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HomeMy WebLinkAboutADA ACCOMMODATION_05-17-2023_Open Session_General Comment_Brown, Hardy_Hardy Brown 5117M Hardy Brown is a 62 years resident of San Bernardino, retired Publisher of Black Voice News, reed Human Resource Manager, past president of San Bernardino NAACP and current member of the Legal Redress Committee. The San Bernardino City Council should remove Fred Shorett from all committees including Mayor Pro Tiem. Thank you mayor and council for taking the time to hear from me. First let me congratulate, Mayor Train for making history as the first Asian to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in San Bernardino City. You should be proud of this accomplishment because we the citizens of San Bernardino said you have the qualification, experience and other attributes to lead us. Having said that and even though I cannot attend every meeting because of my disability, I do watch and listen to every meeting. When I heard Ms. Rocio Aguayo make her pubic comment time during the 5/3/23 meeting, She said, that Council member Fred Shored would not support Mayor Helen Than to be Vice Chair of the Inland Valley Development Agency (IVDA) bemuse he feels she does not have "enough experience" and she was "too busy" doing her job as mayor. it made my blood boil. I've heard those words before, when white men did not want to promote me or give me a raise because I was Black. I also investigated discrimination against women complaints at my former employer, when white men did not ward promote women into higher management positions. None of them claimed to dislike Blacks or women they just did not like them to be in a position of authority or being wet them. Now, who does Council Member Shorett think he is, in my opinion Fred, you are wrong and drunk with seniority from being the longest serving council member. According to the City Charter it states the Mayor is to:" Represent the City in intergovernmental relations and establish and maintain partnerships and regional leadership miss to advance the City's interest; This is what we want her to do. For those who might not know what the IVDA is; d is a Regional Joint Powers Authority dedicated to the reuse of Norton Air Form Base for the economic benefit of the East Valley. The member entities of the IVDA include the County of San Bernardino, the City of Loma Linda, the City of San Bernardino and the City of Colton. The IVDA Board of Directors consist of 9 elected officials from the county and cities and San Bernardino City has 3 seats with the Mayor's position being required as one of the three. Fred Shorett is an alternate just in case the mayor is unable to attend, as was the case when San Bernardino Council Member Sandra Ibarra nominated Mayor Than to be Vice Chair of IVDA. For your information, currently there are only two women that serve on the IVDA Board of Directors, Mayor Tran and Councilwoman Ibarm. Mayor Than could not be at the meeting bemuse she was in Sacramento trying to get some funds that would benefit a development in the ward that Shorett represents. Councilman Shorett actions make me wonder if he is not supporting Mayor Tran because she is an Asian female. From my many years of investigating racial and gender discrimination cases that involved the word " not enough experience' It involved a white man saying that about a woman or a person of color. Fred might say he did not intend for me or others to take it this way but when I (you) have been treated this way all of our life with what he said, there is no other way for me to take it. Then when I add what he has said about not wanting Mayor Than to have any staff to assist her perform her duties as mayor, I have come to the conclusion, Fred wants Mayor Tran to fail along with the city. In this way Council man Shored can say I told you so. What you did Fred is an embarrassment to our city and you should resign from all committees and as Mayor Protiem or the Council should remove you as Mayor protein immediately. Fred you owe Mayor Than and the city an apology, as well. Thank you.