Politics on the Agenda: An Investigation, Nazis and a Call for Peace

The recent, intense politics of San Juan Capistrano crept into the City Council meeting Tuesday. Here’s a sampling of the undercurrent of frustration – on all sides – coming to the surface:

Investigating Councilman Derek Reeve

Back on the agenda for a third time was an item to discuss recent council action to investigate whether Reeve, as a lawyer, can represent clients with adverse matters against the city.

The council had discussed the investigation for the second time in November, deciding instead of hiring a retired judge to render a legal opinion to ask the state Attorney General’s office for guidance. At the time, Assistant City Attorney Patrick Munoz thought Reeve would cooperate in coming up with the wording for the request.

On Tuesday, Munoz said Reeve would not.

“He was opposed to the recommended action, and he wasn’t interested in discussing the language of the proposal for personal reasons, so I thought I needed to bring it back to the City Council for direction,” Munoz said.

The council voted 3-2, with Reeve and Councilman Roy Byrnes against, to ask “for an opinion from the Attorney General as to whether a sitting council nember who is a lawyer may represent third parties in matters that are adverse to the City.”

Throwing Around the Word ‘Nazi’

Council critic Ian Smith said he took great umbrage to a former councilwoman’s use of the word “Nazi” to describe people behind the attempt to recall Mayor Sam Allevato.

Smith was referring to internal correspondence between Allevato and Laura Freese, who was seeking his opinion about a letter she wrote to the Capistrano Dispatch in September. Allevato called the letter wonderful, but when she asked if the use of the term Nazi was going too far, he said she should probably just refer back to the real reason recalls are needed.

Ultimately, the letter did not include the Nazi reference.

Smith demanded Allevato repudiate Freese’s initial use of the word Nazi.

“She should totally be ashamed of the use of the word Nazi,” Smith said. “I’m not a Nazi party member, nor is anyone in the city of San Juan Capistrano that I know of.”

The insult particular stings because he is a survivor of the Nazi’s London blitz and members of his wife’s family perished in the Holocaust, Smith said.

A Call to Come Together

Meanwhile, Mechelle Lawrence-Adams, executive director of Mission San Juan Capistrano but speaking only for herself as a resident, called for an end to the tensions in town.

“The environment is so hostile and negative and so bullying,” she said. “The tone doesn’t sound like Christ’s season, like if you don’t get on with the bullies, you’re going to get bullied. How can we teach our children not to be bullied when we bully?

“God bless this town, and let’s get it together,” she said.