Magical Minute: Heads Up City Attorney

Like scratching and itch that had been just out of reach, the new Deputy Mayor Lisa Shaffer seized on a future agenda request that felt perfectly timely satisfying to this person watching.  It is time to assess the legal contracts within the City of Encinitas.

Boy Howdy! This is well overdue. Let the bright lights of open government shine on all of the legal services and effectiveness of these very highly paid services in house and outside. Glenn Sabine, not shown on camera, was said to have looked livid with eyes flashing and he began rocking back in his chair.  This is quite a different look from the face devoid of feeling, his regular demeanor.

Related News Update: Calaware has an article on government attorney billings being public.

An appellate court has concluded that bills submitted to state or local public agencies by attorneys for legal work are open to public review and copying and are not exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act’s protection for “records pertaining to pending litigation,” reports Kenneth Ofgang for the Metropolitan News-Enterprise in Los Angeles. The decision of the California Court of Appeal to that effect in County of Los Angeles v. Superior Court (Anderson-Barker) upheld the lower court’s ruling on the “records pertaining” exemption. The county chose not to appeal the lower court’s ruling that the billings were not protected by the attorney-client privilege either.

What about the Rats?

The City Manager Gus Vina cancelled the City Council Meeting scheduled for this Wednesday*.  He made this decision last Wednesday despite protest.  The official response from city staff when people notified by email called to enquire was that there just wasn't anything on the agenda.  As Vice Malarky President Joe Biden said in last week's VP debate, "malarky."

We wrote about the rats, the neighbor's dilemma following the Sept. 17 meeting.

The staff was to follow up on the neighbors' concerns in the case of the rat infested hoarder house at 703 Passiflora Avenue.  What's the story code enforcement?  More importantly, what's the story Glenn Sabine? As stated by the public speaker,

The Code Enforcement Staff were praised for working 100's of hours, diligently. But, it has wasted thousands of taxpayers dollars. The City Attorney is charged with failing the people of this city while protecting the property rights and privacy of the hoarder above all else.

This neighborhood has suffered for 4 years without a solution.  It has been 5 weeks since the item was placed on the future agenda list.

Rats indeed.

And here's a thought, what about a meeting devoted to oral communications? Like the January style Goal Setting?  Maybe to address what community members feel about progress on named goals?

No, the excuse offered was a facile one - we don't trust it for a minute.  This is political.  Mayor Stocks is under fire and is feeling sick. Apparently the City Manager is on board or on notice.  We can only guess as usual.

* Corrected to read Wednesday rather than today.

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Dump Stocks ~ Fire Muir ~ Stop Forrester  

We Write Letters

Update: Video Clip added 5/18/12, 11 am

Ideally, well composed commentaries and letters like this one will be seen in many different venues.  In the event that an Encinitas voter doesn't read the Coast News paper or hasn't paid the online fee to read these citizen-generated pieces, this blog might be the place a connection is made.   For that reason we are advocating redundancy.  Good stuff shouldn't go unread. 

Message from the Mayor: ‘Your input is unwelcome and irrelevant’ 
By C.J. Minster May 14, 2012

Once again the mayor of Encinitas has demonstrated his disdain for what you, as citizens of Encinitas, have to say.

At the May 9 Council meeting, a resident requested a revision to the April 18 Minutes (not yet approved and posted) to reflect more accurately the main point of a statement she had made during Oral Communications.

Mayor Stocks, in his usual snarky tone, stated that the topics of the presentations should not have been in the Minutes at all, and that the City Clerk had erred by including them. He said that it is Council policy to have “action” minutes that only state who spoke during Oral Communications, but not what they spoke about. He said, “I’m not sure when we got away from that.” He went on to say, “There is absolutely no reason to take up what they addressed.” Video Link

Mayor Stocks’ statement indicates the following:

• He must not be reading the Minutes (even though Council must approve all minutes before they are posted) for, in fact, all Minutes for regular Council meetings from at least 2002 up to the present briefly describe what each person addressing Council during Oral Communications spoke about.

• Underlying his stance against including brief documentation of what citizens take time and effort to present is a message to the public that our input to the City is unwelcome, unimportant, has no relevance to what Council should consider or not consider, and is best forgotten.

But this time Mayor Stocks wasn’t able to rally support around his position. Council voted to put a discussion of this topic on a future Council agenda. Mayor Stocks was the only council member who voted against doing so (Jim Bond was absent).

Mayor Stocks, we get your message loud and clear, but we’re not buying it. And, we have a message for you: “You aren’t our king, and this City is not your realm.” Fortunately, we live in a democracy. Watch us vote you out in November!

Thanks to C.J. Miinster for this at the Coast News.

Update: Sorry for the oversight. Here is the full length video clip. Go to the 3 minute mark to capture the incident C.J. is writing about in her commentary.

2011 IN REVIEW: Stocks Blocks Pensions on Agenda

Well, it turns out that the blocking action becomes a deflection never to be revisited. (You say potatoes, I say patatoes.) It's March 9, 2011 and this council meeting contains a Jerome Stocks maneuver that demonstrates the majority tendency to follow his lead even when he is not presiding as mayor. Stocks has pushed the crony club in his direction and against his perceived adversaries for a long time.

The following clip from this meeting demonstrates how Teresa Barth's suggestions for agenda items (like substitute motions, staff direction or council procedures or what have you) are consistently dismissed, ignored or refuted. This is vital to note if one accepts the lie that Barth does not compromise, does not cooperate. The myth is clear when one watches the majority in action. Barth is "silenced" by friend and foes in this official little dance of polite legalize. This council majority never compromises with Barth. The two rules for Barth and for citizens dissenting.

1. There is a club.
2. You are not in it.

Request for Agenda Item Sarcasm