Local California official resigns after throwing cat in online meeting

VALLEJO, Calif. — A planning commissioner of Vallejo, Calif., has resigned after throwing his pet cat and apparently drinking a beer during a Zoom meeting between city officials that was made public, according to a newspaper report.

During the April 20 teleconference of the city’s Planning Commission, Chris Platzer announced, “I’d like to introduce my cat,” and then picked up his pet before suddenly tossing the animal off-screen.

Platzer was seen sipping from a green bottle during the meeting, the Times-Herald reported. After the conference ended he could be heard making derogatory remarks. “I’m going to call (expletive) on you little (expletive),” according to the original commission meeting video released by the Northern California city.

In an email to the Times-Herald on Saturday, Platzer said he has resigned from the planning commission, effective immediately. The resignation came days before the City Council was set to consider a resolution removing him from the seven-person panel, the newspaper said.

“I did not conduct myself in the Zoom meeting in a manner befitting of a planning commissioner and apologize for any harm I may have inflicted,” Platzer wrote in the email. “I serve at the pleasure of the council and no longer have that trust and backing. I extend my gratitude to those who have supported me during my tenure. I have always felt that serving Vallejo in a voluntary position is honorable because Vallejo is worth serving. We are all living in uncertain times and I certainly, like many of you, am adjusting to a new normalcy.”

Vallejo spokesperson Christina Lee told the Times-Herald the city was still attempting to confirm if Platzer had officially resigned from the commission. Platzer couldn’t be reached for comment on Saturday.

Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan said Friday decorum needs to be followed for each and every public meeting.

“This hurts the credibility of the city,” Sampayan added. “What happens if a developer is watching the meeting (and sees that)? They would obviously have concerns about the city.”