Newly elected Gardena officials confirmed in final vote tally

The winners of Gardena's March 5 election were confirmed Thursday after a tally of all provisional and late vote-by-mail ballots. Mayor Paul Tanaka will retain his seat for a third term, and Councilwoman Tasha Cerda also will remain on the City Council. Former Mayor Terrence Terauchi won the seat vacated by Councilman Ron Ikejiri, who was termed out of office. Realtor Mina Semenza won the city clerk's position and J. Ingrid Tsukiyama will remain as city treasurer. The newly elected officials will be sworn in at a special City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 19. - Sandy Mazza http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_22791686/newly-elected-gardena-officials-confirmed-final-vote-tally?source=email

Ballistic vests sold to Cambodia

Fed­er­al in­vest­ig­at­ive re­cords show that U.S. Cus­toms Ser­vice agents learned in 2002 that the Los Angeles County Sher­iff’s De­part­ment used the City of Gardena to fun­nel hun­dreds of bul­let-proof vests to Cam­bod­i­an po­lice. At the time, Un­der­sh­er­iff Paul Tana­ka was a Gardena coun­cil­man; today, he serves as the city’s may­or. Fed­er­al au­thor­it­ies re­leased the re­cords to The Times un­der the Free­dom of In­form­a­tion Act after mak­ing nu­mer­ous re­dac­tions.See attached document. LA Times, March 7, 2013 http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/611889/ice-foia-response.pdf

"...Paul Tanaka said that he has no plans to run for Los Angeles County Sheriff...But then again, Tanaka also said repeatedly that he was not running for Mayor of Gardena.”

