From the inbox:
From: "Ryan, Christine"We can't afford a one-time $100,000 for children's safety but we can afford an annual $130,000 plus pension for a new spin doctor for Gus Vina? Get a rope.
Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2013 8:27 AM
Subject: RE: Encinitas City Council Meeting - TONIGHT !!!! School Safety!!!
Hi all,
Well, last night’s meeting did not go as hoped. With very little thoughtful discussion, the council declined our request for them to appropriate the same amount of money ($100,000) to PEC for a traffic calming project that they voted to appropriate for Cardiff Elementary. With the exception of Tony Kranz, they seemed mostly bothered that we were there, especially Deputy Mayor Shaffer, who suggested that we work with the traffic commissioner instead and that if we can get a parent (if we have one) who is an architect to draw up diagrams maybe that would help. They gave no basis for their decision and in my opinion their decision suggests that they care more about the safety of the children of Cardiff than the children of PEC (The “Leucadians” as we were called).
While I am hugely disappointed in their attitude and decision, I will not let that deter me and I hope that you won’t either. The fight is not over. If you have not signed the on-line petition, please, please sign it now. We plan to engage the greater PEC community, and will be out at the Farmer’s Market on Sundays for more signatures . If you would like to help with this effort, please let me know. If you want to know other ways to help, please contact me.
We are going to need the entire PEC community behind us on this. We will need to attend meetings, send emails and make our voices heard. It will be hard work, but it will be worth it, and our children deserve nothing less.
Chris
To sign the on-line petition, please go to http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/pec-traffic-calming-and-safe-routes-to-school-improvements.html
To contact a city council member:
Teresa Barth, Mayor: tbarth@encinitasca.gov
Lisa Shaffer, Deputy Mayor: lshaffer@encinitasca.gov
Kristen Gaspar: kgaspar@encinitasca.gov
Tony Kranz: tkranz@encinitasca.gov
Mark Muir: mmuir@encinitasca.gov
I don't understand this issue. A consultant, Matt Raimi was paid $400,000 to study this issue. Below is the letter of recommendation that the City wrote for him that is posted on hiw webpage. How about spending money on the protection of our Encinitas children?? When does that happen? Part of what they did in the Public Health Element was to create a Safe Route to School Plan.
ReplyDeleteClient Testimonials
"Raimi and Associates helped the City of Encinitas develop a standalone Public Health Element in support of the Comprehensive General Plan Update. R+A has extensive experience in preparing public health elements and related studies. R+A's common-sense approach to planning and knowledge of health considerations in the built environment were both instrumental to the overall planning and public participation process. Additionally, R+A's professionalism and positive attitude helped us complete the outreach and the preparation of the draft Public Health Element in four months; this allowed us to integrate the work effort seamlessly into the overall Comprehensive General Plan Update. We highly recommend R+A and are confident that their consulting team will be an asset to any City or County’s work project."
Diane S. Langager
Principal Planner, City of Encinitas
YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING! As a New Encinitas resident you're telling me:
ReplyDelete1. Dump all your growth in our area (El Camino Real)
2. Collect most of OUR taxes
3. Spend our tax dollars on YOUR projects
Enough with Leucadia being the squeaky wheel!!!
I say we start a petition that says that each community should receive the same amount in city improvements, as they collect in taxes and based on the number of voters in their community.
If you want it so badly, start an assessment district.
10:58 AM
DeleteBack to the old divide and conquer scheme of pitting one community against another. Won't work.
The council could cancel that $137,000 PR spin doctor in a New York minute so the money could go to improving traffic flow around the school. Will the council do it?
10:38 You are right-on. They got something how about me? Wah Wah Wah. I want a fire station next to my house, Olivenhain got one. Why not me? Wah Wah Wah.
Delete$400K ($300 in Federal grant) were just spent on traffic calming (necessary?) and school safety on Gardendale. In my book this is New Encinitas.
DeleteWhat does the acronym PEC stand for?
ReplyDeletePathetic Encinitas Council
DeletePaul Ecke Central school.
