Can Things Deteriorate Any Further For Our Common Council?

Anyone who has been following common council meetings closely in the past two years knows that there is some friction between 1st ward member Margaret Morris and Council "President" Tom Depietro.  That friction got ugly at March's regular informal meeting, and it was inevitable.  Additionally, at least one new member of the council also seems to have a negative, unsupportive view of Depietro.   

I'm telling you, THE SITUATION AT THE COMMON COUNCIL IS ABYSMAL AND IS ONLY GOING TO WORSEN AS LONG AS TOM DEPIETRO IS IN THE CHAIR.  And it all might come to a head real soon -- it nearly did last month.  It felt like a stressed balloon ready to burst.  I just hope the "president" doesn't attack any council members physically in a fit of rage like he did a few years ago.

Toward the end of March's regular council meeting, after the council unanimously voted to pay the month's bills, an ugly squabble between Council "President" Tom Depietro, Margaret Morris and Dominic Merante laid bare the tensions between the three, as well as the general dysfunction so common at meetings.  This was the most bickering I have ever seen on display at a council meeting.  Things are getting worse -- much worse! -- at the meetings, and the bad blood seems to be rising to a boiling point.  The fact that each member is on 2 or 3 committees and their plates are overflowing with issues doesn't help matters at all.  I honesty would not be at all surprised if one or two council members were to step aside sometime in the next few months.  "No, thank you.  It's not worth the tension, the hostility or the $5,000!  Goodbye."

(I did not attend the meeting.  Everything that follows here is from the YouTube video of the meeting, edited for length and clarity.)

Starting at 1:06:42 of the meeting, during a discussion about the new film law proposal, there was a very awkward 20 seconds of silence after Tom criticized Margaret for failing to understand how the process for approving the proposal worked.  Margaret appears to refuse to respond to Tom's question to her of "So?" (So, as in "do you understand?").  Dominic, trying to ease the tension, ends the long silence with "We need a therapy dog right now," which got an unconvincing laugh from Tom.  Tom then followed by saying, "Some things you can never deal with," an unnecessary, unprofessional and mean-spirited criticism of Morris.  He tried to resume his meeting.  

Margaret, not happy with Tom's comment, was not willing to resume, and blurts out, "Okay, that's enough!"  Another council member (likely Jennifer Belton) can be heard agreeing, saying, "Yeah!"  Dominic says "Tom!" as if to censure him.

Tom, speaking directly to Dominic, continued with his vitriol: "You don't know what it's like.  The lack of respect is disgusting from her," pointing a finger at Margaret. 

An angry female voice directed at Tom says, "From you!"  Jennifer was trying to tell Tom that he was the one with the lack of respect.

"Yeah, right," Tom scoffed.

"It's a two-way street, Tom," retorts Dominic. 

"It's a one-way street actually, Dominic," Margaret says in disgust.

Tom still couldn't stop himself, continuing with his bickering:  "It's not a one-way street.  It's a stubborness to not listen to anything that's being said, and she repeats endlessly the same things.  But we can stop there if you want."

Merante then comes to Morris' defense and tries to make the larger point for the council to "work together" and to get its important work done.  He also had plenty of criticisms of Tom's behavior, including, "We're three months into this, man. C'mon!  We've got two years.  Let's make this roll."  Merante is frustrated and disappointed with Depietro, Morris is obviously not happy with him, Belton can't believe what she is seeing and hearing, and Tom can't stop disrespecting members, keep his mouth shut or keep the meeting from veering off a cliff.

Unsurprisingly, when Tom should have kept quiet and moved on, he had to try to have the last word as he is wont to do.  He said this:  "It's been a very difficult 3 months.  People are not doing the work they should be doing," further fanning the flames.

Merante replies, "But, again, Tom, that's your thoughts that need to stay in your head, right?  You isolate us. We need to stay together, right?  We need to be a team." 

Jennifer can be heard at one point saying, "No one needs to be disrespectful," obviously directed at Tom.  (Welcome to the council, Jennifer!)  She hit on the central problem with the council "president," and she had better get used to the disrespect and poor running of meetings that Tom brings to every meeting, otherwise she is in for two very long years on the council.  If, that is, she can tolerate the dysfunction for two years!

Tom's response to Jennifer was, "I agree with that, for sure."  So very reassuring!

In an apparent reference to yours truly, Dominic finished with this:  "We've criticized others in the public for their snarkiness, right?  So we have to hold that to ourselves."  

Yet again, Tom couldn't keep his mouth shut, adding:  "And that  probably includes facial expressions, too," possibly in an attempt at humor.  What the hell does that even mean?  Whose facial expressions is he referring to?  Every council member except himself?  What kind of adult offers such nonsense at a public meeting?

The six minutes of tense, ridiculous and childish exchanges during that meeting should concern us all as these are the supposed adults trying to manage our city.  What should take place among council members, without Tom Depietro present, is a vote of confidence in him.  If a majority of members no longer want Depietro around, he should be asked to leave.  Whatever the outcome, it would be a worthwhile effort for the council to spend six minutes of time on.