HE’S OUT Undersheriff Paul Tanaka, the #2 person in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department command structure, right under Sheriff Lee Baca, announced his resignation on Wednesday during the sheriff’s Executive Planning Committee. Department sources said that the announcement was stunningly unexpected, and was greeted by most in the room with genuine shock. A press release was hastily put out on Wed mid-afternoon. It began: Undersheriff Paul Tanaka today announced his retirement to the Sheriff and the Department’s executive staff. His retirement will be effective August 1, 2013…. The August 1 exit date was likely picked because it is shortly after the undersheriff’s 55th birthday in July. Fifty-five is the magic age for LA County employees who wish to get their full retirement. The undersheriff has been with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for 33 years. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHYS AND WHEREFORES Of course the real question is not so much when Mr. Tanaka is leaving, as it is why? It is hard to find a more polarizing figure in contemporary Los Angeles law enforcement than Paul Tanaka. Until recently, Tanaka has been viewed as a sort-of shadow sheriff, the person behind Sheriff Lee Baca whom many saw as holding the real power in the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. WitnessLA’s Matt Fleischer first broke the news in December 2011 that the largely unknown Mr. Tanaka wielded a startling amount of control in the LASD, which—-with 18,000 employees—is the largest sheriff’s department in the world, and runs the nation’s largest jail system. Since our report Tanaka has come under scrutiny by the FBI for his part in what has been described as a culture of violence inside Men’s Central Jail, and he may also be the focus of a federal grand jury probe into allegations that LASD management ordered jails personnel to hide an FBI informant from his handlers by moving the man in secret from place to place inside the county jail system, using a string of phony names and false inmate ID numbers. Starting in early 2012, WitnessLA issued a series of additional reports on what was widely perceived inside the department as a system of patronage run by Mr. Tanaka, in which loyalty and, in many cases, cash donations to Tanaka’s political campaigns, were rewarded when it came to promotions—instead of merit. (NOTE: Along with being the LASD undersheriff, Tanaka is the mayor of the city of Gardena.) (See reports here, here and here.) In February, the reports caused Supervisor Gloria Molina to introduce a motion to prohibit county supervisors from asking for or accepting campaign contributions. As the year wore on, the Citizen’s Commission on Jail Violence—which included four federal judges and a chief of police—delved further into the undersheriff’s practices as they investigated the jail violence in general. In their final report, issued in September 2012, the commission stopped just short of ordering the sheriff to fire Tanaka and they critiqued what they saw as the undersheriff’s mismanagement and misconduct in the harhest of terms: “The troubling role of Undersheriff Tanaka cannot be ignored. Not only did he fail to identify and correct problems in the jails, he exacerbated them. The Commission learned about his ill-advised statements and decisions from a wide array of witnesses and sources. Over the course of several years, the Undersheriff encouraged deputies to push the legal boundaries of law enforcement activities and created an environment that discouraged accountability for misconduct. His repeated statements that deputies should work in an undefined “grey” area contributed to a perception by some deputies that they could use excessive force in the jails and that their aggressive behavior would not result in discipline” The 194-page report goes on in that vein, including a description of the “belief” among deputies regarding the undersheriff “that patronage and favoritism matter more than merit.” Shortly after the report was delivered, the sheriff forced into retirement many of those who who had some responsibility for the deputy-abuse-of-jail-inmates scandal—most notably Assistant Sheriff Marvin Cavanaugh, and Chief of Custody Operations. Dennis Burns—he seemed stubbornly disinclined to hold his second-in-command accountable, telling the Citizen’s Commission during his testimony last year, that he had no intention of getting rid of the undersheriff, that he was too crucial, particularly when it cames to balancing the department’s $2.5 billion budget. “Paul Tanaka is uniquely suited to be the undersheriff,” Baca said. “When you go through two recessions, you need a CPA.” Among his other skills, Tanaka is a certified public accountant. Nevertheless, in response to the commission’s allegations, the sheriff announced that the department had launched an internal affairs investigation into the undersheriff’s conduct. He also insisted that, from there on out, the undersheriff would mostly be the department’s CFO applying his magic to the budget, but would have no longer have any control over the jails or the patrol divisions, or the investigative bureaus like internal affairs. Yet, at the same time, as recently as late last October, Baca continued to defend Tanaka both in public and in private. As the year came to a close, however, Baca’s attitude reportedly took a measurable turn. Sources inside and close to the department tell us of “an uneasy rift” between Mr. Tanaka and the sheriff in the last few months, which became “very noticeable” before Christmas 2012. “I think that all the things began to add up for the sheriff,” said one source. “The talk of pay-to-play, the cigar club, the whole thing of working the grey, the way the federal investigations were handled, the problems in the jails, and all the rest.” Another source said that Baca was also upset when Tanaka, who had told the sheriff that he would not run for mayor of Gardena again, pulled out of the race late after registering–thus scaring off most other candidates, and causing his name to remain on the all-ready ballot. Then, although he professed non-interest, he allowed a surrogate fundraising and campaign in his behalf to be launched by the Gardena police, complete with a rash of Tanaka yard signs blooming on lawns all over the city. Tanaka was easily re-elected mayor of Gardena on Tuesday. His retirement was abruptly announced on Wednesday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SO WHO LEFT WHOM? According to Sheriff’s department spokesman Steve Whitmore, the decision to leave was entirely Tanaka’s alone, and the sheriff himself only learned of the undersheriff’s retirement plans on Tuesday, the day before the announcement. Mr. Whitmore said that Mr. Tanaka has chosen to retire in order to spend more time with his family.“When I talked to him about it,” said Whitmore, “he pointed to a picture of his three-and-a-half year old son that sits behind his desk and told me, ‘That’s why!’ You have to remember, the undersheriff is 54, so he didn’t become a father until he was past 50.” The department “is losing a dedicated public servent,” said Whitmore. “He will be sorely missed. His departure leaves a big hole.” Whitmore said that the internal affairs investigation into allegations against Tanaka will continue, despite the undersheriff’s announcement. He also said that in Tanaka’s time remaining on the job he will shepherd the department’s budget to its completion date in June. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT EFFECT WILL TANAKA’S DEPARTURE HAVE? If Paul Tanaka’s resignation/retirement leaves a hole, as Steve Whitmore suggests, what does that newly-opened gap portend? Miriam Krinsky, the Jail’s Commission’s executive director, reiterated the “troubling reports” about Tanaka that the commission uncovered in the course of its investigations, and characterized the undersheriff’s exit as potentially positive for the department. “I certainly hope,” she said, “that the decision of the undersheriff provides the department with the opportunity to look for someone who can help create a new and positive culture in the jails.” Peter Eliasberg, the legal director of the Southern California ACLU, was also surprised and pleased by the news. “Any time you’re talking about changing the culture of a large organization, a big part is making sure that the right people are in charge and the wrong people aren’t. The change of one person like Tanaka isn’t a silver bullet, but I think it’s potentially quite significant. Both Krinsky and Eliasberg emphasized that much will depend on who replaces Paul Tanaka. According to Steve Whitmore, however, Sheriff Baca is “not considering any replacement” for the departing undersheriff, at least not for a while. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- POST SCRIPT It has long been actively rumored that much of Paul Tanaka’s management style has been aimed at gathering a base of power in order to succeed Lee Baca as sheriff of LA County. Last summer, in fact, former LASD Commander Robert Olmsted told me that Tanaka had unapologetically confided to him, a few years ago, that the reason he needed to ensure that the “right” people were in supervisory positions in the department, was so that those loyalists were in place when he, Tanaka, became sheriff. “He said Waldie (who was then the undersheriff) Cavanaugh and the Sheriff are all old, and that they would be retiring very soon, and he expected to hold the position after Sheriff Baca, ‘for the next fifteen years.’” Unbelievably, even with the ongoing storm of scandals, as recently as the past few months, the undersheriff was reportedly working behind the scenes to make sure “his” people were elected to crucial positions on the boards of the two LASD unions—ALADS and POPA—plus LA county’s law enforcement fraternal organizations like BPOA (Black Peace Officer’s Association of Los Angeles County) and HAPCOA (Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association). On Wednesday, however, Mr. Tanaka told Daily Breeze reporter Sandy Mazza that he has no plans to run for Los Angeles County Sheriff. But then again, Tanaka also said repeatedly that he was not running for Mayor of Gardena. Yet he has officially accepted the post for a third term. http://witnessla.com/category/lasd/