ReplyDeleteAnd, in the past, the very generous namesakes, the Paul Ecke family, might have been able to lend a charitable financial hand to help: but the website master here and his supporters, along with the pro-Prop A people ran the Ecke's businesses out of town: WHY? Envy. Now when the Ecke family's generosity is needed more than ever, they are leaving town because of the toxic addled minority at the local weekly and toxic new majority on the Encinitas City Council are eating the rich and after digesting them, leaving noting citizens nothing but XXXX. Hey PEC parents, ask the Encinitas Project, North County Advocates or Encinitas Taxpayer's Association to pass the hat for your children's school: you'll go begging....
Delete2:47 PM.
DeleteThe new PR spin doctor for the council already on the job?
OMG- that is hilarious! The ecke's donated the Y becuae they got a huge tax break and concessions from the city letting them upzone other part of the city to make millions. As part of the deal the Eckes promised never to develop land on Quail Gardens or Saxony then years later sought to change the meaning of the word inperpetutity to temporarily- in an effort make millions more and force higher density,traffic and pollution on the community.
DeleteOne and Done TOny Kranz is in big with Eckes-
The eckes hae sold off all their land holdings in the town and last year sold the 'inperpetutity' land to the Leichtag foundation. The Eckes still have growing operations in mexico because they can pay lower wages and don't have to deal with the new regulations of the WH administrations on health care and rising taxes. They also don't have to pay rising state taxes to pay the pensions of people like Mark Muir who gets 170K, and ex chief Heissner who get 225K, it's almost like like they are getting out of the city just before it goes belly up from 15 years of mismanagement at the hands of Jerome stocks and James Bond-
2:47- last night kids couldn't get 5K for freaking playground equipment but the council could spend 136K for a PR talking head?
2:47- Jerome Stocks increased pensions by some 35% in 8 years and increased sherriff and fire salaries by 20%
2:47 Mark Muir and the city went in debt 20M to build firehouses when other perfectly good firehouses could have been updated and renovated saving millions
2:47 Jerome stocks and James Bond overpaid by $3M for the public works yard
Keep going?
2:47 city manager Vina raided 15 accounts of money to start the hall park because the books and finance are going backwards not forwards
2:47 the city had to put the public works yard for collateral to start the park
my 2 cents
The Ecke business wasn't run out of town. Paul 3 got tired of the business. He wanted to monetize his holdings. The Encinitas property was sold to the Leichtag Foundation and the business was sold to a European firm, including the greenhouse operations in Guatemala. There's nothing left in Encinitas except the family homes.
Delete4:44 nobody said the ecke business was run out of town, why did you write that? Nobody said anything negative about the family they wrote what happened.
DeleteCorrect. The Ecke business is out. They just have some office space on Quail Garden and Encinitas Blvd. They will be completely out by the Fall.
DeleteSo be it. Grandpappy Ecke the 1st did some amazing things. Ecke 3 is a classic trust fund baby. I hope his soul finds happiness. He seems like a nice guy to me.
DeleteThe sister you have to wonder about- she is married to Meyers- who is always willing to sell out Encinitas quality of life for his more dense developerments.
He is the classic bad developer. Why did Ms. Ecke marry such a loser?
I think Kranz is in tight with the ecke sister, strange how his position went from saving community character to destroying for regional housing. Logan wrote a piece today and I heard Kranz went to some uat papa Manchester party for new elected people. Wonder if guys like Jenkins and the at and ecke's sister got tony to change his positions?
DeleteThe new council is emboldened and does not care about average taxpaying citizens. Mayor Barth and Shaffer our elitist treating the public with condescension. For instance they had suggested doing away with time donations to limit free speech at city hall. Last night they asked Olivenhain speakers to consider speaking as a group rather than individuals- then Barth shut down a speaker saying they were off topic when they were not, it was only Barth's opinion they were off topic. This is the first step.
ReplyDeleteThe council also seemed annoyed last night as 4 residents asked for a paltry 5K to help improve a playground.....this on a night when the council approved hiring 3 fire employees costing 200K each and a PR Spin doctor specialist for $135,000.
