CHICO — The Chico City Council will hold a special meeting Wednesday evening — with an item to remove and replace Mayor Randall Stone effective immediately.

After Councilor Scott Huber asked Stone to step down form his position Monday, the council will now consider formal action in this meeting, Councilor Ann Schwab said.

Schwab put a formal request to the City Council on the agenda which she provided to this newspaper:

“The city of Chico is facing an unprecedented emergency in preventing the spread of COVID-19,” Schwab wrote.

“In these uncertain times, the community and council need a leader they can trust. The ability of the city to focus and operate effectively under Mayor Stone’s leadership has deteriorated to a level which hinders the city’s ability to operate smoothly and therefore constitutes its own emergency. Randall Stone has demonstrated an unwillingness to be accountable for his actions and has created an atmosphere of distrust so great that he can no longer effectively serve as mayor of the city of Chico. I request the council immediately consider the following steps:

Pass a vote of no confidence in Mayor Stone;

Issue a censure of Mayor Stone;

Select a new mayor for the city of Chico.”

Rather than wait for a second meeting to consider this action, Schwab added that she will call for a formal suspension of the rules in order to consider the item immediately at this meeting. The city council can immediately select a new mayor at this meeting.

Schwab clarified that an issue of censure is designed to remove Stone from the committees and boards which he currently serves on.

“It’s unprecedented,” Schwab said. “It’s not something I would choose to do lightly. … He has not demonstrated the qualities that are needed in times of crisis.”

Schwab’s action carries support from at least two other councilors.

Councilors Scott Huber and Sean Morgan both expressed their concern about whether to formally put discussions on the agenda of retracting a vote for the mayor a second time — after calling for the mayor to resign from his position in the midst of Chico’s response to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Both stated that they believe a new leader should be chosen by the council who is “better equipped,” as Huber put it, “to handle city business during a crisis.”

In response to Stone’s statement published in this newspaper Tuesday, Huber wrote:

“I have no desire to defame Mr. Stone, I believe he has a good heart and we share a number of ideals. We will need to work together throughout the balance of his term on the numerous challenges facing the community right now. But I think it is clear to the discerning reader of Mr. Stone’s belated ‘apology’ for what he now admits are mistruths, that his words, actions and behavior do not rise to that needed in a leader in a time of crisis.”

Huber and Morgan said Monday if the mayor did not step down, the council would next need to reconsider the previous votes for the mayor. Huber would need to take the same step Morgan did in September by calling for his vote for mayor to be reconsidered. Morgan said it would take further action and require Huber to formally put such an action on the agenda if Stone chose not to relinquish his position.

However, putting a formal request on the agenda for the council to pass a vote of no confidence in Stone is another way the council can immediately remove and replace the current mayor, Schwab said — “I believe we can.”

“Some people may be angry or disappointed at this action,” Schwab said. “I’ve been experiencing the same feelings for the last 16 months. The community needs to trust that they will receive honest information from their leaders. It needs a leader who will model and promote healthy dialogue.”

Special meeting items

Wednesday’s special meeting agenda includes a request from Stone and Vice Mayor Alex Brown to address eviction protections, support for the unhoused, including sanitation and shelter options or updates.

The council will consider adoption of a resolution ratifying and extending the proclamation of a local emergency regarding novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in a report by City Attorney Andrew Jared.

Per previous decisions about how the public might engage with city meetings without attending, city Clerk Debbie Presson advised that the city will be posting information along with the agenda on the website. An email system will be used for this meeting for the public to send all comments to during the meeting, at publiccomments@chicoca.gov, to be monitored at all times.

“In the future we will be using our Engage Chico (system). … It allows public input to be received prior to the start of the meeting,” Presson said.

The City Council’s regular meeting will not take place until April 7.