Diane Trautman was a hard-working, well-prepared planning commissioner, colleagues and city observers say.

But she endorsed two Santa Clarita City Council challengers during an anti-incumbency movement in the spring election season — challengers who could have unseated the council member who appointed her.

That political decision cost her a third term, according to the appointing council member.

 Political embarrassment
Councilwoman Marsha McLean, who had named Trautman to the four-year Planning Commission post twice before and won re-election in April, said Thursday that to appoint Trautman again would be “embarrassing.”

“Diane made a political choice to endorse the challengers who wanted to see the incumbents replaced,” McLean said. “I did not want to embarrass myself or (Trautman) by submitting her name. Any time you appoint someone to a position, and they endorse challengers who could knock you out of the position, you’ve made your choice.”

Trautman backed challengers David Gauny and TimBen Boydston, as well as McLean, during the campaign for three of five council seats. Gauny and Boydston waged vigorous campaigns to unseat the incumbents, who included Mayor Laurene Weste and Councilman Frank Ferry, as well as McLean.

Gauny came close to the number of votes garnered by Ferry, who barely campaigned. McLean in particular won a resounding victory.

Regarding Trautman’s endorsement of her, McLean said: “That’s very nice, but this was a huge anti-incumbency campaign that she was a part of.

“It would have been embarrassing to me (to try to re-appoint her) when I had a feeling that the other (City Council) members wouldn’t support it. The better thing for (Trautman) and for me would be to not” attempt to re-appoint her.

Claims of law violation
McLean would not comment on whether she spoke to Ferry or Weste before the August council meeting, when appointments were made. Ferry and Weste have also declined to comment on whether there was such a discussion.

But some Trautman defenders claim the appointment issue was discussed among members before the August meeting.

Discussing an item outside a publicly noticed meeting would be a violation of the state’s open-meeting law, the Brown Act.

Trautman has said McLean told her that the City Council was very upset over Trautman’s involvement in the challengers’ races.

 “This explains a lot,” defeated challenger Gauny said Tuesday night, addressing the council during its meeting. “Perhaps … (City) Council members are discussing their votes before our (public) has ever had a chance to be heard.”

The Brown Act, City Manager Ken Pulskamp said Tuesday night, makes it “illegal for two or more City Council members to discuss an item outside the publicly noticed meeting.

“If there’s any real evidence that something ... has taken place, there’s ways to file complaints through the (Fair Political Practices Commission),” Pulskamp said. “But as far as I know, the council is very aware of that law and goes to great extremes to make sure it adheres to it at all times.”

Hard-working commissioner
Trautman — who ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the City Council in 2008 — said she enjoyed serving people in the community.

“I liked the work,” she said of the Planning Commission position. “I felt I was doing a good job. I did my homework, I prepared questions, I listened to people.”

Her colleagues agreed.

“You know what stands out? The immense preparation that she did for every project we did. She got into it and came with a load of questions,” Commissioner Bill Kennedy said. “What I most respected and admired about that is: It was very helpful to the overall process. She caused all of us to elevate our game accordingly.”

Fellow Planning Commissioner Tim Burkhart said Trautman was very committed.

“She worked hard to get the most out of every project for the community,” Burkhart said. “Diane was certainly on the environmental side of things. You were going to have to satisfy her to get her buy-in on it.

“(Trautman) and I often disagreed, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have a lot of respect for what she brought to the table at all.”

Frequent city critic Carole Lutness said Trautman’s decisions “came from a place of integrity.”

“She spent incredible hours doing homework, being thoughtful,” Lutness said.

Berta Gonzalez-Harper, another council-watcher, said Trautman represented people like her.

“She asked a lot of questions,” Gonzalez-Harper said. “She frequently asked for more concessions from developments. She was an independent voice on the Planning Commission.”