Money that could be going to the community is going to the PR spin doctor.
I believe these to be the facts, Barth and Shaffer are social engineers who have lived in academia too long and gone to too many urban housing workshops- they want to force on all of Encinitas high density housing-
It is my opinion that Barth and Shaffer have decided that win or lose on Prop A they plan to upzone the entire town by blaming a housing element due this fall and bogus HCD and SANDAG mandates.
All we can do is tell our neighbors. I would encourage whoever posted this story to watch the oral communications of last nights council meeting - 4 Parents asked the city for playground money, maybe you could get their name and call them.
I think you read way too much in the actions of the Council. You make it sound like the Olivenhain folks were offended or had been cheated of something, but they're estatic - they got their FTE's for the firestation. Why didn't you mention that "fact"?
Delete- The Sculpin
Sculpin-
DeleteDid any of the Olivenhain resident's take Barth up on the suggestion that they choose a single speaker, or did they prefer to speak for themselves? Do you think the Barth Shaffer suggestion to do away with time donations and limit free speech of resident is representative of their political campaign pledges of encouraging public participation?
What did you think of the Olivehain Fire costs? As you know the good folks of Olivenhain complained for years of a lack of fire response times while the city spent more than $20 million to build new fire houses some of which were not needed. These new firehouses were not buying equipment to better protect resident but rather private rooms, new kitchens, luxurious bathrooms, ocean views and flat screen TV's.
Take the Cardiff fire station they just finished the cost taxpayers 6.3 million, meanwhile directly in front of it is a perfectly good community serving fire station that serviced residents fine.
Why did the city waste money on fire houses we did not need when they could have gotten to Olivenhain years earlier?
Moreover, why did Mark Muir buy a 5 story fire truck with a 100ft ladder and then sign his name to a ballot statement that Encinitas will never approve 5 story buildings............a falsehood of course, unless Muir is able to read the minds of future councils.
2:48 -
Delete1. No.
2. No.
3. They're fine.
4. I disagree that they did not need them. It seems that firehouses and lifegard towers are a real sore point to some. They begrudge a few comforts that are present in most all homes and fail to recognize that lifegards and firefighter no longer look out the window to see if they're needed. What they do requires very sophisticated communication systems and a reasonable facilities for 24 hour operations among othere things. As for getting to Olivenhain years earlier - well, the land was given away - remember?
5. 100 foot ladders do more than go up - they go across. We do have a myriad of canyons that can be partially bridged as well as cliffs that can be scaled. Cheaper than a helicopter, don't 'cha think?
- The Sculpin
Yes, we have such large canyons here in Encinitas, good thing we got that 5 story truck when the council claims no 5 story buildings will be built. I agree with 2:48, the old Cardiff FH was fine, they must have built the new one because they plan on upzoning Cardiff or Muir needed payback to the Golden Gate fire Assn- A waste of 6 million. Jeez, thanks for explaining the need for all that 'very sophisticated communications systems" after all, Encinitas has about 4 fires a year and taxpayers pay close to 10M for services when combined with debt serving for the unneeded fire houses- by the way, what was old with the 'old communication system" you seem to be an expert perhaps you can answer?
Deletelastly, who builds a FH near the beach? good fire planning sites FH where they can get to most places quickly, 1/2 mile from the beach means the FH should be sited more inland- hey that would have been an idea, might even have addressed the Olivenhain needs- ya think?
Scuplin didn't the pro development pro-density council sell the land for an Olivenhain FH out from under the public in the dead of night without telling anyone? Was it Stocks and Bond involved with that while Muir was fire chief? What was the name of the development they built their called, El Diablo - El Caliente? I can't remember but it is funny.
Delete4:09 - still don't get it! You build FH by the beach because that is where the most people are. That area has the highest concentration of medical emergencies and accidents, and you have a train running through the whole darn strip many times a day! When they were doing the analysis for Station 6, Olivenhain had 2 fires in 3 years - so fire was not the controlling issue. However the medical calls were through the roof and the response time was outside the "golden hour". And yes, we do have large canyons here in Encinitas - I'm in them regularly.......
