Councilwoman Winslow Insults Commenter on Hot Microphone
(APN) ATLANTA — Atlanta’s longest-serving current Councilmember, Cleta Winslow (District 4) continued to demonstrate her contempt for members of the public, when late last year she was caught on a hot microphone insulting a woman making public comment.
During the November 10, 2020 City Utilities Committee Meeting, Councilwoman Winslow could be overheard sighing and making derogatory remarks as public comments–which members of the public recorded on City voicemail–were aired.
In particular, Winslow ridiculed comments recorded by Kimberly Steele, then-Senior Policy Analyst for the Council for Quality Growth.
“People ain’t got nothing else to do, but I do. I got something else to do. She crazy,” Councilwoman Winslow is heard saying. The full exchange is posted below.
As previously, exclusively reported by Atlanta Progressive News, Councilwoman Winslow also attacked public commenters at the Oct. 31, 2018 Council Retreat, referring to members of the public as “people who are ill.”
“The asylum is being run by the people who are ill,” Winslow said at the time. “We are no longer running it.”
Council President Felicia Moore laughed at the time, adding, “That’ll be the quote of the day.” Councilmembers could be heard laughing. Not one member of the City Council said that they found the comment to be offensive or problematic.
Altogether, the incidents and the lack of appropriate response by Councilmembers or the Council President, basically suggests that the entire City Council and the Council President hate the public.
Community reaction to the recent Nov. 2020 comments came swiftly.
Senior Advocate Ben Howard, 87, sent an email to Councilmembers and Council staff before the meeting adjourned.
“Prior to the adjournment of the City Utilities Committee meeting of Tuesday November 10, 2020, please… [first,] provide Councilmember Cleta Winslow [Council District 4] to apologize for her interruptive commentary during Public Comment, and… [second,] replay that interrupted Public Comment in its pristine format.”
The City Utilities Committee adjourned without acknowledging or apologizing for Councilmember Winslow’s remarks.
Previously, during a meeting of the Committee on Council, APN’s News Editor asked Winslow to apologize for her Nov. 2018 comments, donating ten second of his public comment time to Winslow for that purpose. However, only silence could be heard.
Here’s a transcription of the more recent, Nov. 2020 exchange:
Kimberly Steele: “Madame Chair [Natalyn] Archibong and distinguished Council members. My name is Kimberly Steele, I’m a Senior policy analyst for the Council for Quality Growth. The Council for Quality Growth is a non-profit trade association representing a growth and development industry with the metro Atlanta region. The Council appreciates the opportunity to engage with Interim Commissioner Browning, City officials, and members of the Utilities Committee on the proposed revisions to the Post Development Stormwater Management ordinance. We respectfully request that at this time, the City only make the necessary revisions to the Post Development Stormwater ordinance required to meet the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District’s model ordinance and to meet the requirements for the City’s MS4 permit. We recommend tabling any additional regulations for now to allow for further review and additional stakeholder involvement. Our organization recognizes…”
Councilmember Winslow: [sighs] “ahhh”
Steele: “…the City is grappling with long-term flooding issues that continues to impact the quality of life for thousands of residents within the City of Atlanta due to aging infrastructure and increased economic development. We want to ensure the City adopts a [sic] updated ordinance that…”
Councilmember Winslow: “whew Father… I’m telling you”
Steele: “… both meets the needs of the City, while… and improves the quality of life for the entire City. Now with the adoption of the revised Post Development Stormwater ordinance, the City should adopt a feasible… schedule for residential and commercial developers who have already invested in the City but had not accounted for the financial burden of these regulatory changes…”
Councilmember Winslow: “whew”
Steele: “…for a new or redevelopment project in the State…”
Councilmember Winslow: “we supposed to understand all this stuff today? Oh my God.”
Steele: [indiscernible]
Councilmember Winslow: “Whoo-hoo, hmm, hmm, hmm. Somebody got to have a damn Ph.D. on [indiscernible] control. This is ridiculous.”
Background: [laughter]
Councilmember Winslow: “Whew, this is… this is one piece of legislation!”
Unknown male speaker: “What?”
Councilmember Winslow: “One piece. People ain’t got nothing else to do, but I do. I got something else to do. Hmm, hmm, hmm. She crazy.”
Flooding and stormwater are huge issues in Atlanta, worthy of serious consideration by the Council.
As previously reported by APN, the City has undertaken to displace dozens of families from their homes through eminent domain, and threats of eminent domain, due to flooding in Atlanta’s Peoplestown neighborhood caused by haphazard development of the now-former Turner Field and its surrounding asphalt jungle.
Councilwoman Winslow is up for reelection in the Nov. 2021 Municipal Election. Jason Dozier, who forced Winslow into a Run-off in 2017, did not return a voicemail seeking comment left two days ago.
Despite her two documented attacks, Winslow claims to love her constituents. Previously, when Winslow resolved major ethics violations in 2012, she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper, “I spoil my constituents. I spoil them with food.”
(END / Copyright Atlanta Progressive News / 2021)