Grumblings in city hall

It seems a 4-1 divide within the La Puente City Council is getting deeper.

Councilwoman Lola Storing is accusing her colleagues of putting the city in jeopardy over a closed session meeting held last month.

Storing said she walked out of the April 22 meeting after City Attorney James Casso, City Manager Carol Cowley and Assistant City Manager Gregg Yamachika were asked to leave first.

She claims Mayor Louie Lujan asked the top execs and legal counsel "point blank" to leave the room. Councilman Dan Holloway said Lujan did want to discuss the items "as a council" only.

But Lujan said he never asked anyone to leave. "I asked the City Council if they were willing to discuss the item in closed session as a council only," he said.

Looks like everyone agreed except for Storing who didn't want to be back there without an attorney.

Smart move, according to Douglas Johnson, a fellow with the Rose Institute of State and Local Government who said he was "flabbergasted" (I know I must have butchered that word) after I explained the scenario. "It's not illegal, but it's risky," he said.

Look for the story in Wednesday's paper.