LA County Sheriff's second-in-command Paul Tanaka retires amidst federal probe over inmate abuse

Paul Tanaka, embattled second-in-command at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department who’s been strongly criticized for his handling of L.A. County jails, announced Wednesday that he’ll be retiring from the department. Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said Tanaka’s retirement was unrelated to the criticism over jail violence. "He said absolutely not. He said this had nothing to do with that," Whitmore said. “He said to me that it’s just time. Thirty-three years. It’s time for me to retire and turn my attention to my family and my three-and-a-half-year-old son.” As for Sheriff Lee Baca's thoughts on Tanaka's retirement, “The sheriff understands when people want to move on," Whitmore said. "He’s given over three decades to this department.” Whitmore said that Tanaka told him he wasn’t asked to leave by Baca, the Los Angeles Times reports. An independent blue ribbon commission last year said that Tanaka and Baca failed to stop the abuse of inmates by deputies inside L.A. County jails, and that Tanaka ignored or condoned violence inside the jails. The commission's report said that Tanaka “specifically derailed efforts to address excessive force,” particularly at downtown L.A.'s Men's Central Jail. The panel included former federal judges, a police chief and a jail expert. Attorney David Schindler testified that Tanaka “failed to uphold the values of the department” and encouraged deputies to operate in the “gray” areas between necessary and unnecessary use-of-force on inmates. Jail critics have repeatedly called on Tanaka to resign. Attorney Peter Eliasberg of the ACLU of Southern California said no matter what occasioned Tanaka to leave, it is a good thing for the department. "I think it's a very positive thing, if all that testimony is true, one hopes that the department will now function more on people doing their job well instead of being someone's buddy," Eliasberg said. Tanaka defended himself during hearings last year, saying he never knew about what the panel said was persistent jail violence — despite repeated reports of inmate abuse by deputies. The FBI opened an investigation that is ongoing. The jail custody chief traditionally reported to Tanaka, but Baca’s latest choice for the position reports directly to the sheriff rather than Tanaka. Tanaka’s been with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department since 1982, its first Japanese-American commander. He’s also served as mayor of Gardena, where he grew up; he was re-elected to a third term as mayor Tuesday night. A statement from the Sheriff's Department announcing Tanaka's retirement praised him for creating a High-Impact Community-Based Policing Program that reduced crime by implementing public trust, and problem-solving strategies. As a certified public accountant, Tanaka managed the Department’s $2.5 billion budget for the past nine years. Baca was known to be intensely loyal to Tanaka, often praising him for his help with the department’s budget problems. The announcement was made during a 2 p.m. Sheriff's staff meeting, according to Whitmore. Tanaka's retirement is effective Aug. 1. The sheriff plans to leave the position open for now, Whitmore said.

