Will our Council ever get beyond the budget?
(Los Alamitos, 5/2/09, by Dave Emerson) Guess what?
The Los Alamitos City Council has another 2-3 hour Special Meeting scheduled at 4 before this Monday’s 7 p.m. regular meeting.
That’s actually down 33% from the three meetings our Mayor called two weekends ago, but I still don’t think anybody can complain about our Council not meeting enough.
What they do with all that time spent in meetings, however, is another matter.
4 p.m. Special Meeting on 2009-2010 budget
I’m actually glad to see the Council devote a separate meeting to the budget for the fiscal year that begins in less than two months. There’s lots of info in three different reports:
- Overview: Staff Report, discussion, and recommendations(2 pages)
- City Manager’s Transmittal Letter for FY 2009-10 Operating and Capital Improvement Program Budget (12 pages, Nita’s analysis & details)
- FY 2009-10 Fund Summary of Resources and Requirements (1 page summary of budget)
I’d recommend clicking on all three, which should open them in three different windows or tabs, then alt-tabbing between them. You might want to begin with # 2, Interim City Manager Nita McKay’s 12 page Transmittal Letter.
Why didn’t we hire this lady?
Once again, our Interim City Manager has shown her commitment, skill, diligence, and competance. After quickly glancing over that Transmittal Letter from Nita McKay, the biggest question in my mind was why was Nita passed over for City Manager? I think there’s a huge benefit to continuity, especially at this point in our city’s history. I’m also a big believer in taking the known over the unknown.
I agree with the CPLA there’s a huge loss every time we transition in a new C.M. So I’m thinking that Jeff Stewart better be able to walk on water to justify not hiring Nita.
That’s not a knock on Mr. Stewart, just reinforcement of the competance I’ve observed every time I’m spoken with, e-mailed, or read something by Nita McKay. I sure hope the new C.M. and the Council are working overtime to find a way to keep Nita on our team, if that’s even possible at this point.
Beyond the Budget
I’ll get up the agenda for the regular meeting later. At first glance, it’s pretty much consent calendar items & second readings of the two ordinances passed two weeks ago & more discussion of the new travel and reimbursement schedule.
To me, just more minutia instead of any visionary focus on the long and even short term needs of the city. So far the new majority has given us lots of budget, city manager, and Los Al TV but, as far as I can recall:
- No discussion or agenda items relating to traffic.
- No substantial discussion of long range planning of any kind.
- No discussion of ways to increase our sales tax base
- No real effort at team building, especially since Council Member Edgar took over as Mayor. Instead, we’ve seen, again and again and again, 4 – 1 or 3 – 1 votes with the concerns of Gerri Mejia and the thousands of citizens who voted for her ignored. Frequently with no discussion whatsoever (as with filling Dean Grose’s seat or appointing Troy as Mayor).
At the end of their 4th full month in charge, our new Council has given us a solid budget assembled by the Interim City Manager they passed over to go outside the city, a good start on making LosAlTv into a separate, nonprofit entity, a divided city, and very little more.
I’m deeply disappointed, but not surprised. It’s pretty much what you can expect with a Council majority of two Cypress businessmen and one Signal Hill businessman, all of whom are fairly new Los Alamitos Residents.
Don’t get me wrong. There are things I really like about all three of these gentlemen. There are things I like about Marilyn Poe as well. But I’m very concerned that it’s going to be very difficult to make real progress on key long term issues with a Council dominated by three out of town businessmen with so little personal history plus one former long term Council Woman with so much. So far, unfortunately, events have been confirming my concern.
That’s what I think–what about you? Please try to disagree agreeable, use family-friendly language, and be diplomatic.
Related posts:
The only witness you need to worry about is God.
Dear Carol:
1. I didn’t vote for Grose because I did my research. Now there are residents who voted for him that wish they hadn’t. Don’t ask me for names, I will not tell you.
2. In the two years that Grose sat on the council what did he do for the residents? He spoke at great length, but said nothing. He used the “I’m new to this” card from the dais so many times it was ridiculous. After a year you either get it or you don’t.
3. He showed poor judgment forwarding the watermelon email.
4. He continued to show poor judgment by saying he would only step down from the Mayor, but stay on the council.
In your mind he spent money and gave time to the Base, clubs, civic groups and was persistent, so that qualifies him to sit on the council. Well, Hitler did all those things and more. Would you vote for him too?
I am sorry if you retired without the funds to thrive. I think the residents do want leaders who are responsible, but also have a vision for the greater good of the entire community. I personally do not want a council who is just working for one group. I think they should represent the community as a whole.
Now Mr. Grose will have more time to continue his good works for the community, since that’s what it’s really all about Carol.
You know what I mean?…….giving without wanting to be in the spotlight?
Have a blessed Mothers Day
J.M. – I do not have an anonymous posting. I post ONLY under my own name unlike many on this blog.
To the anonymous bloggers who address things to me and then do not sign their name (they must be women – only women are so petty): “Judge not lest ye be judged”. and also “sHe who is without sin may cast the first stone”.
To just an observation – I’m hoping you are still young because then there is still hope for you.
Carol,
If we put our names down or not. The truth is the truth.
Your CPLA group also likes to lie about people, so why would anyone want to put their name on any of these blogs.
To Carol,
I put my name here, and even on some OC Register sites. But, I must admit, there are times I wonder if it’s the wisest course.
So I prefer it if people use at least their first names, but I understand those who don’t. Posts with full names have greater credibility, and there are many who identify themselves here, which I think is helpful.
