In the wake of Yucca Valley Town Manager Mark Nuaimi’s being placed on administrative leave, and his apparent impending firing, Z107.7 news got some reaction from both Town officials and recall proponents. Z107.7 News Managing Editor Tami Roleff spoke with both the Town Mayor Merl Abel and recall proponent Ron Cohen…
Yucca Valley Mayor Merl Abel said he could not discuss any details about what prompted the Town Council to hold a special meeting last week to place Town Manager Mark Nuaimi on administrative leave. But he did say that he called the meeting after he was approached by at least one council member. Abel said the council will meet in closed session again before their regular meeting on Tuesday, and then will discuss in open session any changes the council has decided in closed session to make to the Town Manager’s contract. Ron Cohen, who is leading the recall effort to recall council members George Huntington and Robert Lombardo, said the Council’s actions to place Nuaimi on administrative leave will have no effect on the recall, saying the council members are being recalled for the decisions they made, not those actions made by the town manager, who Cohen stressed works for the council. Abel said while he wasn’t surprised that the recall effort is continuing, he does not support it. Cohen denied that he wanted to be hired as to replace Nuaimi as town manager, saying he’s retired. Cohen would not disclose how many names the recall supporters have collected on their petitions, but he did say that they were aiming higher than the minimum amount, and he didn’t think there would be any problem getting the required number of signatures.