Paul Tanaka, Sheriff's 2nd-In-Command & Once Head Of Troubled L.A. County Jails, Retires

Paul Tanaka, the controversial second-in-command at the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, heavily criticized for his oversight of a troubled jails system, is retiring, the department announced this afternoon. The undersheriff is also the mayor of Gardena and won a third term in yesterday's election despite announcing that he would not campaign for the job. Oversight for the jails was removed from Tanaka's job description last year, although he still has responsibility for the sheriff's budget: A statement from the department said his retirement would be effective Aug. 1. Reason given? None. Tanaka has been the focus of criticism over deputies' beatings of inmates inside the county jails system. One of the victims was a visitor, not an inmate, LA Weekly reported. A blue-ribbon Citizens' Commission on Jail Violence last year blamed Tanaka's oversight, or lack thereof, for some of the violence. There have been allegations of gang-like cliques of deputies who work in county lockups. Ultimately Sheriff Lee Baca took the heat for the problems, claiming he didn't know what was happening in his jails despite a decade's worth of reporting and criticism regarding the clashes. Tanaka was pulled away from jails oversight last year when Baca released an organizational chart showing that his longtime second-in-command had only the budget under his purview. In today's statement, Tanaka, who came to the department in 1982, is credited with creating the Asian Crimes Task Force directing the Gang Crimes Enforcement Program. [@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Paul Tanaka Steps Down as Undersherriff Day After Being Re-Elected as Mayor of Gardena

Paul Tanaka, the second in command at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, who had come under criticism for problems that have plagued the agency, announced Wednesday that he is stepping down. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Tanaka is retiring after 33 years with the department effective Aug. 1. Whitmore said Tanaka's move was not related to a federal probe into allegations of inmate brutality in the county's jail system. “I asked him that and he said no, it's just time,” Whitmore said. “The sheriff didn’t ask him to leave. This was done by his own volition." Last year, a blue-ribbon commission issued a searing critique of Baca, Tanaka and others, accusing them of fostering a culture in which deputies were permitted to beat and humiliate inmates, cover up misconduct and form aggressive deputy cliques in the Los Angeles County jails. Tanaka came under harsh criticism from investigators for helping to promote the corrosive culture that contributed to many of the jails' problems. Current and retired sheriff's officials have blamed Tanaka for some of the department's woes, saying that he openly fostered a climate in which deputies engaged in aggressive policing that violated the law and department policies. Sheriff's officials rejected that criticism, saying that Tanaka was a well-respected leader in the department.

Gardena street may be Obama namesake

Daily Breeze 02/26/09

President Barack Obama could soon have more in common with Martin Van Buren than sharing the same residence.

One already has a street named after him in Gardena, and the other may soon be bestowed with the same honor.

Gardena City Councilman Steve Bradford on Tuesday proposed naming a two-block stretch of 132nd Street after the 44th president.

Obama Way would run past an elementary school and a park, from Ardath to Western avenues, Bradford said.

"This is not a political issue. This is cultural, historical," Bradford said. "I believe in giving people their due while they're here. I've run it by people and they've said, `Yes, the Obama Way.' It's catchy to folks."

Bradford believes there is not enough recognition of blacks in the community. Naming a street after the first black president would be a start, he said.

"How much do you know about contributions African- Americans have made?" Bradford said. "They don't tell you about George Washington Carver in school, or that a black man invented the cell phone. There are plenty of African-Americans who should have things named after them. This is one that is easier for people."

Bradford has been a strong supporter of Obama. He was chosen as a 35th Congressional District delegate for Obama at the Democratic National Convention. At the request of Obama administration officials, he applied for a job with the new administration.

Mayor Paul Tanaka did not say whether he supported the name change, but directed city staff to study the recommendation and report back to the council within two months.

"This has to be done very thoroughly and thoughtfully," Tanaka said. "It's important we don't make a unilateral decision citing history or a historical occasion. I've asked the city manager to put together a responsible group of individuals from the city to write an objective feasibility study."

Tanaka said he wants to know what it would cost to change the name, and whether it would affect any businesses or homes on the street.

City Manager Mitch Lansdell said he will assemble a list of legal and procedural requirements to change the name in the next few days.

"We've done it before and there is a process of notification and hearings," Lansdell said. "The city doesn't currently have a policy on naming."

In recent years, the city has renamed parts of streets after Huatabampo, a Gardena sister city in Mexico, and Chuck Nader, a former councilman and business owner.

