 | | | Council Member Cam Burks announces resignation at virtual council meeting. Photo provided | | | | | | At the July 12 city council meeting there will be an empty seat on the virtual dais. At the June 28 council meeting Council Member Cameron Burks announced his immediate resignation from the council, effective at 9 a.m. June 29.
"There is no place like our town," Burks said. "I urge everyone to get involved and to volunteer. It's our organic community-based leadership that has really brought us to where we are. It's vital for it to continue." He cited a decision to spend more time with his family as the primary reason for his departure.
Elected to the council in 2016, Burks during his terms has served as Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council Member, Chair of the City Council Public Safety and Legislative Committees, and primary Council liaison to the city's Crime Prevention Commission & Emergency Preparedness Commission.
Mayor Susan Candell said in the meeting she wished she could convince him to "take [his resignation] back." In an email sent in response to a request for comments about how the city will fill the vacancy, Candell wrote, "We have policies and state laws that govern how to replace City Councilmembers, and we will be reviewing and discussing them at our next meeting."
About Burks' contributions to the city, Candell said feedback she has received from the public since the announcement indicate the community respects and appreciates his dedication to the city and understands the decision was difficult. "We will miss his powerful presence and great leadership that has benefited Lafayette in so many ways during his time on Council," said Candell. "We all wish him the best, and hope he can return to City Council someday!"
Burks, in an email after the meeting, wrote, "The decision wasn't sudden.?I gave it a lot of thought.?This was the hardest decision that I've made in public service, and I served for over a decade as an American diplomat.?I made a commitment to this community when I was elected and I don't take this lightly; these are my neighbors and my friends that I was working for.?After serious thought, I came to the conclusion that I needed to focus on my family, and that I needed to calibrate in a substantive way.?This drove me to step down.?This is an important positive in my life and I believe that everyone should always be able, and feel confident, to pivot when it comes to taking care of your spouse and kids."
Invited to share one highlight from his terms of service, Burks' said: "Being with the people of Lafayette. Spending time, in person, online, one-on-one or in a group, with the residents and business people of our city.?There is nothing I enjoyed more than just having a cup of coffee and talking.?I learned so much from so many people every single day of my time in office. It helped me govern better and it helped me stay grounded and balanced in my long-term vision and strategies for the future of our community.?I will really miss doing this."
Burks said he will spend the time that otherwise would have been consumed by his duties on the council by attending high school football and lacrosse games, cooking dinners (and doing the dishes), caring for his spouse and children, and traveling on college tours. In promising continued support and activism within the community, he said, "I won't be disappearing, I'll be around.?Just look for that green `Love Lafayette' baseball cap and me having coffee and reading the paper early on Saturday and Sunday mornings at Papillon.?Please say hi!"
Vice Mayor Teresa Gerringer, council members Carl Anduri and Gina Dawson, and city manager Niroop Srivatsa, at the June 28 meeting, expressed their respect for Burks' courageous choice and their continued reliance on Burks for advice, which will likely mean you will not often find him sitting alone while perusing the daily headlines of the local paper. |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA