VNY CAC Chair Loses Challenge After Repeatedly Removing Complaint About Himself

 

iSpyVNY news - April 8, 2026

 

Van Nuys, CA — A routine approval of meeting minutes escalated into a months‑long conflict-of-interest dispute at the Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council (VNY CAC), after the Chair repeatedly removed an attachment concerning a complaint about his own conduct and refused calls to recuse himself.

 

The issue began at the January CAC meeting, when member Alicia Avery read a statement into the public record documenting the lack of response to a member‑conduct complaint she filed in November 2025 against Chair Jason Price, an appointee of Mayor Karen Bass. The statement was accepted and slated to be attached to the January minutes.

 

When the February packet was released in its open meeting, the January minutes included the attachment as recorded. However, the advisory council’s Parliamentarian later asserted that Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12th Edition (RONR), prohibited the attachment, a claim observers said was incorrect as asserted, and approval of the minutes was postponed to March.

 

“The Parliamentarian often misquotes the governing documents and then fails to produce the rule he cites to substantiate the claim,” said Suzanne Gutierrez, co‑founder of Fumefighters United VNY, who livestreams every CAC meeting for stakeholders who cannot attend.

 

At the March meeting, members discovered that the Chair had issued a new version of the January minutes with the attachment removed, without Council approval. When questioned, Price repeated the Parliamentarian’s claim that Robert’s Rules barred including the statement. CAC member Tom Materna objected, noting that the Chair has no authority to modify minutes without a majority vote of the Council. The vote was deferred again, and the Chair agreed to bring the relevant rule to the April meeting.

 

“We’ll have the documentation to support it at the next meeting.”, Price stated at the March 3 meeting. 

 

But at the April 7 meeting, the attachment was again missing from the minutes. While Price cited RONR §63:2, which protects member’s privacy, he failed to produce the documentation promised and refused to recuse himself despite multiple requests. 

 

“When you’re wrong you need to back it up”, responded Materna to the lack of documentary support.

 

Steve Brackett, a council district six appointee on the CAC, stated that he has concern that the person who is the subject of the complaint is also the one making the decisions. Other members concurred.

 

“I agree with Steve”, said R.Mann, a council district 5 representative, “the Chair needs to recuse himself in this particular instance.”

 

Members noted that the privacy rule Price cited can be suspended by majority vote. More importantly, they said, it does not apply because the Ralph M. Brown Act requires CAC business to be conducted in open session, which they argue includes conduct complaints. 

 

“The Brown Act (§54957(b)(4)) only protect employees and explicitly excludes members of legislative bodies from the privilege of closed session when it comes to complaints.”, said Materna.

 

Avery came prepared to the April 7 meeting with the original January minutes showing the attachment had been properly included before the Chair’s edits.  Despite the members producing print-outs of the cited Brown Act codes and relevant Robert’s Rules sections supporting the statement’s inclusion, the Chair refused to step aside. When Avery moved to make a motion to approve the minutes in its original form, with her conduct statement, Price blocked her again.

 

“That motion would be out of order.”, Price quickly responded.

 

Ultimately, a motion was made and seconded to approve the January minutes with the original attachment restored, passing 8–1 and ending the standoff.

 

While that meeting‑minutes dispute is resolved, residents are calling for the Chair’s removal and questioning the integrity of leadership.

 

“Jason Price should be removed as Chair for repeatedly abusing the authority of that role and failing to carry out his basic duties,” Cathy Perenchio wrote in a public comment that was shared with iSpyVNY by a CAC member prior to LAWA’s public posting.

 

“The bullying and attempts to silence Ms. Avery are undeniable and unacceptable,” wrote a public commenter identified as Fernando in another comment the CAC member shared with the newsroom ahead of LAWA’s public posting. “What may have been a situation that could have been resolved with an apology … escalated into an abusive situation at the hands of Mr. Price and the city employees enabling his … behavior.”

 

Mr. Price could not be reached for comment before publication.