Mayor: "Despite the Raids and Lawsuit, Beaumont's Future is Bright"

Beaumont Resident Mary Daniel addresses the city council on April 23, 2015. Photo by Renee Schiavone.

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Beaumont residents turned out to city hall Thursday afternoon to confront local leaders on some high-profile issues plaguing the normally quiet town.

“I’m here to say that it is my hope that from this point forward, that this city council realizes that things have got to be different at city hall,” said Beaumont Resident Mary Daniel.

She was one of three to speak in the public commenting period prior to the closed session meeting, called for a day after the FBI and Riverside County District Attorney’s Office served search warrants related to the city and its consulting firm Urban Logic.

“The decisions made from this point onward have to be made from a different viewpoint,” Daniel said. “Not from what’s best for certain people or companies, but from what is best for the citizens new and old.”

All three women to speak echoed a similar sentiment: We told you so.

Beaumont resident Nancy Hall was one of those to make that point, referencing the dozen or so years that she and other members of the watchdog group Beaumont Citizens for Responsible Growth spent confronting council with concerns about the direction the city was headed.

“We were trying to make a difference, we were trying to be concerned citizens,” Hall said. “As we asked questions, we were harassed. We came to council about Urban Logic, about the problems that were occurring. How they were making suggestions to council. That we investigated those contracts. We called attorneys. We called mayors at other cities. And you, council, just endorsed them. You ignored our concerns.”

Those in attendance were anxious to hear what council members— who have remained quiet until now— had to say about recent city developments.

Mayor Brenda Knight kicked off the 4 p.m. special meeting by reading a prepared statement. No other councilmembers spoke, and the longest serving member, Jeff Fox, was absent from proceedings.

“Despite the raids and lawsuit, Beaumont’s future is bright,” Knight said in her opening statement, referencing both Wednesday’s searches and a recent $43 million judgment against the city.

“I am confident Beaumont will continue to shine into the future despite the negative light that’s being cast upon us today,” she continued. “Unfortunately investigators are keeping quiet about the focus of their inquiries, so there’s not much I can share.”

Knight indicated that she and the council are fully cooperating with officials, and she’ll be open with the public as new information comes to light.

“Members of the media and others are asking hard questions about how the city does business,” she said. “I trust the district attorney’s office will provide a full report to the public once its investigation is complete, and I intend to share whatever information I can as I obtain it.”

Thursday’s public meeting only lasted about 15 minutes before the council members headed into closed session to discuss two main items: the appointment of an interim city attorney who will replace Dave Wysocki, who resigned on April 7, and discussion of anticipated litigation.

Watch the mayor’s full statement above, and let us know what YOU think in the comments section below.

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