DeleteAs for the old communication system, it was land based, very slow, and had no remaining capacity. Out with the old and in with the new.
- The Sculpin
4:20 - I would call that irony......great post time, by the way!
DeleteSculpin
Delete3 fires in Olivenhain and how many in Cardiff? ha- try none in the last 13 years.
You also reveal the fallacy of your argument, medical response......Encinitas needs more ambulances and less fire trucks, Encinitas would also save considerable money by increasing ambulance services and decreasing the large drive down to sprouts or seaside market with my big fire truck that are rarely used to put out fires-
Then think if there was a large scale fire threatening the community it is coming through Olivenhain first- the one place the wrong headed council did not build a fire house.
And that brings us back around to Mark Muir's 5 story fire truck for a town that has no 5 story buildings, with a council that claims no 5 story buildings will ever be built, in a town that has 5-8 fires a year.
I think that Olivenhain development was called En Fuego - seriously.
DeleteWhat structures exactly are situated 50 feet across a canyon from a road but don't have direct road access?
DeleteThat makes absolutely no sense.
WCV
Just as we didn't need new fire stations we don't need a new life guard tower at moonlight either. How many additional lives will be saved at moonlight with a new tower??? None!! The life guard tower was to be built along with all the other nonscense, but like magic it was removed from the construction budget. Mystery!! What will a new lifeguard tower cost us?? Let me guess... Hmmmm, yup I got it, $5M bucks .
DeleteRoad aceess WCV...........wasn't that one of the safet issues with Desert Rose getting and out? quick, somebody call the high densiy lawyer Marco Gonzale
DeleteDear Olivenhain, please succeed and join Rancho Santa Fe already you elitist jerks.
DeleteSecond to the last council agenda item #11 on city manager and city attorney performance evaluation forms. A question asked by one of the council members - can we do a salary adjustment before the evaluation? What in the world does that mean?
ReplyDeleteA raise, of course.
DeleteUnfortunately the council is pitting one community against another. Last night's council meeting was all about damage control caused by the council's stance on prop. A. They were giving away money left and right. Except Leucadia came up empty handed.
ReplyDeleteShaffer's remark that the Leucadians should come up with a plan alluded to what happened in Cardiff. Several persons came up with the plans for the Cardiff Elementary School, all professionally done with donated time. The city paid nothing. The city saved $100,000 by not having to pay a consultant.
Or maybe you could convince Leucadians to act like careful and responsible drivers around PEC; along with those from other communities who enjoy the Sunday market? PTA members and L101 Members could volunteer to direct traffic. As it is, you Leucadians are once again, in the history of this school in particular, asking the City to solve problems at the expense of everyone: but your own groups that are profiting by the very popular weekend event that is drawing the bad drivers in the first place. Since 1986 there have been at least 3 major 'Safe Routes To School' ad hoc committees underwritten by the City that have made significant safety changes: that took actions and made improvements that the parents at that time felt were in their kid's best safety. Now you want the City to, again, solve problems the PTA and L101 are creating for themselves on weekends. The number one verbal plea council people hear hundreds if not thousands of times during their elected tenures from the public is "Will it take a child being killed before you will do what I want you to do?" If it is THAT dangerous around PEC, move the Farmer's Market, or take personal responsibility for improving the safety on weekends rather than demand someone else save you. Albeit, the school district is incredibly dysfunctional and a decade ago claimed they could no longer afford to safely bus your kids to school so they can afford to buy IPADS left unsecured on campus to be stolen and sold by teenagers. So seeing that you can't get satisfaction from EUSD? Then blame the City Council? Next, blame the railroad? Then the County! P.S., the reading scores from PEC are probably much more of an emergency than parking for the Farmer's market: ask PEC's principal.See if you EVER get an answer!