Bradford said there are no addresses on that section of 132nd Street, so it would have a small impact.

"Finding the street is the easy part," Bradford said. "Getting consensus with council members and staff to move forward - that's where the challenge will be. I don't think there's going to be too many residents or businesses who are going to be opposed."

Bradford may already have a majority of support on the City Council for the street name change.
Councilwoman Rachel Johnson and Councilman Dan Medina said they like the idea.

"Having a street named after a newly elected president who has broken a lot of ground seems appropriate," Medina said. "As long as it doesn't cost a lot."

If the recommendation is approved, Bradford said he would invite the Obama family to the street name dedication. But he thinks the president would probably not want the recognition.

"If it was up to him, he'd probably say: `I don't need anything named after me,"' Bradford said.

Ikejiri might run for Gardena mayor

By Sandy Mazza, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 07/26/2008 09:11:52 PM PDT

A Gardena councilman has pulled nomination papers for the seat vacated recently by Oscar Medrano, fueling speculation that he could be among mayoral contenders next year.
If Ron Ikejiri were to win Medrano's seat, he would be able to secure a spot on the council while also taking a chance on the mayor's race.

Ikejiri said he hasn't decided if he will run in the Nov. 4 special election to fill Medrano's post - the deadline to file is Aug. 8 - but he is one of several would-be contenders showing early interest.

Five others also have taken out nomination papers for the seat Medrano relinquished two days before he was arrested and subsequently charged with 12 counts of child molestation. He pleaded guilty to two of the charges on June 27, and was sentenced to eight years in state prison.
The winner of the special election will serve out the remainder of Medrano's term, which expires in 2011.

The city's regular election is in March 2009, when Mayor Paul Tanaka's post and two City Council seats - those now held by Ikejiri and Steve Bradford - will be up for grabs.

Ikejiri and Bradford each claims the other wants to run for mayor in March, and may be eyeing Medrano's seat as an insurance policy. Otherwise, they would have to forfeit their council seats to run for mayor in March.

"I am sure there will be several candidates who will run in the November special election," Ikejiri said in a written response to questions about why he took out papers. "My guess is Steve Bradford probably is one of them since he asked the city attorney to research whether an incumbent council member can run or not."

Ikejiri said he will probably run for mayor if Tanaka doesn't.

Bradford did not respond to questions about whether he will run in the special election or for mayor.

"This is not about me," Bradford said. "Whatever I run for in March, I plan on winning."
Tanaka did not return calls for comment.

Dan Medina, a spokesman for the Normandie Casino who plans to to run for Medrano's seat, said he expects Ikejiri and Bradford to jump into the race.

"I'm just taking it with a grain of salt," Medina said. "My take is that Ikejiri and Bradford are going to run for mayor and they want to make sure that, if they run and lose, that they still have their seat open. More than likely it'll be more difficult, but I'm going to just try harder and keep my nose to the grindstone."

Medina has run in the past two elections, coming in third in a race for two seats last year.

Tasha Cerda, the president of Holly Park Homeowners Association who also ran last year, expects to join the race as well. She said her campaign will be more difficult if the two sitting councilmen run.

"That would make a big difference in the way the election goes," she said. "My strategy is to give it 100 percent. I'd have to do it 200 percent this time around."

Shannon Lawrence, a planning and environmental quality commissioner who is supported by Bradford and Councilwoman Rachel Johnson, said his campaign is already in full swing.

"In November, (Ikejiri's) a candidate just like I am. At the end of the day, I think people will vote on who they think is most qualified for the seat and, from what I'm hearing, that person is me," Lawrence said.

Lawrence works as a policy analyst in the Los Angeles Mayor's Office.

Art Kaskanian, also a planning and environmental quality commissioner, also has taken out papers. He owns Sam's Auto Land, an auto repair shop in the city.

Mina Semenza, a Realtor and former planning and environmental quality commissioner, said she will file her nomination papers and run in the election. She ran in 2003, and is president of the YWCA of Gardena Valley.

