Efren Carrillo's return to work exposes challenges

She said she doesn't see how Carrillo, whom she referred to as one of the county's five bosses, can continue in his role as a supervisor if he's "barred from essentially a segment of (his) company."

Supervisor Mike McGuire listed the budget, roads and an online permitting system as among the major initiatives the board will tackle in coming months.

"Honestly, there are going to be some challenges," McGuire said of the board's interaction with Carrillo on those matters.

Zane and Supervisor Susan Gorin, the two women on the board, said they don't want Carrillo to be involved in county matters pertaining to sexual assault or substance abuse. But Gorin on Thursday acknowledged they lack the power to enforce those wishes.

Gorin said the board "will be forced to work together" now that it's clear Carrillo has no intention of resigning. "The relationship will be strained, but we were elected to do a job, and that's exactly what we're going to be doing," she said.

She said the community, however, "is not quite ready to move on and embrace the presence of Supervisor Carrillo. We'll work through that carefully."

Another place Carrillo is unwelcome is at Verity, the Santa Rosa-based rape crisis, trauma and healing center. Christine Castillo, the executive director and a former Carrillo supporter, on Tuesday publicly called for the 5th District supervisor to resign.

In an interview, she described how Carrillo came to her home when he was first considering running for public office and sat down with Castillo and her husband to discuss his future plans. "Both of us said, 'We're so thrilled, we're so excited you're going to do this,'" Castillo said.

Now, Castillo said, "I have no compassion for him at all because of the work I do."

Carrillo's critics are urging the board to remove him from committee assignments or take other steps limiting his role. Per county rules, the board's chairman makes committee recommendations, which are then voted on by the board, a process that normally happens in January.

It's less clear what the rules are for removing a supervisor from a committee, as it's never happened, according to Goldstein, the county counsel. He said Rabbitt likely would have to make the recommendation for it to be voted upon by the entire board.

Carrillo's appointment early this year to the Sonoma Clean Power board has provoked the most controversy. Board members for the power agency, including representatives from the county and five cities, have scheduled time at their June 5 meeting to discuss Carrillo.

Cotati City Councilman Mark Landman, the agency's vice chairman, said he requested the agenda item out of concern people are opting out of Sonoma Clean Power because Carrillo sits on the board. Landman said he's come across "lots of people who say they have opted out, or will opt out, because Supervisor Carrillo is on the board."

However, without the authority to remove Carrillo, Landman said the power agency's options are limited. It can ask him to step down, write a letter of condemnation or appeal to Rabbitt to remove Carrillo, Landman said.

Carrillo said he has no intention of stepping down voluntarily from Sonoma Clean Power, a venture he said he was "instrumental in creating." He said he's not seen any "tangential relationship" between his membership on the board and people opting out of the program.

"If the chairman (Rabbitt) says, 'Hey Efren, you're not able to serve the interests of that authority,' then I'll have that conversation. But that has not occurred," he said.

Carrillo said he's also not planning to step away from any other committee assignments, including the county's Upstream Investments program, which directs public resources to programs that head off future costs in criminal justice, social service and public health programs.

Rabbitt, for his part, said he's not inclined to remove Carrillo from any of his committee roles.

"I don't know if that would help, by pulling him out of assignments," Rabbitt said. "I don't think we should sanction or shun a fellow elected official. Ultimately, that's up to the electorate."

Carrillo attended a full schedule of meetings Wednesday and Thursday on a wide array of topics.

Landman, who attended a meeting of the county's Local Agency Formation Committee with Carrillo, said the supervisor seemed unusually "quiet and tense."

But Mendocino County Supervisor Dan Hamburg, who was present with Carrillo the same day at a meeting in Santa Rosa on broadband Internet access, described Carrillo as being "totally on point."

"He contributed mightily to the meeting, as he has in every public meeting I've attended with Efren through this nightmare," Hamburg said. "He's totally there."

Hamburg decried the criticism being leveled at Carrillo, calling it "over the top" and "so minor, so infinitesimal" compared with what former President Bill Clinton did in the Oval Office. "And yet Bill Clinton is a hero of the Democratic Party," Hamburg said.

He said if Carrillo's colleagues can't work with him, "it's their fault" and "shame on them."

Carrillo described the past two days as "business as usual." He said he also made time Thursday to attend a noontime session related to his ongoing treatment for alcoholism.

"I am putting my best foot forward. I can only take that one day at a time," he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Derek Moore at 521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @deadlinederek.