DeleteAs a resident if Cardiff, I cannot think of one good reason why the two elementary schools we have could not be linked in with the rest of the Encinitas School District. Think of the money it would save in having a Superintendent of 2 schools. Don't know what he or she makes, but you have got to now it is not cheap.
DeletePersonally I think the people that have been getting the best treatment are our neighbors in Olevenhein. When was the last time anyone from that area fought for Leucadia, Cardiff or any other community within the CIty. Prop. A was started by a resident of Olevenhein. Whether it is a good Prop. or not, is not the whole issue. They seem to be very upset about Desert Rose. On the other hand, how many of citizens in other parts of Encinitas have had their neighborhood disrupted? Just sayin'
Prop A was begun by residents from all 5 communities of Encinitas. I agree the Olivehain folks get better treatment, however they are a large voting block and Mark Muir works the HOA's- I disagree with Cardiff joining the other schools- Tim Baird is horrible, they have wasted money, and in my opinion the quality of the schools is going down not up. Peace- vote yes on A, protect your right to vote!
DeleteMuir lives in New Encinitas, in case anyone was wondering. He does not live in Olevenhein. Facts are important folks. Bruce Ehlers lives in Olevenheim, as well as Jim Bond. Who were the residents from the other communities besides Leucadia?
DeleteDoesn't mean Muir doesn't work the Olivenahin/other HOAs, in fact he said at a Council meeting a few months ago that if allowed by Sabine to speak against Prop A as a citizen, that's exactly where he'd go.
DeleteI never claimed Muir lived in Olivenhain, I claimed he worked the HOA's like a summer job pressing the flesh for votes- facts are important, please use them.
DeleteREmember Accredited Partner and Randy Goodson I think his name was- high, high density planned for Olivenhain is Prop A is defeated, why do you think the got that 5 story truck and new fire station-
There are more and more people in Olivenhain who have become aware of City issues. It is completely fair to comment on our lack of involvement up until we were invaded, but now that it has happened, news is spreading fast and we support citizens in the 4 other communitites who are trying to protect their own quality of life.
DeleteYour statement 5:40 is much appreciated by at least this citizen. I am happy that your Community is realizing how we have to be assertive to continue to have some sort of life that does not resemble P.B., M.B. or even Del Mar.
DeleteExcellent, now remove those stop signs that Christy Guerin partnered with Bruce Ehlers put in without the necessary legal warrants on RSF Road. It was funny when the Desert Rose gang tried to use them as a reason for not allowing the 16 homes. Nice try.
DeleteLeucadia... It's a shithole., err the Art and Soul of Encinitas.
ReplyDeleteHey Leucadia, how's that streetscape working for ya???
You must be a Council Member or the City Manager.
DeleteClose... City staff.
DeletePS- I want a salary and pension increase or I will enact a work slowdown.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteEhlers and Delano and the 'Father' of Encinitas spread copies of the Yorba Linda measure around Encinitas for 18 months until they found someone from Leucadia unworldly enough to sign the paperwork to begin this culture war. That person lives in Leucadia, but the 'author', lives in Olivenhain. If Prop A passes that person wins Lynn Marr as a house guest for a year!
DeleteIt's perfect time to make some plans for the longer term and it is time to be happy. I've read this post and if I may I want to suggest you few fascinating
ReplyDeletethings or suggestions. Perhaps you can write subsequent articles relating to this article.
I desire to learn even more things about it!
My page; outdoor retailer
I am surprised that the PEC PTA is attacking council and the city.
ReplyDeleteCardiff spent a lot of time working with the city and assisting the city in design and concepts.
I am not sure the attack and petition is the best method of getting something positive accomplished.
I read the comments as disappointment in their action and I see nothing wrong with a petition. What would you prefer, back room deals?
ReplyDeleteWorking with the city does not have to be looked in as "back room deals".
DeleteWhere did that come from?
It seems the tone is aggressive.
To suggest that the council cares more about the safety of Cardiff children than Leucadia children and threatening petitions doesn't sound like they want to work with the city, but battle the city.
One doesn't "threaten" a petition.