Semenza said she will run the same campaign whether or not the incumbents decide to run.
sandy.mazza@dailybreeze.com

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GardenaWatch: Police Gang Discovered

GardenaWatch: Police Gang Discovered

Tanaka says he told Medrano not to talk to haulers

From an article in The Daily Breezee 03/15/07

Daily Breeze - Torrance, Calif.
Author: Gene Maddaus STAFF WRITER
Date: Mar 15, 2007
Text Word Count: 593
Abstract (Document Summary)

Gardena Mayor Paul Tanaka said he warned Councilman Oscar Medrano not to meet privately with two trash haulers in January, marking the first time Tanaka has expressed any disapproval of the meeting.

Tanaka was also critical of Daily Breeze coverage of the issue, which he said made Medrano look like "some kind of buffoon and a crook." Tanaka also strenuously objected to being linked to the trash situation, saying it made him look bad in the community.

A week before Medrano met with the haulers, Tanaka removed the termination notice from the council's agenda, without explanation. Had Tanaka allowed discussion to proceed that night, Medrano would have had no leverage with which to negotiate the following week.

Gardena City Council weighs trash deal to help company

The firm that picks up residents' garbage is losing money; city leaders may try to help.
By Sandy MazzaStaff Writer (Daily Breeze 06/14/07)

The Gardena City Council rejected a rate-increase request from its residential trash hauler, Phoenix Waste and Recycling Services, but is instead considering suspending $160,000 in fees.
The council voted Tuesday to postpone its decision until the June 26 meeting and asked City Manager Mitch Lansdell to discuss alternatives with the trash hauler, which has said it's financially strapped.

The company is contractually entitled to raise customers' rates by 58 cents a month this year, but it asked for a much larger increase from the current $14.25 a month to $18.36.
Instead, the city proposed suspending two fees charged to the company - for the city's household hazardous waste and recycling compliance programs - totaling $80,000 a year for two years.

The council "directed me to go back to discuss with Phoenix some alternatives to the current proposal of suspending fees for two years. I'm not sure what form that will take," Lansdell said.
He said it may be similar to sales-tax-rebate programs the city has had with other businesses, such as its two card clubs and a Target retail store. In those cases, the companies were expected to return the money when business improved.

"They pay a fee to the city based on their gross receipts. The city returned a portion of that. … When their business grew to a certain level, they paid it back."

Though the city is not required to assist these businesses, it does so "to be a good business partner," Mayor Paul Tanaka said.

"This could be the city's way of `investing' in the trash company with the idea of ensuring their financial well-being so they can do the service needed to be done with no unnecessary (rate) increases," Tanaka said.

Phoenix Waste has struggled with finances and reports of improperly influencing council members since it won the trash-hauling contract in 2005.

The company may have been doomed from the start in bidding on a city proposal that was not viable, Phoenix Waste Vice President Haig Papaian said.

"We made a mistake in our books but not in our service," Papaian said.

He said unexpected increases in gas and dump fees, among other things, have caused the company to lose more than $400,000 a year on this contract.

Phoenix agreed to a low fee - compared with surrounding cities - for its services when it won the contract in 2005 because council members said they would not accept any bidders that would charge more than the monthly rate that the former hauler charged, Lansdell said.

When the city sent out the request for proposals in 2005, Gardena wanted a trash and recycling system that separates solid waste from recyclables for a monthly cost to the consumer of $13.60.

"That was the rate Waste Management was giving at the time," Lansdell said, though he acknowledged that Waste Management did not offer three carts or automated trucks.

Phoenix was the only company that agreed to the low rate. Papaian said he knew the figure was low but thought the company could eventually make a profit.

"We didn't know fuel (and dump fees) would go up that much," Papaian said.

Some residents said they were disappointed with Phoenix Waste's requests for raises above the allowances in their city contract.

"Trash always seems to be a problem in the city," resident Steve Sherman said. "These were business people. … They must not have known what they were doing when they took this contract if they're defaulting now."

Papaian's contributions to council members' campaigns before his company got the contract have become the focus of controversy.

He said he donated to the campaigns of of Mayor Paul Tanaka, Councilman Steve Bradford and Councilwoman Rachel Johnson in 2004 because he wanted to contribute to the city, not because he wanted to influence their future votes. None of his direct contributions, which totaled $3,000 to council members, were illegal.

"There were no illegal campaign contributions done. We did not contribute to anyone on this council while we had this contract," Papaian said.

The council gave the city's commercial trash hauler, Waste Resources Inc., a five-year termination notice this year because of complaints with its service, Lansdell said. Lansdell said Waste Resources also asked for a rate increase, and that request will be decided by the council in the next few months.