Shared Correspondence from the Community: We value the diverse perspectives of our readers and aim to encourage meaningful conversations. Occasionally, we may share excerpts from correspondence received from our followers or gathered from social media to promote civil discussions. While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise.
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Dear Clayton Community,
During the recent city council meeting on December 17th, there was a notable |
| “Ain’t that the truth” |
incident involving council member Holly Tillman, who expressed her concerns in a rather aggressive manner. She alleged that Clayton Watch, a political action committee, was improperly using her personal email address to reach out to her and threatened them by saying this was illegal.
This assertion is far from accurate. Allow me to clarify. On December 13th, Clayton Watch received an email from Tamara Steiner of the Clayton Pioneer, in which she acknowledged that Peggy Spears, one of her writers, had made a significant error by misquoting the vote count from our previous city council election.
In the same email she asked the Clayton Watch Team to create and post a comment on the Clayton Watch website on her behalf, which was rejected by the Clayton Watch Team.
In this communication, Tamara included Holly Tillman (using Holly's personal email), Rich Enea, and Clayton Watch in the Cc field. When the Clayton Watch Team replied to Tamara’s email, they utilized the “Reply All” function, which clearly included the Cc information from Tamara’s original message. See image above.
Apparently, Tamara has been communicating with Councilmember Tillman via her personal email instead of Holly's city email address. Makes you wonder why? Is Tamara trying to hide her correspondence with Tillman from the public and the council? Besides, if Holly has any grievances about her personal email address being exposed, they should be directed towards her mouth piece, Tamara Steiner, at the Clayton Pioneer, not Clayton Watch.
Additionally, after reflecting on Holly’s claims and discussing them with other community members, a pertinent question arises: why is Tamara Steiner and the Clayton Pioneer communicating with council member Holly Tillman through her personal email? It may be worthwhile to investigate their (Tamara’s and Holly’s) previous communications to understand the context better.
Perhaps it is time for someone to submit a public records request to uncover the possible origins of past leaks from city hall that have appeared in the Clayton Pioneer that have cause much of the division in our small little town. The call for a Grand Jury investigation should be directed towards them (Tamara Steiner and Holly Tillman) since their the ones that seem to be undermining city staff and the community. https://claytonca.gov/fc/city-clerk/public-records-requests/public-records-request-form.pdf.
Honesty would be a welcome change. To read the complete article, click on the following link: https://www.claytonwatch.org/2024/12/clayton-watch-responds-to-tamara.html
Thanks for reading,
Gary Hood
Concerned Citizen
City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net
While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise.
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By Jeff Wan, Clayton City Councilmember
Last night the Council met to discuss and take action on several significant items.
With the new Council being seated last meeting, these actions were primarily administrative in nature and intended to increase the overall efficiency of our meetings, reduce the administrative burden on staff, and add clarity for the public. The overall theme of our actions was to look at items that aren't designed for discussion and move those items to a written format.
By having things in writing, rather than just verbally stated, it provides a clear report of actions taken and thoughts expressed. This also makes it more accessible to the public - rather than having to watch extensive video to obtain information, more will be in writing which can be easier to consume.
The first action we took was to cease the taking of remote public comments. Over the past several years, the practice of taking remote public comments has ebbed and flowed at various municipalities. In some instances, this ability has been used to berate, curse at, or attempt to derail Council meetings. In other instances, technical or user challenges has come into play and impacted the meetings as well.
We will continue to live stream our meetings, and people will be able to make comment in person at the meetings themselves. In addition, as our agendas are posted in advance, anyone is able to submit public comment in writing prior to each meeting. These submissions are sent to each Councilmember and included in the public record. By ceasing the taking of remote public comments, our meetings will be more efficient overall for both the Council and the staff.
There is often confusion as to the purpose of our meetings and the place of public comments. Council meetings are designed so that Council can discuss among ourselves and conduct the business of the City. It is not, and cannot be a dialogue between Councilmembers and members of the public. Our meetings are open to the public and recorded so that the business of the City is conducted transparently, not to hold a dialogue between the full Council and members of the audience. We are restricted in our ability to respond to public comment in general, so much of the time when a comment is made, there may be an expectation that Councilmembers respond, however this often leads to disappointment or confusion.
This is one of the main reasons I try to inform the public of what is going to be discussed prior to any meeting - to provide residents with an opportunity for such a dialogue, or to share their thoughts. I have been writing a pre-meeting introduction and post-meeting summary for each meeting since first being elected in 2018.
We also updated our Council guidelines. These guidelines document how the Council operates and it gets refreshed from time to time. The updates were non-substantive and were administrative in nature. We clarified the order of the meetings, and consistent with the overall theme shifted items that aren't up for discussion to being in writing. This will result in more efficient meetings as well as provide additional clarity to the public.
We also discussed and approved City Council committee assignments for the year. A list of these assignments can be found in the minutes.
There is quite a bit of work that needs to be done - from addressing staffing vacancies, to tightening up our budget analysis, and all the regular activities of the City. It is my goal to do the people's business in the most efficient and effective manner and reduce the administrative burden on staff where possible. The actions we took at this meeting will further that goal.