DeletePetitions are a way of demonstrating broad support for an issue. Maybe even a way with a history of acceptance in Encinitas city government practices.
Why do city insiders feel "threatened" by public participation?
The plans in cardiff are the result of public participation.
DeleteI do not agree with your premise of insiders feeling threatened by public participation
Who and what are you talking about?
8:58 used the term "threatening petitions."
DeleteI am merely pointing out that public engagement in the civic process via petition has nothing to do with "threatening."
"threatening a petition" Really?? What kind of joker are you? You must be from the Jerome Stock era.
DeleteThe City suggests residents get a petition started to show support of a traffic calming effort.
Geeze, What ever happened to the whole concept of sunshine practices and transparency.
Anon 3:37,maybe you are a developer who wants to take it over. Leucadia is a great community and has the nicest people.
ReplyDeleteYes it does and one other things it has, the ugliest section of 101 in north county, enjoy. As I said, how's that streetscape working for ya??
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DeleteLeucadia has the nice people, the nice property, and the nice trees. I also love the other areas of Encinitas for their unique blessings.
ReplyDeleteAmen! The most important thing that any City has is its community character. The Council and City seem hell bent on dismantling ours in Encinitas--so that they can put in high density units.
DeleteYES ON A!
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ReplyDeleteSculpin is a jackass and a tool. As a result of all jackasses and tools in Encinitas we need to vote one off of Council- Pension Pig Muir.
ReplyDeleteSecond - Its time to get the Chamber Maid off the Council as well. Her services are no longer needed.
Its time for this town to get some INTEGRITY!
Once we get INTEGRITY, WE can hire a worthy City Manager, fire the deadwood and get our City back. Solana Beach did it, we can do it.
Integrity? The 8000 signatures were derived under knowingly false pretenses. Even Bruce admits that. How does one get integrity from that fact?
Delete2:20 PM.
DeleteTalk about the Chamber of Commerce or was it the DEMA fiasco a few years ago.
2:20 how's about some documentation on Ehlers and are you saying 8,000 residents had no clue what they were signing? Sounds like a Stocks/Andreen's-inspired smear.
DeleteNot even close. The ugliest thing in N. County is Downtown Oceanside ..... 4 and 5 stories high density and zero architecture. Nothing is worse than that.....
ReplyDeleteThe streetscape isn't working out for us, because the City Council is spending all the City's money on Staff Building, Huge Pension Payments, monument building and a Regional Sports Complex.
If the streetscape was built, the corridor would be more economically and the City would collect more revenue from higher property taxes, sales tax, and transient occupancy tax.
In my opinion, the City Manager and City Council don't understand the principals of return on investment. The streetscape is an improvement that would pay for itself in a few years. Look at the increased revenue from before and after the streetscape in Downtown Encinitas. Instead, they spend $70,000,000 on a Regional Sports Park that will costs millions to maintain every year and suck our tax dollars away from other needed projects, so that the private sports league CEOs and paid staff can draw higher salaries from their "non-profit" organizations, and carlsbad, San Marcos, solana beach, Rancho, and encinitas children have some more fields. Pathetic.
I wish the City just outsource the management of the fields to the YMCA, they can manage sports leagues and activity at parks much more efficiently than the City can. The City should get the City out of the rec business all together.
The ploy to pull $7 million from city projects and borrow $8 million more to build a regional sports complex was a failed plan to get Stocks re elected.
ReplyDeleteYes if some of that money went to leucadia streetscape the city and citizens would benefit greatly, economically and estheticly.
What happened to about 30 minutes of the video of the city council meeting?
ReplyDeleteAbout 1:56:01 into the video Mayor Barth said "So now public speakers?" and some comments about the number of speakers, get together as a group and have just one speaker for 10 minutes (there were at least 7 speakers for 21 minutes normally at 3 minutes each). Then some more strange comments from Mayor Barth. Four minutes later at about 2:00:00 there is council discussion and the section on the public speakers is missing. Listen to the four minutes from 1:56:00 to 2:00:00. Mayor Barth's comments do not bode well for open government.
