A city council work session devolved into confusion Monday during a discussion about a proposal to help law enforcement and fire teams handle mental health crisis calls.
The confusion started when Mayor Ken Miyagishima mentioned he'd placed discussion of the proposal on the work session agenda because it had never come before the council, and needed to before the council could vote on it. Also, Miyagishima said he was unfamiliar with the proposal until very recently.
"All I'm trying to do is be transparent to the council," Miyagishima said. "I just barely heard of this a few weeks ago."
District 1 Councilor Kasandra Gandara, a licensed social worker with a wealth of behavioral health work experience, said she was "stunned" by the mayor's comments, since she's been promoting the proposal for months and spearheaded it through "countless conversations" with city staff, county staff and behavioral health providers.