Arroyo Grande Scandal Investigator Chosen

Arroyo Grande City Council held a specially called meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday to vote on hiring an investigator to look into the incident surrounding the city manager and a department.

Close to 30 people attended the hearing to give public comment and Otis Page is one of them.

Page, a long-time resident of Arroyo Grande, towards the end of the meeting jumped up and yelled, “This is ridiculous… I am sorry but this is a fraud.”

Page’s outburst, led Mayor Tony Ferrara to call for a recess and have Page escorted out by a police officer.

Ferrara said that was the “first time [he] had to recess a meeting for a disturbance like that.”

A number of people expressed their concerns about an internal investigation that concluded there was no wrongdoing when Steve Adams and Teresa McClish were caught back in July inside city hall after working hours – engaging in what police say appeared to be “inappropriate behavior.”

Beatrice Spencer felt the city was trying to cover it up and told the council during public comment that “This is a simple human resources 101 problem.”

The council agreed to move forward with an external investigation that would cost the city up to $25,000. It was a decision that some liked and other thought was made without allowing community input.

Councilman Tim Brown said he understands the concerns that residents have about the meeting being scheduled at a time when most have to work.

Brown old KEYT/KCOY/KKFX’s Cory James that the city’s goal was “to get the investigation going as soon as possible” and hopefully have it completed before the November election.