He’s a doll!

There was a reason why most of the Chico City Council members and city staff at Tuesday’s meeting were wearing Hawaiian shirts: It was Councilman Steve Bertagna’s last full meeting after three terms, and it was their way of honoring a man who often came to meetings looking like a floral bouquet.

In addition to donning his signature garb, Councilman Tom Nickell, with whom Bertagna has long had a friendly rib-a-thon, gave him a farewell gift that he pulled out of a brown shopping bag. “We aren’t going to miss you, Steve,” Nickell said, “but we wanted to give you this anyway.” He then handed Bertagna a mini-Steve doll, complete with goatee, shiny pate and glasses.

It got a big laugh from the crowd that had packed council chambers for a disc-golf hearing. When Nickell took his seat, Bertagna pointed at the doll and riposted: “Even this Steve is smarter than you are, Tom.”