Memory hole
DeleteNixon's 18 1/2 minute gap
Just kidding. Probably just a technical malfunction.
Rosemary's impossibly long arm reach. Our city hall has more than its fair share of tech glitches and (my favorite) dead batteries.
Delete8:22 AM
ReplyDeleteThis is the June 12, 2013 council meeting.
11:14 disagrees with me and calls me a jacka$$ - gotta love this country! Thanks for the compliment!
ReplyDelete- The Sculpin
I agree with them
ReplyDelete3:37 LOL
ReplyDeleteWell, no, the Streetscape isn't finished yet is it? But it is off to a good start in many ways as I see it. 101 new trees are in the ground replenishing our waining canopy; temporary sidewalks that look great and make walking here a lot safer; a slower speed limit on the hwy that not only increases safety, it also discourages cut through traffic from all places north (while at the same time increasing the visiblity or our merchants - i.e. revenue), a completely new (but also temporary) slurry seal for our 2 miles of 101 with new striping / reflectors, immense infrastructure improvements and beautification at Leucadia Blvd and 101 intersection and railroad improvements, a restaurant row that has suddenly never done better, 6 medians landscaped (Not a "Streetscape" project per-sey, but another L-101 brainstorm like the county's best Farmer's Market across the tracks), several facades revamped, new bike lanes for safety, and I'm very much looking forward to the first roundabout going in at La Costa Ave and 101 in the next few years. It will be far safer than what's there now, calm traffic, increase air quality, reduce gas consumption and look great with my fountain / bronze statue of King Neptune in the middle. Thanks for asking.
In the past 25 years lets look at our neighbor to the south.... Solana beach has: lowered the train, installed a rail trail and completed their 101 streetscape. Final score: Solana beach 3- Encinitas 0. Why the difference?? Leadership. Time to remove the dark glasses and come out of the batcave and take a hard look around. Encinitas doesn't replace dead plants in the median nor on Leucadia blvd. Pathetic and sad. And why doesn't the city do these simple tasks?? Failed leadership. From each and every council member and staff person. Failed leadership and lack of pride. Why the city can't even water the flowers in the medians, that's why one end has glorious blooms and the other end ... Nearly dead. So again I'll ask... How's that streetscape working for ya??
DeleteSo if the train was lowered here, where are we supposed to grow goathead thorns?
DeleteOops goatherd thorns... Enc 1.
DeleteFinal score SB 3- Enc 1.
Latest news from city hall:
ReplyDeleteGus Vina, city manager, has decided to cut the budget by eliminating 5 positions. Muir, Gaspar, Kranz, Shaffer, and Barth will be immediately placed outside the glass doors with instructions to never return. Vina figures he can run the council meetings and no will notice the five vacancies.
that has already happened to an extent. Vina is running the show ans stocks is his marionette. he has barth shaffer and kranz bobbing yes at every suggestion, 3 blind mice
DeleteYou could plug Stocks back in and no one would notice a difference, either.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe out of $53,000,000 dollar general fund revenue, Sacramento Gus tells City Council that they have a minuscule $600,000 of discretionary funding. That is 1% of the general fund revenue. Now we know who is running the show. Sacramento, Bankrupt us soon, Gus. In ridiculous. Fire him and don't hire the new communications person and you nearly doubled your discretionary funding. Cut the deadwood and give us more projects. This Council is acting like chicken shits. Get with the program.
ReplyDeleteSacramento Gus needs to be fire just like Jerome Stock was and Christen Gaspar will be in the next election. Its impossible to change a weasel into a elephant. Its impossible for Gus and Gaspar to be anything other than Stocks underlings. Bye Bye to both of you soon.
True Gaspar must go but Barth also must be removed from office. Barth is responsible for this budget, that is sickening, all the salaries, all the pensiond and only 600K in discretionary spending? did anyone see Barth cut that speaker off who was trying to sine light on the mismanagement of the planning department?
DeleteAll the money went to building the regional sports park.
DeleteAnyone associated with that fiasco needs to go.