Shared Correspondence from the Community: We value the diverse perspectives of our readers and aim to encourage meaningful conversations. Occasionally, we may share excerpts from correspondence received from our followers or gathered from social media to promote civil discussions. While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise.
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Clayton Community,
Councilmember Tillman totally lost it when Councilmember Jeff Wan got nominated for vice mayor instead of her at the council's annual reorganization meeting on December 17th. She threw a fit and had the audacity to nominate herself. Then, she went on this ridiculous 6-minute rant about how it would be so unfair and divisive if she wasn’t picked for vice mayor, all while she was actually making things worse by attacking, threatening, and making false accusations about residents in the audience. This type of reckless behavior could expose the city to potential litigation.
It seems Holly thought it was a brilliant move to show off her "leadership skills" on camera by trying to shut down anyone who disagrees with her or her so-called progressive agenda. What a joke!
She clearly doesn’t understand that the city council picks the mayor and vice mayor through a majority vote, not just because of #JustHolly. Choosing the mayor and vice mayor is just like any other council decision. You need at least three votes to approve or deny any action, not some dictatorship—#JustHolly. After four years on the council, Holly should have figured this out by now.
Plus, Clayton has never had a council member self-nominate for mayor or vice mayor. You’d think it would be embarrassing for Holly to even try that, but she seems completely blinded by her desperate need for power and the ridiculous belief that she deserves the position. The #JustHolly campaign has clearly taken over any sense of rationality. It’s pretty pathetic.
Every December, the city council, by majority vote, chooses their leadership team for mayor and vice mayor. They pick colleagues who have actually earned their respect, who are team players, and who have shown they can lead the city for the next year. Respect isn’t something you can just demand, it’s earned.
Even if the mayor and vice mayor's roles are mostly ceremonial, there are still some crucial responsibilities and qualities tied to the job.
- The mayor, or the vice mayor if the mayor's not around, runs the city council meetings, sets agendas, and facilitates discussions among council members in an effort to reach consensus on important issues. You should really check out videos #5 and #6 on this site to find out why Holly didn’t get the vice mayor nod. https://www.claytonwatch.org/p/holly-tillman-in-action-her-words-not.html
- The mayor, or the vice mayor when the mayor's busy, prioritizes new policies and important community issues that will be placed on the council agenda for action. Seriously, watch video #2 on this site to see why Holly was passed over for vice mayor. https://www.claytonwatch.org/p/holly-tillman-in-action-her-words-not.html
- The mayor, or the vice mayor if the mayor's not there, has to keep the council meetings on track so they can wrap up each agenda item. Don’t forget to check out video #5 on this site to see why Holly wasn’t nominated for vice mayor. https://www.claytonwatch.org/p/holly-tillman-in-action-her-words-not.html
- The mayor, or the vice mayor in the mayor's absence, handles the preparation and approval of the city's yearly budget. You should watch video #8 on this site to understand why Holly didn’t get the vice mayor position. https://www.claytonwatch.org/p/holly-tillman-in-action-her-words-not.html
- The mayor, or the vice mayor when the mayor's not available, is basically the city's cheerleader at the Mayor's Conference, community events, and other regional gatherings. You really need to see video #1 on this site to get why Holly was not nominated for vice mayor. https://www.claytonwatch.org/p/holly-tillman-in-action-her-words-not.html
In short, just watch all 8 videos on this site to figure out why the council didn’t pick Councilmember Tillman for vice mayor. Honestly, the council made the right call, "Did The Right Thing", by nominating and approving Kim Trupiano for Mayor (5/0 vote) and Jeff Wan for Vice Mayor (4/1 vote). I’m looking forward to another fantastic year with our city's new leadership team.
Bill Walcutt
Past Mayor and Council Member
Tamara,
Thank you for your recent correspondence concerning the inaccuracies you published in the Clayton Pioneer regarding the City Council election. We acknowledge your retraction; however, we find your response somewhat delayed and unclear.
We did see your retraction on your online edition, and we would respectfully request you also place your retraction on the front page of your next paper edition. Posting your retraction only in the online edition and on Facebook seems a bit dubious in how it was explained.
Regarding your request, we will not be posting a retraction for you in the Clayton Watch comment section. Should you wish to address the inaccuracies in your latest article, we encourage you to submit your comment directly on the Clayton Watch website. That’s your responsibility, not ours. Your submission will be reviewed before publication.
You mentioned that the error in vote counting was your oversight and not that of Peggy Spears. Does this imply that Peggy Spears did not author the editorial featured on the front page of your publication and that you are writing on her behalf? Are all editorials attributed to Peggy Spears in the Clayton Pioneer written by you? No matter what the answer, you failed to proofread the story for accuracy before it was published. This seems to be an ongoing excuse from what we have been told, and it raises serious ethical concerns.
With all due respect, your publication needs to enhance its standards and refrain from disseminating divisive and biased misinformation. Your publication is consistently contributing to the division within the community, and the bias is increasingly evident.
