It’s not the way she envisioned her term as mayor would begin. Evans Phelps began her one-year term last week, and quickly has found herself in the middle of controversy with Councilmember Reinette Senum. Senum, who had just joined the council last week, said in reaction to the shooting in Dallas in a post on Facebook that “the shooting was incited by America’s Police Force”. saying “They have obviously been given directives to go out there and kill. It’s insane and it’s meant to create Mayhem” . That statement has angered police and the general public, and there have been calls for Senum’s resignation. Phelps says the Council cannot force her to resign, but thinks that would be a the best way to resolve the issue. Phelps says if Senum doesn’t resign, an apology would certainly help…
Phelps has known Senum for over 30 years and has supported her, but says she stepped over the line this time. A special City Council meeting has been called for Wednesday night, where she says the city will explore their options…
Public comment will also be taken. The meeting is at the normal council meeting time–6:30pm at City Hall.
Mike Coffey
Will Senum do the right thing tomorrow and resign from the Nevada City Council after the bizarre statement she posted "the police have been told to go out and kill citizens" or is she to self focused on her self importance to see this will start the healing in our city and county?
Michael Wilkie
July 15, 2016
Open letter to the Nevada City Council-
SENUM MUST GO!
Regarding the slaughter of the 5 Dallas police officers:
"They (the police) have obviously been given directives to go out there and Kill”.
“This was completely incited by America's police force. I'm pointing out that we can expect this when the police murder somebody. It's a terrible cycle that always escalates into something worse."
Reinette Senum, Nevada City Councilwoman
I haven’t been a cop nor do I have any relatives or friends that are or were cops. However, I highly respect the job they do and COP’S LIVES MATTER!
I don’t know Nevada City Councilwoman Reinette Senum. Some people think she has done some good deeds for Nevada City and that this should excuse her despicable beliefs about the murder of the 5 Dallas police officers but her beliefs are unacceptable and she must go.
As a tax paying property owner of 2 properties in Nevada City, I am calling for the immediate resignation of Senum from the Council. Her beliefs are by definition bigoted and legitimize violence against the police, therefore she is unfit to represent Nevada City or me. And it galls me that my tax money is being used to pay her salary as a Council member.
I was at the special Nevada City Council meeting on July 13, 2016 when Senum presented an apology for her inexcusable actions. I doubt the sincerity of that duplicitous apology and think it was only given so she can save her Council seat.
Some people erroneously think Senum has a free speech, first amendment right to spew out her despicable beliefs without consequences. This is not true as she is now a publicly elected official and has to be held accountable for the shame she brought to Nevada City.
Senum is an embarrassment to all of us with her offensive notoriety. That embarrassment reaches far beyond Nevada City and goes to a National level. Many, many people are advocating boycotting Nevada City business’s and her Los Mineros restaurant in particular, due to this notoriety. What I know from marketing 101 is that if you hear of one person boycotting, there are 10 more who will boycott but not speak up. Nevada City cannot afford this notoriety and loss of business.
In addition, according to the Nevada City Police Dept, who have 100% rejected the tenure of Senum, she is clearly in violation of the Council Code of Conduct which she was certainly aware of and promised to abide by.
There are over 2,500 people calling for her resignation on the Change.org petition and by my count dozens and dozens of those people are residents of Nevada City. The Council needs to listen to the people.
This problem will continue to fester, grow and tarnish the reputation of Nevada City for years to come if Senum remains a Council member. The only real solution to the problem is for her to go. The Nevada City Council cannot condone the shame Senum has brought to Nevada City and by doing nothing, the Council is condoning her. The Council needs to promptly add the resignation, censure and impeachment of Senum to the agenda for the next Council meeting. If she doesn’t resign by the next Council meeting, then the Council needs do the right thing and publically demand her resignation, censure her and then initiate impeachment as she continues to defy the will of the people.
If the Council does not have the gumption to do the right thing, then I’ll fully support the effort to recall her.
Michael Wilkie
Grass Valley