional and collegial manner.

There was a general consensus that the council understands its role — a policy-setting body that lets city staff carry out its ideas — but that it’s the tone of the dialogue that needs work. Several council members said they worried the contentious dynamic of the council might dampen public participation.

“The public also shuts down when we behave a certain way or when we're dismissive of viewpoints that are probably held by audience members,” Councilman Dan Rivoire said. “We want the best positive decision-making to occur, and I think we all share that.”

During the retreat, the council was tasked to clarify expectations for the mayor and how she chairs the meeting, and expectations for council member conduct.

To ensure those expectations are met, the council came up with some ideas: limiting questions on an item to two until each council member has had a turn; using official titles and not first names; and saying “point of order” if a member is getting off-topic.

Ashbaugh suggested that Marx tell him he’s “out of order” when he needs to stop talking.

“I know this is not the perception, but when I am called to order without the use of those words, I do stop,” Ashbaugh said. “Sometimes I ask to continue. Usually I'm denied the opportunity.”

But Carpenter said he views the situation differently: “I beg to differ. I have listened to Jan do that, and you continue to be argumentative with her. I see the dynamic all coming from Jan doing the best job she can to try to control this.”

That prompted Ashbaugh to smack his hand on the table and counter: “Yes, I am argumentative, and I’m trying to get a better handle on that, and I think those three words would help.”

He later added: “I do think it’s important for all of us to feel our participation is respected, and I have not felt like that for several months.”

This story was originally published May 21, 2015 at 11:09 AM with the headline "SLO City Council holds retreat to discuss tensions between members."