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Several members of the city council appear to believe that having won their individual elections, they are now free to do whatever they want as long as they can somehow achieve a majority vote of councilmembers.

Residents' input at council meetings appears to have little effect. Councilmembers have a sort of a "Don't bother me with the facts. I've already made up my mind" attitude.

Perhaps it is time to remind our councilmembers that they were elected to represent Alameda residents and further, that they are expected to base their actions and decisions on two very important documents: the City Charter and the General Plan. Both documents are on the city's website under "key documents."

The City Charter deals with the organization of the city government; the duties and responsibilities of both the elected and employed offi cials; the limits of those duties; and defi nitions of relevant terms like "undue infl uence."

The Alameda General Plan (written with major resident input) is supposed to provide guidance in making choices about "...activities that shape the city of Alameda's physical environment."

This document is detailed, well organized and specifi c in both statements of policy and in specifi c directions for enactment of those policies.

All three major elements of Ron Cowan's now infamous swap project would fail when compared to the standards set forth in the General Plan. Each element would fail as a separate entity and the entire swap project would be impossible to support if it were to be presented to the Planning Board by the actual developer as it normally would be.

However, in this case developer Ron Cowan and/or Harbor Bay Isle Associates has managed to have the city of Alameda via actions by a majority of city councilmembers now acting as the lead agency in this three-pronged project — giving every appearance of offi cial support for it and apparently now involving staff to provide documentation for that support.

How have we come to the point where Ron Cowan no longer has to present and justify and defend in detail his involved and multifaceted swap project before the Planning Board?

What justifi cation is there for the city via its councilmembers to be acting as the lead agency and thereby giving all appearance of support to a project clearly favorable only to the developer and clearly opposed by an overwhelming majority of residents who will be directly affected by that swap project?

It would appear that Cowan has an amazing ability to infl uence a majority of the city council.

Maybe it is time we asked if this has reached the status of undue- infl uence (direct or indirect) as addressed by our City Charter in Section 22.

Dot Moody is an Alameda resident.