UPDATE @ 9:30 p.m. (Sept. 15)
Riverside City Council voted tonight to forego a vote on the removal of Councilman Steve Fullenkamp.
The council hearing originally scheduled for tonight brought city residents Janice Pitzer and Steve Massa, who said before the meeting they planned to speak in support of Fullenkamp. The councilman has come under fire as the recipient of three complaints since June lodged by police Chief Frank Robinson, Director of Planning Brock Taylor and Vice Mayor Mike Smith.
“The people are not for this,” Pitzer said of Fullenkamp’s possible ouster. “The people are who elected Mr. Fullenkamp as the top vote-getter. Mr. Fullenkamp has done more for this city than all the rest of them combined. … It shouldn’t be that five council people can unseat an elected official that we chose, the people.”
Massa agreed, saying the complaints against Fullenkamp are inflated and are the result of bruised egos rather than violations of city procedures.
“He likes people to do their job and he doesn’t like to be lied to,” Massa said. “This has been an ongoing problem with many issues in the city that he has confronted staff members and council people about … the people working around him, they are not used to that confrontation.
“I don’t feel that he’s done anything to hurt the city and he’s done nothing to hurt the residents — there’s been no damage done,” Massa said.
UPDATE @ 7:15 p.m. (Sept. 15)
Councilman Steve Fullenkamp and a host of residents have filed an injunction today to block the effort to remove the councilman from office.
Twelve residents, including Fullenkamp, have sued the remaining members of council, the city’s law director, the special counsel appointed to adjudicate Fullenkamp’s case and the city of Riverside. The case was filed today in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.
We have reporters at tonight’s council meeting. Stay with us as we continue to report this breaking story.
EARLIER (Aug. 18)
Riverside City Council appointed a special counsel Thursday night in the removal proceedings of a fellow council member.
David Williamson, of the Bieser Greer Law Firm, will represent the city council in the proceedings against Councilman Steve Fullenkamp.
Council voted earlier this month to begin proceedings against Fullenkamp following a dust-up between the councilman and the police chief.
Council members, except Fullenkamp, met with Williamson in executive session.
Before the meeting closed, council voted to appoint Deputy Mayor Mike Smith and Councilmen Mike Denning and Ken Curp as a special commission to correspond with Williamson. No further timeline for the process has been given.
Fullenkamp also hired a lawyer and declined to comment on the case.
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