Paul LeBel, city councilmember and county commissioner, is proposing a "timeshare" arrangement under which all city councilmembers, "including the Mayor," would share what has been the City Mayor's office for years and years in the City Center.
[Click on LeBel's letter at left to enlarge and read]
Wearing his city councilmember hat, LeBel says he wants to meet at the City Center with his city constituents one-half day each week. That's a nice idea, and there is an easy solution for LeBel or any councilmember who has decided that he or she wants "timeshare" office space at the City Center.
All councilmembers know that there is a conference room near the City Council Chambers. This room, which has been called the "Mayor's" conference room for years and years, could be renamed the "City Council" conference room and could become the perfect place for LeBel and all city councilmembers to spend lots of time at the City Center with their constituents or doing research.
And after City Councilmember LeBel works out office hours and the location of his timeshare office at the City Center, maybe County Commissioner LeBel will decide (after five years as a commissioner) that office hours and a timeshare office at the County Courthouse are important to enable him to serve his (commission) constituents in the same way that he wants to serve his (council) constituents.
[It is my understanding, after talking with some county officials, that while City Councilmember Paul LeBel is pushing for "timeshare" office space and office hours at the City Center to meet with his (city council) constituents, County Commissioner Paul LeBel has never sent a similar letter to his fellow county commissioners trying to use any room at the County Courthouse on a "timeshare" basis to meet with his (commission) constituents.]
Finally, LeBel's letter says that he wants to make sure that no councilmember, "including the Mayor," has arbitrarily been provided with a city cell phone. LeBel doesn't name any councilmember who was arbitrarily provided with a phone. LeBel's proposal appears primarily or solely directed at taking back a city phone that was apparently provided to Mayor Danny Thomas after Thomas was elected in May 2011.
Perhaps LeBel needs to do some research on the phone issue as it relates to the City Mayor. Among his duties, the City Mayor has specific authority to summon the police or others to aid in quelling or preventing a riot or similar emergency. Therefore, there is a public safety reason for the City Mayor, whoever may hold the office, to be provided with a cell phone for quick contact anywhere and anytime.
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