For instance, the letter to the editor on the front page of the Clayton Pioneer dated October 25, titled “Local Officials Endorse Holly Tillman for Clayton City Council,” not only raises ethical questions—but also contravenes your policy of a 175-word maximum for letters to the editor. Moreover, the other three candidates for the Clayton City Council were not afforded equal opportunity for front-page exposure in your online publication, which lacked any word count limit.
Furthermore, Peggy Spears (or her ghostwriter) has a track record of publishing negative articles about council members Wan, Trupiano, and Diaz. For example, she asserts in her article that previous votes of the city council were predominantly 3-2, a claim we have confirmed to be factually inaccurate through our analysis of the voting records from recent years.
Earlier this year, your article calling for grand jury investigations and claiming that Clayton is in decline has inadvertently harmed the very businesses that support your publication. We know of real estate deals that fell through due to the fallout from that article. You know as well as we do, there is zero evidence that any of your comments are remotely true.
A clear instance of misinformation from the Clayton Pioneer occurred when you disseminated incorrect and deceptive details regarding the city's budget deficit, asserting it would amount to $629,000, contrary to the $109,000 stated in the City Staff Report. You collaborated with the former city manager and three council members—Peter Cloven, Holly Tillman, and C.W. Wolfe—who were attempting to garner support for a new $400 per year parcel tax, while promoting inaccurate figures.
It would be more beneficial for you to focus on factual reporting rather than attempting to skew the news in favor of certain political figures. In our view, prioritizing objective news coverage over creating narratives would serve the community much better.
On September 9th, you shared your thoughts on Nextdoor regarding your code of ethics, emphasizing the importance of accuracy and fairness. However, it seems you frequently target those in political office whom you oppose. It shouldn't be necessary for us to highlight this bias to the Clayton community, yet for many years, it has been evident, particularly around election season.
In summary, the rift within our community primarily centers on power dynamics; however, the city is currently working towards achieving effective governance that is independent of external pressures. This may be difficult for you to accept, but it is the current reality. It’s time for you to adapt and report accurately.
Just so you know, Clayton Watch is here to stay, and we are actively seeking additional ways to keep the Clayton community informed and will do so regularly as needed.
Wishing you a wonderful week,
The Clayton Watch Team
P.S. For transparency, your email and this response will be published on Clayton Watch and other social media platforms.
City Council Correspondence: The excerpts below have been sourced from the website of council member Jeff Wan to share with the Clayton Watch Community. You can access council member Wan's website by following this link: https://www.jeffwanforclaytoncitycouncil.net
While we may not always agree with the opinions shared, we believe in facilitating a platform for respectful debates. Thank you for contributing to the ongoing conversation in the comments section. Remember to keep your comments respectful and concise.
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By Jeff Wan, Clayton City Councilmember
Last night the Council met to discuss several significant items:
Before we took any action, the Mayor on behalf of the City and Council, presented Kent Ipsen with a proclamation honoring the 50th anniversary of the opening of Skipolini's. A fixture in downtown Clayton has expanded its footprint over the years and with that expansion has seen great success. Mr. Ipsen shared the story of how his father, Skip Ipsen decided to open a pizza restaurant and it was really moving. I encourage everyone to watch his comments at the 11:18 mark of the recorded video at the city website.
Mr. Ipsen has done so much for the Clayton community - as a more private person he is often not out front and may not even be recognized by everyone while walking downtown. But the City of Clayton recognized Kent Ipsen, and will continue to do so as his support of the community, his charitable activities, and his love of this town cannot be missed.
It was also fitting that Ed Moresi was in attendance to support Mr. Ipsen. Ed was honored earlier this year in recognition of Ed's 30th anniversary as well. In his comments, Mr. Ipsen recognized Mr. Moresi as Ed was his manager at Skipolini's when Kent worked at the family restaurant as a young man. Mr. Ipsen gives a lot of credit to Ed for his guidance and support.
- We appointed Donald Mort, a retired CalPERS annuitant as our Interim Chief of Police while the City conducts a recruitment effort for the next full time Chief. Chief Mort is an experienced law enforcement executive and retired Chief of Police, with extensive experience in leadership roles in the City of Concord, as well as other jurisdictions within California.
- We discussed extending the professional services agreement with 4LEAF to provide code enforcement services. The proposal was not to exceed $100K for one year, providing service up to 2 days per week at a rate of $108/hour. During discussion, Council gave feedback that this rate seemed excessive, and that it would be more valuable to include discussion of this role with the overall org design discussion that we will have next year. Historically Clayton has taken the approach for code enforcement to be complaint driven. This allowed those who fulfilled the code enforcement role to take on other duties. Council expressed interest in looking at ways that we could fill this role while simultaneously filling other roles in the City. This is consistent with the discussion we had during our 11.19.24 meeting - when looking at staff positions, roles, and compensation, it makes more sense to discuss it holistically rather than make decisions on a piecemeal basis.
- The swearing in ceremony for new and re-elected Councilmembers was performed and the City welcomed Rich G. Enea to the Council, and welcomed back Councilmembers Diaz and Tillman. Upon the seating of the new Council, for the next year, Councilmember Trupiano was appointed Mayor and I was appointed Vice Mayor. I look forward to working with Mayor Trupiano, and the rest of Council and staff in supporting the actions Mayor Trupiano will be spearheading.
