The City's normally mundane Park and Recreation meetings have taken center stage here in the fight for residents to be heard. This, after Chair Karen Vipperman announced in March that they would no longer record comments made by the public during the public comment period.
It is not clear who issued the order to stop the recording or broadcast of public comments. A recording of a an altercation at a La Habra Heights improvement Association meeting in which a member is heard using profane language had been cited as a possible reason. The recording, partially played at the February meeting of the P & R meeting by Stephen Blagden, editor of the local publication LaHabraHeights.net, triggered a firestorm of controversy after acting Chair Faith Grimm repeatedly interrupted Mr. Blagden with interjection and misinformation. Consequently the City pulled the meeting from broadcast, but a copy was obtained by this publication and uploaded on YouTube. News cameras were rolling for the April 4th meeting when Park & Rec. Chair Karen Vipperman ordered the City's cameras to be turned off during the public comment period. An attendee who was seeking to announce the upcoming La Habra Heights Garden Walk left after learning the comments would neither be recorded nor broadcast. Resident Phil Lough and Editor Stephen Blagden voiced opposition to the "blackout" of public comments. The recording is available exclusively on YouTube.
Just three days later on April 7th , a special 1 P.M. meeting of the Park and Recreation Commission was called at City Hall to discuss one item: televising of meetings.
Embattled Councilman Howard Vipperman, the only councilman in attendance, chauffeured 5 male individuals to City Hall and entered the room flanked by what attendees described as "henchmen". One of the men is shown on Facebook as an employee of Vipperman's company, VIP Rubber.
Vipperman's campaign supporter Joshua Arce accompanied Karen Vipperman into the MPR through a side door before the public was allowed in. Arce had previously been seen manning Howard Vipperman's campaign table with Karen Vipperman at the Candidates Forum. Again members of the press assembled to cover the event, but this time they were initially denied access to the room to setup recording equipment. The City's Video Contractor Joe Giessigner then refused to provide video or audio feed to the assembled press. Once the doors were opened the press was allowed into the room. As media representatives setup their equipment, including this reporter, Chair Karen Vipperman could be heard yelling. "Can someone call the Sheriff?". Arce was heard repeatedly calling a reporter "a piece of sh*t".
Councilmember Howard Vipperman is seen summoning two of his "henchmen" and guides them to stand in front of the camera.
Three armed deputies arrived shortly thereafter, with Deputy Mayo saying she got a report of "invading personal space", but she would not elaborate.
Chair Karen Vipperman requested the deputies stay for the entire meeting.
Mrs. Vipperman then announced she was moving public comments to the beginning of the meeting. Two residents spoke in favor of continuing to broadcast the meetings in their entirety on cable.
Karen Vipperman then stated that she was the one who had called the special meeting and thought the meetings should no longer be broadcast. She felt it was improperly used by some residents who liked to see themselves on TV, and that the Commissioners felt threatened by their presence.
After some discussion, the Commission voted 3-1, Vipperman opposed, to broadcast the meetings without public comments.
As the meeting closed, City Manager Shauna Clark approached this reporter and said she didn't like him videotaping and called him a pervert. Her statement was captured on videotape and is part of an in-depth news report currently in production.
Deputies then cleared the Multi Purpose room (MPR).
Karen Vipperman reportedly resigned from the Parks and Recreation Commission later in the afternoon. No statement had yet been released by the City at deadline.
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Religion in the Public Sphere (01)by IWMVienna773 views
WTF stupid ass people
Idkidkidk92 8 months ago
What do they have to hide that the feel the need to stop recording?
Hyundaifixer 9 months ago
What a bunch of creeps, vippermen's both of them need to go, who is the whining woman accusing you guys of foul language? What a liar, Ms Vipperman I want a sheriff when she is the only hostile one. oh and the red head on antidepressents calling somebody a pervert, poor george,,
hurchel 10 months ago