Caravello said that she plans to rally support for a recall petition to remove current members of the City Council this spring. A statement by Riley was not allowed to be read at the meeting, though it was included in an informational packet distributed by the council. In the statement, Riley said she disagreed with the decision to remove Shoe-Corrigan, who she said works well with other commissioners and is respected by city staff. After the meeting, she said her lawyer was preparing to file suit against the city in the matter. Last year, members of the City Council passed a revision of city ordinance that allows for the removal of a Planning Commission member at any time when in the judgment of the council, the public welfare will be promoted by such removal.
Many cities have similar policies, but removal of a commissioner is rare.
Although several residents called for an explanation of the decision, members of the council chose not to respond to any public comment. Mayor Cathy Busho said the council would consult with its attorney about responding to questions at a future date. The council made the decision to remove Shoe-Corrigan at a special March 24 meeting to interview candidates for commissions and discuss the performance of current commissioners. Council Member Sheila Klassen, the council s liaison to the Planning Commission, suggested the dismissal of Shoe-Corrigan. Minutes of the meeting do not reflect any reasons for the decision, though Klassen had said, in general, the council needed to have confidence that commissioners were not going to make the decision process unduly contentious.