Stockton’s City Council has adopted a revised policy that streamlines the process for removing volunteer members from the city’s boards, commissions and committees, eliminating procedural hurdles and rejecting a formal appeals process.
The changes, now included in the council’s policy manual, passed by a 7-0 vote on Aug. 26 with no discussion beyond a brief exchange initiated by Vice Mayor Jason Lee, who expressed concern about council decorum and protections for commissioners and councilmembers. The policy was initially placed on the consent calendar, which typically consists of multiple items passed with a single vote and no discussion, but the issue was pulled out by Lee for a separate discussion.
“I want to know if we are setting a standard,” Lee said, asking “what will be that and how are we going to enforce it?”…