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Exclusive!
La Habra Heights, CA -
The City’s normally mundane Park and Recreation
meetings have taken center stage here in the fight for residents to be
heard. This, after Chair Karen Vipperman announced in March that they
would no longer record comments made by the public during the public
comment period.
It is not clear who issued the order to stop the recording or broadcast of
public comments. A recording of an altercation at a La Habra Heights
Improvement Association meeting in which a member is heard using profane
language had been cited as a possible reason. The recording, partially
played at the February meeting of the P & R meeting by Stephen Blagden,
editor of the local publication LaHabraHeights.net, triggered a firestorm
of controversy after acting Chair Faith Grimm repeatedly interrupted Mr.
Blagden with interjection and misinformation. Consequently the City
pulled the meeting from broadcast, but a copy was obtained by this
publication and uploaded on YouTube.
News cameras were rolling for the April 4th meeting when Park &
Rec. Chair Karen Vipperman ordered the City’s cameras to be turned off
during the public comment period. An attendee who was seeking to announce
the upcoming La Habra Heights Garden Walk left after learning the comments
would neither be recorded nor broadcast. Resident Phil Lough and Editor
Stephen Blagden voiced opposition to the “blackout” of public comments.
The recording is available exclusively on YouTube.
Just three days later on April 7th, a special 1 P.M. meeting of
the Park and Recreation Commission was called at City Hall to discuss one
item: Televising of meetings.
Embattled Councilman Howard Vipperman, the only councilman in attendance,
chauffeured 5 male individuals to City Hall and entered the room flanked
by what attendees described as “henchmen”. One of the men is shown on
Facebook as an employee of Vipperman's company, VIP Rubber.
Vipperman’s campaign supporter Joshua Arce accompanied Karen Vipperman
into the MPR through a side door before the public was allowed in. Arce
had previously been seen manning Howard Vipperman's campaign table with
Karen Vipperman at the Candidates Forum.
Again members of the press assembled to cover the event, but this time
they were initially denied access to the room to setup recording
equipment. The City’s Video Contractor Joe Giessigner then refused to
provide video or audio feed to the assembled press. Once the doors were
opened the press was allowed into the room. As media representatives
setup their equipment, including this reporter, Chair Karen Vipperman
could be heard yelling. "Can someone call the Sheriff?". Arce was heard
on tape repeatedly calling a reporter "a piece of sh*t".
Councilmember Howard Vipperman is seen summoning two of his “henchmen” and
guides them to stand in front of the camera.
Three armed deputies arrived shortly thereafter, with Deputy Mayo saying
she got a report of “invading personal space”, but she would not
elaborate.
Chair Karen Vipperman requested the deputies stay for the entire meeting.
Mrs. Vipperman then announced she was moving public comments to the
beginning of the meeting. Two residents spoke in favor of continuing to
broadcast the meetings in their entirety on cable.
Karen Vipperman then stated that she was the one who had called the
special meeting and thought the meetings should no longer be broadcast.
She felt it was improperly used by some residents who liked to see
themselves on TV, and that the Commissioners felt threatened by their
presence.
After some discussion, the Commission voted 3-1, Vipperman opposed, to
broadcast the meetings without public comments.
As the meeting closed, City Manager Shauna Clark approached this reporter
and said she didn't like him videotaping and called him a pervert. Her
statement was captured on videotape and is part of an in-depth news report
currently in production.
Deputies then cleared the Multi Purpose room (MPR).
Karen Vipperman reportedly resigned from the Parks and Recreation
Commission later in the afternoon. No statement had yet been released by
the City at deadline.
Readers are invited to join the discussion at:
Topix La Habra Heights News
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http://twitter.com/LaHabraHeights
EOM
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