Two city council members tearfully said thanks and goodbye to
their colleagues, members of the public and city staff
– and offered some advice to those who were sworn in to replace
them at their last meeting on the dais Wednesday.
Two city council members tearfully said thanks and goodbye to their colleagues, members of the public and city staff – and offered some advice to those who were sworn in to replace them at their last meeting on the dais Wednesday.
Council woman Marby Lee’s colleagues recalled her as a reliable voice for careful scrutiny when it came to every expenditure of tax dollars the body considered the last four years, and councilman Greg Sellers as a mentor and collaborator who sought “common ground” on difficult issues.
Both showed uninhibited dedication to the city of Morgan Hill, even if the rest of the council disagreed with their positions, council members said.
Mayor Steve Tate said the city will be “hard pressed” to replace both Sellers and Lee.
He said Lee, who was elected in 2006, proved her dedication by accepting difficult assignments, such as membership on the board of the South County Regional Wastewater Authority. Staff members of the SCRWA, including Gilroy city administrator Tom Haglund, presented Lee with a certificate of appreciation at Wednesday’s meeting.
Plus, having served on the council during one of the most dismal economic times in the city’s history, Lee maintained “constant focus” on the need to carefully examine the expenditure of every penny.
“We’re going to miss that on the city council, and we can’t lose the focus you had in that area,” Tate said.
Lee was often the sole dissenting vote even on low-cost agenda items that she felt were unnecessary or could have been completed more efficiently.
“We’ve always had common goals,” Councilman Larry Carr said. “The best interest of Morgan Hill has always been at the heart of everything you’ve done at the city council. You’ve accomplished a lot of things that you can be proud of.”
Sellers commended Lee for her insistence on transparency and encouraging public participation the last four years. “That’s been incredibly valuable the last two years, and it should serve as a reminder to our two new members that we need to be transparent.”
Lee ran for the mayor’s seat in November, but she lost the three-way race in which Tate was re-elected for a third term as mayor. Sellers, who has served on the council for 12 years, declined to run again in the November election in which both his and Lee’s seats were open.
She said goodbye with thanks to her family and city staff, and a word of encouragement to residents who are concerned about their tax dollars.
“This is your town, and you need to pay attention to what’s going on,” Lee said. “If you don’t like it, stand up and say so.”
Winning the two seats were Gordon Siebert and Rich Constantine, who were sworn in to their new seats following the city’s recognition of the departing council members.
Tate struggled to hold back tears when he recalled campaigning against, and then serving with Sellers as both were elected to the council for their first terms at the same time. The two were “rookies” together, who spent the next decade-plus “learning from each other, supporting each other,” Tate said. He added that Sellers has been the council’s “go-to guy” on the council for transportation needs, ensuring the city has a voice on county and regional transportation agencies.
Councilwoman Marilyn Librers, who is halfway through her first four-year term, said she has known Sellers for years, and he has been a mentor to her while the two have sat next to each other on the dais.
“He helped me so much when I first started,” Librers said.
Sellers sobbed while recalling the many discussions, decisions and programs he was involved in while sitting on the council. He listed the many new facilities the city built in the last 12 years – including the library, recreation facilities, community center and police station – as notable accomplishments. He advised Siebert and Constantine to “do the right thing” while serving the city.
“Every time you sit up here you use your best judgment and decide what’s best for the city of Morgan Hill, without politics,” Sellers said. “I’ve tried to do that for the last 12 years.”
Sellers plans to spend more time with his family and his job as president of Burnham Energy, a San Jose-based solar energy company. Sometime after congressional and assembly redistricting takes place in California next year, he might consider running for a state seat, Sellers said, but that won’t be for at least another four years.
Lee, who makes and sells jewelry, will focus mainly on “business and family” for the immediate future. Before she considers running for office again, she wants to pay off debt associated with her mayoral and previous council campaign, she joked.
City staff also congratulated both Sellers and Lee. City manager Ed Tewes noted Lee’s accomplishments when it came to pushing for streamlining and marketing recreation services, and encouraging public participation. Sellers, he added, maintained the “civility” and progress he promised when campaigning for past elections.
Board members from the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, and Downtown Association president Jorge Briones also lined up to thank both former council members.
The mayor presented both departing council members with a framed print of Thomas Kinkade’s streetscape painting of Monterey Road and the Granada Theater.
