The Buzz column, January 23

What was the council majority thinking in its yearlong charade of looking for a new city attorney? Councilman Lance MacLean campaigned in 2002 on finding a new law firm, and Councilman Frank Ury made it an issue in his 2004 campaign. Council Members Ledesma and Gail Reavis expressed their dissatisfaction with the firm, Richards, Watson and Gershon. With a vote of 3-2 to renew the contract, at least two council members flip-flopped behind closed doors. RWG has a dismal record of failing to protect the city from financial disasters, including the Vigilantes baseball franchise, funding of Kaleidoscope and giving millions of dollars to Simon Property Group for a parking structure at the mall.

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City Hall occasionally buys a pricey bookcase to display awards. Insiders say at least one city employee spends a great deal of time applying for the awards and filling out extensive paperwork. Entry fees are not cheap – the city is essentially buying awards, particularly when competition for meaningless trophies is limited or nonexistent. As trophies and plaques spill out of their showcases, they can go into storage to gather dust.

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The city is continuing to negotiate with the YMCA about its lease of the Marguerite rec center. One option on the table is to unload the facility altogether. Meanwhile, MacLean continues to fight for a new city basketball gymnasium, and Ury wants a regional sports center. A blog reader wrote: “Those pushing a regional sports complex have already forgotten the World Cup Soccer Center, a world-class fiasco.”

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In response to a Buzz article about Mayor MacLean’s side show prior to council meetings, another reader wrote, “I’m wondering where he’ll even find people to perform in Lance MacClown’s Flying Circus.” In California – the land of fruits and nuts – are you kidding? When former Councilwoman Susan Withrow was running for reelection in 2002, she predicted that “chaos will result” if she and Sherri Butterfield weren’t reelected. It’s getting there.

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The Buzz several weeks ago asked a question about city reserves. Figures are tossed about during council meetings, with claims that the city has up to $32 million available for new projects. After subtracting the owed, appropriated and encumbered funds that are in some way obligated or unavailable, what’s the real number? The blog will publish the answer, and it’s a shock.