Ledger-Dispatch

By Scott Thomas Anderson (sanderson@ledger-dispatch.c= om)=20

John Plasse appeared before the Jackson = City=20 Council Monday night to make the case that he should serve on the = Jackson=20 Revitalization Committee.

Photo by: Scott Thomas=20 Anderson
Before he was ever elected = supervisor of=20 District 1, John Plasse was taking Jackson's economic downturn = seriously. For=20 nine months the businessman worked closely with city officials and = community=20 leaders to stem the tide of Jackson's dismal fortunes. However, Plasse's = recent=20 victory in the July election may be a game-changer with certain members = of the=20 Jackson City Council - who took a 4-1 vote Monday night to remove his = name from=20 the new Jackson Revitalization Committee over perceived conflicts of=20 interest.

The road to Monday's controversial vote, which left = Plasse=20 visibly surprised, began in January after city officials, merchants, = property=20 owners and residents formed an Economic Development Committee. This EDC = then=20 selected three people to nominate a more autonomous public-private group = called=20 the Jackson Revitalization Committee. It's hoped this new JRC will do = the=20 workload of turning the city's destiny around. Plasse was one of three=20 individuals charged with finding 11 nominees for the JRC.

On = Sept. 17,=20 Plasse, Toni Fancher and Shannon Lowery made their nominations: The new=20 revitalization committee would have two city council members, Connie = Gonsalves=20 and Wayne Garibaldi; two merchants, Jane Wilkinson and Craig Murphy; two = property owners, Lana Vukovich and Stanley Lukowicz; one member of the = Historic=20 Jackson Business Association, Aaron May; one resident, Jackson Rancheria = CEO=20 Rich Hoffman; and three members-at-large, Gary Little, Sally Bligh and = Plasse=20 himself. When the Jackson City Council prepared to finalize the JRC = Monday=20 night, that last name on the list became a point of = contention.

"Now that=20 John's a supervisor, I think there's a conflict of interest between us = and the=20 county," said Councilman Andy Rodriguez, who implied that the board of=20 supervisors has looked out for the county's interest to the detriment of = Jackson. "The supervisors did something in Martell that was good for = them, and=20 we took the hit. Do I have to sit here and name all of the businesses we = lost?=20 It's fine for them to look out for themselves, but we have to do the=20 same.

"John's an honorable guy," Rodriguez added, "but it's a = conflict=20 and I would hate to see him get pulled into it."

Council members = Rosalie=20 Pryor Escamilla, Gonsalves and Al Nunes all agreed that Plasse should be = removed=20 from the list. "We had 21 very qualified applicants and only 11 = positions open=20 on the committee," observed Mayor Pryor Escamilla, who challenged Plasse = for the=20 District 1 seat. "John's worked hard for Jackson, but now that he's our=20 supervisor that's his job, so I don't see a reason for him to take up = one of=20 those seats."

Garibaldi was the lone voice on the council to = speak in=20 Plasse's defense. "I think John belongs on the committee," he argued. = "His=20 motivations are pure and he wants to see the county and council have = mutual=20 goals."

As the adversarial tone toward the board of supervisors = carried=20 over into public comment, some expressed the view that Jackson's well = being had=20 been neglected by the county. "I think it's about time we finally had a=20 supervisor of District 1 who's giving some time and comfort to us," one = resident=20 said in support of Plasse, both as a new supervisor and potential member = of the=20 JRC. "We should be pleased as punch someone of John's caliber actually = wants to=20 help this city get back on its feet."

EDC member Bligh expressed = the=20 opinion that Plasse was being snubbed from participating in the very=20 organization he'd been a driving force in creating.

Plasse = eventually=20 stood up to speak for himself, saying, "I mostly want to thank all of = the 21=20 people who applied for the committee and I hope those who didn't make it = will=20 stay involved because we're going to need their help, too. In terms of = my being=20 on the committee, I spoke with county counsel (Martha Shaver) and it was = her=20 opinion there's no conflict. If one ever came up, I would certainly = recuse=20 myself."

Before the council voted to finalize the JRC, Rodriguez=20 attempted to clarify his concerns. "I don't want to have even the = slightest=20 perception of a conflict," he said. "It's not that we can't trust John, = but=20 perception is huge and people are perceiving there's a conflict. They = know how=20 Martell affected this city and that the supes made that happen. If a = situation=20 like that were to come up again, residents will wonder about the = position=20 (Plasse) is in. We have other qualified applicants who don't have that=20 problem."

Rodriguez's words were followed by a swift vote to = replace=20 Plasse on the committee with applicant Shelly Scott, who was an original = member=20 of the EDC.

After the council meeting adjourned, a number of = attendees=20 told the Ledger Dispatch they disagreed strongly with the decision to = keep=20 Plasse off the committee and expressed confusion over the idea that a = supervisor=20 would be hindered from working on the revitalization efforts within his = own=20 district.

"So now we're telling politicians it's a 'conflict' to=20 represent their constituents," said one perplexed resident who wished to = remain=20 nameless. "That makes a lot of sense."

Scott Thomas = Anderson