A special meeting called to resolve an internal squabble — in which La Jolla Town Council’s president and most of its executive board resigned — concluded with a group censure of its immediate past president and reinstatement of most of the resigned officers to their previous positions, including Cindy Greatrex as president. Rick Wildman was overwhelmingly censured by the council for unbecoming conduct at an August executive board meeting during which board member John Weinstein asserted Wildman used “bullying tactics” aimed at forcing Greatrex to resign. First vice president Ken King, however — whom some feared would replace Greatrex in a council “coup” — denied the allegation and voluntarily stepped down from his post at the special meeting. King said he had neither the experience nor the inclination to lead the group. “I’m simply here to clear the air,” he said. “I never wanted to be president of this group. I think this council needs a clean slate — a new beginning.” In the end, there were more questions than answers following the special meeting, which audience member Melinda Merryweather characterized as “the most disturbing thing that’s ever taken place at our Town Council.” In existence since 1950, the dues-paying La Jolla Town Council’s mission statement states it is a volunteer organization serving residents and businesses as a “unifying voice on behalf of the entire La Jolla community.” But dissension was clear following an early August executive board meeting during which Wildman challenged Greatrex’s leadership of the group, criticizing her on a number of issues, which Weinstein said “seemed trivial, manufactured.” “I do not believe he (Wildman) conducted himself in a professional manner,” said council secretary Sonia Olivas. “I felt Cindy (Greatrex) did not deserve that and La Jolla deserved better.” King was castigated by the group at the Sept. 4 special meeting for repeatedly missing meetings and for failing to answer emails and phone calls questioning his chronic absences. King replied he had accepted the position as first vice president on the “understanding” that a number of temporary personal commitments — a long-planned vacation, his daughter’s wedding and the demands of a business retrenchment — would preclude his being involved much with council business his first 90 days in office. Weinstein said King had discussed his commitment “limitations” only with Wildman and not with the rest of the council leadership. “Hindsight’s always 20/20,” King said. “I had a conversation with Cindy a few days before she resigned, agreeing to resign [myself] — and then she resigned instead.” Called to task for his behavior, Wildman, an attorney, gave a rambling discourse touching on a variety of subjects including the war in Vietnam, Jim Jones and the Jonestown massacre in Guyana and his law experiences. “As past president, my job is to advise and guide — that’s what I was doing,” said Wildman in his own defense. Wildman said his remarks at the council’s August board meeting were intended to impress upon Greatrex and others that they needed to work harder to better the community, including being more proactive in fundraising. Wildman said he thought the council was solvent when he became its president, but said he learned shortly thereafter that there is an outstanding debt of $10,000 owed to Gail Forbes who performed a number of tasks for the group over the years. One point of contention between Greatrex and Wildman was a plaque in the council offices inscribed with the names of previous council presidents. Wildman charged Greatrex with being remiss in taking prompt action to have his name added to the plaque after he left office, arguing it was a simple matter. Greatrex replied she was attempting to have Wildman’s name inscribed on the plaque, but added it was not a simple task as the all of the plaque names were in one particular script, and the company that had inscribed them all was no longer in business so it took awhile to find a replacement company that could do the job properly. Asked whether he thought Greatrex was owed an apology, Wildman said, “I think I could have handled it differently. Perception is everything. If I created the perception that I was angry … I went about it the wrong way and I apologize.” Following the council’s vote to censure Wildman for his previous actions, the question was posed as to what consequences that judgment carries. Councilmember Peter Wulff said censure exacts no specific penalty, but is meant rather to serve as a warning that the misbehavior being cited was inappropriate and would no longer be tolerated. “The perception with trustees is that we don’t want to see behavior like this ever happen again,” said councilmember Steve Haskins. “What we need to do is set a standard here.” King warned he felt Wildman’s censure might have a “chilling” effect on councilmembers speaking their minds in the future. Weinstein said Wildman’s censured comments and behavior clearly exceeded the bounds of propriety. “He was bullying her (Greatrex) out of office,” he said. “It was clear to the other people there besides him.” At the end of the special meeting, Haskins was elected first vice president, Wulff as second vice president, Sonia Olivas as secretary and Yolanda De Riquer as treasurer.