Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/tom-tait/)
Anaheim City Councilwoman Kris Murray publicly criticized Mayor Tom Tait at a city council meeting Tuesday over a phone call he had with Orange County Fire Authority Chief Jeff Bowman exploring the possibility of outsourcing the city’s fire department.
Anaheim City Council members failed to endorse an existing anti-camping ordinance aimed at people living on the streets, tabling a request by Councilwoman Kris Murray to “reaffirm” the city’s existing approach to addressing homelessness.
“The length of our council meetings are exceeding any acceptable level…and are frankly becoming abusive to the public and to the staff,” said Councilwoman Kris Murray, who requested the council discuss the changes and take action at their May 23 meeting.
“Grow up, everybody,” Mayor Tom Tait ordered. “Sit down if you want to stay here, sit down. And everybody, shut up except for the speaker.”
After firing their last interim city attorney just weeks after he was hired, the city council will start over in their search for a permanent city attorney.
Changes approved by a split city council Tuesday are compromises that city staff say will lead to a settlement of a lawsuit, but they also could extend the time some rental owners were given to phase out their businesses.
Anaheim will scrap an existing fireworks program that Mayor Tom Tait says disproportionately benefits Anaheim Hills residents for a more limited program where only 16 nonprofits will participate each year.
The City Council voted 4-2, with Mayor Tom Tait absent, to rescind a rule that allows a majority of council members to deny a colleague’s request to place items on the agenda.
Mayor Tom Tait and Chief Raul Quezada said they were “disturbed” by video footage of an altercation between an off duty cop and a group of teens, and pledged to do a “fair” and “impartial” investigation into the incident.
Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait and a city board responsible for hearing public grievances will address the controversy created by a confrontation between an off-duty Los Angeles police officer, who apparently fired his gun, and a group of teens that led to a demonstration by more than 200 people and the arrest of 23.