Agoura City Councistarted it . . .

Thank you for your editorial concerning the city of Agoura Hills and the business community. I do have one comment about what I believe to be a factual inaccuracy.

I served on the Chamber board of directors several years ago when Alex Soteras was president. During that time, the city regularly sent a council member (Ed Corridori) to the Chamber board meetings and also gave limited financial support to the Chamber. We also had meetings with city employees, who were truthful in telling us what the council members thought of us but would not say to our face.

For example, the council felt that it was not the Chamber's place to honor teachers, sheriffs or firefighters, and that the Chamber should not spend its money on such events. I repeatedly told the Chamber board that I felt the city showed by its actions against businesses in the community that it did not support that community and took it for granted, that the city's token financial support to the Chamber was not worth the strings and red tape that came with it, and that the Chamber should refuse the city's money and advise the community at large that the city is hostile to business.

My suggestions were rejected repeatedly, and it was Alex Soteras who led the charge against my position because he felt the Chamber should have a good relationship with the city. Thus, while the community may suffer from the conflict between the Chamber and the city, and in spite of my entreaties to Alex and the Chamber to start shooting, the first volley in the battle was not lobbed by the Chamber.

I simply think that the city started talking the same antibusiness line that it had been walking since it was incorporated.

With the new business task force, it appears that the city has decided again to pay lip service to the business community. However, I hope that the electorate focuses on the city's actions rather than its words and task forces. Kenneth W. Kossoff Oak Park