Staff Responds to Being “Abruptly Interrupted” by Brentwood Councilwoman

A written public comment was issued by city staff to the Brentwood City Council this week following an exchange during the Sept. 10 city council meeting.

At the Sept. 10 meeting, Jaylene Walker, President of the  Brentwood Employees Association Miscellaneous, spoke about how they met with the city negotiating team and have been met with no further responses to their proposals. She also said on March 6, they provided 20 proposals and had no response and are operating in good faith by re-submitting them in good faith.

Nearly a minute into the public comment, Councilwoman Jovita Mendoza interrupted Walker stating she was going to get City Manager Tim Ogden because he needed to hear what Walker had to say. Mendoza proceeded to get up and leave the dais.

Walker finished her comment at the Sept, 10 meeting.

However, for Tuesday’s meeting, a public comment was submitted in response to Walker being cut off Mendoza citing her comment was directed at the council, not the city manager and how the city manager is not required to be in attendance for public comments.

The following response was submitted to the Sept. 24 meeting under general public:

9/24/24

Good evening Mayor and Council,

For the past few meetings you have all heard from employees who are also residents talk about the unfortunate issues we are facing with the negotiation process.

At the meeting on 9/10 during public comment prior to closed session a Council Member abruptly interrupted me while I was speaking and stormed off to force the City Manager to come out of the closed session room to hear what staff was saying. My understanding is the City Manager is not required to be at the dais during public comment before closed session.

I want to express my disgust with the behavior displayed towards an employee, the City Manager at that, and point out that no one was talking to or about the City Manager.

Our messages about negotiations and are directed to you all and the decisions you all get to make which effects all of us. You all get to tell the City how much of a cost of living adjustment we deserve and how much more we deserve to have in benefits based off of our asks.

Maybe the negotiating team needs to be more transparent with you all and what our asks are. Maybe you should review the MOUs for the groups and see what is already being received vs what is being asked for to help understand why we are asking for things.

I offered to be available to answer any questions you have about our asks and still am. I’ve said it before, you all will end your terms and move on and will not be affected by the decisions you are making, we will. The decisions that affect workforce morale on top of the mental and physical demands put on us by all the other stuff going on which has been expressed by staff to you all as well.

It seems you all are missing the points we are trying to make. We have always had a voice and all knew that as citizens and employees we were able to speak up off duty during public meetings, this is not new nor is it because one of you gave us a voice. We just never had to use our voices because we had a council who heard and saw us and wanted to value employees instead of berate and not trust them, a council who did what was best for the entire health and well‐being of employees and the community members we serve and not just their special interests.

Your disapproval of staff has been made very clear over the years watching how you treat staff from your seats and when things don’t go your way for special events and staff end up in tears.

All of this combined will eventually have a negative effect on the service our citizens receive. Not keeping up with comparable benefits and pay will force staff to move to other agencies or private sector jobs and the lowering of the quality of people hired by the potential new processes possibly being implemented, will be your legacy and when people ask what happened to Brentwood and why it is not the City it once was, what answer do you think we all will be giving?

We are tired of coming to meetings and asking and saying the things over and over again. Do you truly hear us as you say you do? Actions speak louder than words.

It’s not how you act in public that gives you your credibly, it’s what you do that is unseen and truly for the greater good no matter who is watching.

Thank you.

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Aug 31 – Video: Employees at City of Brentwood Continue to Speak Out