But there are many, many more who don’t post at all, which is also fine–glad you’re staying informed!
So I appreciate all who stop by here, I especially appreciate those who take the time to post, those who are diplomatic even more, especially those willing to sign their name.
My hope is that, as we discover the things we have in common, trust will grow and the level and effectiveness of discussion will continue to improve.
If you’re reading this, thanks for stopping by.
Dave: You said:
“My hope is that, as we discover the things we have in common, trust will grow and the level and effectiveness of discussion will continue to improve.”
It will never happen. Maybe if people identified themselves truthfully and with the possibility of running into each other at various events, they might be more civil in writing. They are too petty incognito.
Petty?
Isn’t it your CPLA group that basically threw a toothbrush and dollar into the face of a council member and isn’t your husband that sued over wording.
Yet, you think some people might want to meet you at a common event and have a civil discussion as if all the flyers and hateful comments were never made.
That is amazing! Maybe not hating your neighbors in the first place and trying to approach them with a civil discussion about your concerns might have been the action you should have taken 9 months ago.
You say it will never happen. I agree. It will probably never happen until their is a public apolgy at least.
We all know what your group did and why you did it. So cut the bull Carol and stop acting like you’re concerned for everyone and this city.
The e-mails and other informatin spell it out loud and clear.
I doubt we have much in common.
I’ve seen the way you treat people.
Lets see how you taxpayers feel about this article in the OC Register today:
Former Anaheim city manager hits jackpot with pension
May 12th, 2009, 3:00 am · 29 Comments · posted by Tony Saavedra, Register investigative reporter
Few have profited from California’s government retirement system as former Anaheim city manager Jim Ruth — who is one of the highest-paid retirees at $219,045 a year.
Ruth, 73, continues working, earning another $225,000 annually from another local agency.
Even he says government retirements need to be reformed.
“They’ve got to look at some way to restructure the system,” said Ruth. “When you look at the cost of that system, I don’t think we can any longer afford that.”
Not that he’s willing to cut his pension.
“I got up everyday, went out and earned my money.”
Public workers in California enjoy pensions nearly equal to their salaries — guaranteed by taxpayers and available as early as age 50. If the funding falls short, the taxpayers pay the difference.
Ruth is the 13th highest -paid retiree in the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.
He worked for Anaheim for 22 years, ultimately leading efforts to expand the Disneyland resort and build what is now the Honda Center.
He went on to become interim chief executive officer of Orange County — at $205,000 a year for two years. Under his stewardship, the county approved a lucrative raise in retirement benefits, effective retroactively, for general workers.
He now is at the helm of the $601 million Orange County Sanitation District, earning $225,000 — which includes a $43,443 raise last September. That means he makes nearly $450,000 a year in pay and retirement.
Ruth doesn’t view his arrangement as double-dipping.
“I haven’t gone out looking for jobs. People come to me and ask me for help,” he said. “Some people play golf everyday. Some people enjoy working.”
Just ahead of Ruth on the CalPERS list — and the highest-paid in Orange County — is former Newport Beach Police Chief Robert McDonell, who pulls down $221,554 a year since his retirement in 2007.
McDonell came to the city in 1993 to replace former Chief Arb Campbell, who was accused by female officers of running a department rife with sexual harassment.
McDonell was credited with restoring morale and bringing back order to the police force – until a recent lawsuit accused him of fostering a homophobic climate and favoring officers who shared his deep religious beliefs.
Sgt. Neil Harvey, who filed the lawsuit, was awarded $1.2 million in March after a jury concluded that he was harassed with false accusations of being homosexual.
The state’s top retiree, of course, is the Huntington Beach man/retired Vernon official who collects a $500,000 pension – while under indictment. Read that story here.
Is the CPLA on this one?
I’m sure that the $300+ dollars a month that the ousted council members earned from Los Al is a lot more important to the CPLA and how about those huge pensions and medical benefits they received?(Oh yeah, they didn’t earn any pension or get a maedical package.).
Sad to see that we are paying for this kind of abuse and we can’t do anything about it, but in our own little city for political and personal gain we can smear a couple of council members who were practically volunteering their time to improve the city and taking on civic duties that most citizens never attempt to do.
Come on Chuck and Carol, go get our tax dollars back. Get those flyers out and get those nasty city managers and police chiefs.
Come on LATA (Los Alamitos Taxpayers and Assassinators)! You’ve got have a least a couple bucks for a paper flyer that you can deliver door to door.
Um folks, that battle is over.
They won.
Today the effort is to hold Troy responsible for his actions in using the City Manager and the City Attorney for personal political gain. That effort is the recall. Sign the petition. Have friends and neighbors sign the petition. Most of the people circulating recall petitions now have copies of the e-mail that shows that Troy’s work on the appeal was all political. Read the e-mails.
CPLA and LATA, Briggeman funded efforts, were bad, and they were effective. The people that were behind them are, in my opinion, bad people. Like people that thought that there was ever an excuse to torture, these people believe in situational ethics. That the ends justify the means. I find people that have that belief are “bad people” and in general want to have little to do with them.
I used to think that debate could be reasoned. I don’t any more. When I said that going into Iraq was wrong, I was labeled a traitor. The fact that I was proven right by time doesn’t change the history of how people treated me for having a justified opinion that differed from theirs.
Carol may want to “make up” and “play nice”, but the reality is that the CPLA/LATA people put the poison in the well. You don’t get a free ride. We don’t have to move on. What you did was wrong. The ends didn’t justify the means. And many of us won’t forgive and forget that you crossed the line.