Various sources are reporting to Action Alameda News some of the many unsubstantiated rumors about City of Alameda Interim City Manager, Ann Marie Gallant, being spread by by Measure B supporters. We checked those rumors out.
The unsubstantiated rumors, being spread largely by word-of-mouth among proponents of SunCal’s Alameda Point Redevelopment Initiative, which will appear on the February 2, 2010 ballot as “Measure B,” range from accusing Ms. Gallant of being in cahoots with certain Alameda City council members to overturn the 1973 Measure A City of Alameda charter amendment, to Gallant wanting to spurn SunCal’s current proposal for Alameda Point because “she doesn’t think it’s big enough.” We’ve been unable to find any evidence of this to date, only people willing to inform us that the rumors are being spread.
There’s no question that Action Alameda News – and indeed, Alameda residents – have witnessed different, encouraging, behavior in the City Manager’s office since Debra Kurita left the office earlier this year and was replaced by Ms. Gallant. No doubt it’s a change that SunCal and their local agents find unfavorable to their cause.The City of Alameda and SunCal are engaged in an exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) over proposed development at Alameda Point until the middle of next year.
Contacted by e-mail, Ms. Gallant declined comment on any issue presently under negotiation. She further stated that “NO member of the City Council has expressed” to her, in any fashion, any comments on Measure A during her tenure as Interim Manager for the city. As related to the rumors of late, Ms. Gallant stated that “if these comments are attributed to SunCal representatives or agents, they should be considered in that context”.
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Ah, takes me back to the days when the Council had to fire City Manager Bruce Rupp because his father-in-law worked for Harbor Bay and Bruce wouldn’t make Harbor Bay Deliver on the second school, fire station and parks that we now have. Not until he was gone was the Council able to force Harbor Bay to live up to its promises.
SUNCAL was able to get an Exclusive two year “negotiating” agreement from Kurita. Now that she is gone, (Thank goodness!)Manager Gallant is doing exactly what she is supposed to be doing: looking out for the welfare of the City she manages. The Council, under her direction, did not push the election off into June or July or whenever as SUNCAL and Councilmembers GILMORE and TAM wanted to do. This would have given SUNCAL time it wanted to “educate” the citizens its way. I say let her do her job and see how she does. SUNCAL’s rumor mill is not going to bring Gallant down to the level of SUNCAL’s money grubbing failures, incompetence and arrogance. And she has the class not to be drawn into their mud slinging. I hope that is all SUNCAL has left in its empty headed arsenal of dirty tricks. But as with the dishonesty of the signature gatheres it hired, I expect SUNCAL will reach even newer lows as the campaign progresses. Remember we can vote starting Jan. 2.2010. So have a Happy Holiday to all, and put SUNCAL on its sleigh back to whatever sinkhole it wants to develope next.
The funny thing about rumors is sometimes they have a bit of truth to them. Ann Marie seems to be a nice person. But the rumor mill can make a person wonder.
Here’s a story about AMG. Tried to do the morally right thing in Carson City, and got fired for it:
http://www.casp.net/cases/Gallant%20v.%20City%20of%20Carson.html
And in any event, Lucy, let’s be clear about what these “rumors” are really about – a targeted attack on Gallant to try to impugn her character. SunCal doesn’t like it one bit that Gallant is doing what she is supposed to be doing in her role – protecting the City and taxpayers – by publishing the facts and truths about Measure B. So SunCal set their local flunkies on a revenge mission, to try to get her fired. That’s all these rumors are about.