DeleteHeadcount:
1. Vina
2. Gaspar
3. Muir
the others already were voted off, retired or quit.
whelp that it. Lets see how long the majority weaklings will passively pretend that Gus can turn a new leaf and be semi decent. For the highest paid City Manager in the County, he should be kicking ass and giving us $5,000,000 in discretionary spending.
The bottom line is fire Jerome's Boy or be fire at the next election. Haven't you learned you can't change a creatures innate behavior.
Teresa and Kristen- I guess its your move. Better make it quick because us natives are getting restless.
The sad part is Lisa is supposed to be a Professor for MBA's, so she should be the first person calling Gus out on his bullshit.
ReplyDelete60% of general fund is for staff that is 31,800,000. Are you fricking kicking me. $32,000,000 towards staff salaries and pensions. and $600k for discretionary spending. Are you kidding? What kind of City Manager is this guy?
Only $600,000 of $53,000,000- really? Its time to fire some deadwood to increase the amount for project. Tell Guss to get rid of some deadwood and raise the discretionary amount of General fund to $3,000,000 or fire him in 3 months.
Its that simple.
At least 8 members of the Planning Department are making over 6 figures. Several engineers are also right up there. Don't foget, our department directors are all pulling in between $140,000 and $160,000. They need to get rid of people and start slicing form the top--meaning Sabine, Vina, and the directors and others over $100,000!
DeleteWhy do we have even so many planners. We are a town of 60k. There should be a City Planner, one senior and a few associate planners and maybe a few administration to help with the report writing. There is not much planning left in Encinitas, we are 98% built out. It sounds like we need to re-evualuate our true needs, poll other 60k cities and decide if we should be cutting some positions. My gut tells me we should be eliminating some positions.
DeleteBut no Sac Gus, He keeps hiring and hiring until the City's broke and full of all kinds of deadwood.
Fire Sac Gus and Council Majority should hire a real City Manager.
Hot off the presses.
ReplyDeleteJob offerings on city website:
Communication officer - annual pay rate:$68,761 to $96,754
The description of the essential and important duties are already performed by various staff at city hall.
One of the key tasks required:
Provides training and coaching to elected officials and staff in communications, presentations, and strategic planning of city services and programs.
(and that means the council will learn how to lie better)
http://www.cityofencinitas.org/index.aspx?recordid=85&page=83
Look at that pay rate. Gus has the ok for $137,000 salary. He could get two communications officers at $68,761 each. Then the officer will need his own staff. Just keep ratcheting up those full time positions el presidente Gus. The city will be bankrupt in no time.
DeleteThe council bobbleheads say yes, yes, yes.
They forgot to mention the other qualification.
ReplyDeleteTeach the City Manager how to Communicate.
First Point - Listening is key. Listen 90%, think and speak much less.
No sense training a C to D level player thats about to retire in 2 years after leading financial armageddon for Sacramento, Stockton, and CA.
Fire Sacramento Gus now!
I agree.
ReplyDeleteAs financial manger of he previous organizations, Gus ran them to the ground.
In two years, I have yet to hear one good idea from the "man?"
Either show your value or be fired.
For you to say Staff is good, shows you have no clue and should be fired.
Please send all your comments to Council, with your name and address, so they will be counted against Gus Vina when he gets evaluated.
ReplyDeleteThere is a part of the City Plan that says all directors must have a Masters Degree. I can assume you, most of them don't. I have no idea if the Communications person is considered a director, but sine they say a BA is OK, I have to wonder if the City has changed the policy or no one knows about it to begin with.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is clear that Gus keeps hiring people with vague job descriptions at double their reasonable salary only to give the impression that he is a powerful person. If anything, these people are just there to spend our money and work AGAINST Encinitas citizens. His whole cabinet approach and his argument that it makes for better "customer service" is not true. He has a team of brown noses who have no other purpose than to spy on people and report to Gus and make up and agree with stories to cover up their mistakes. Now they are working on ways to limit free speach to cover up their mistakes even more. This is a 3rd world approach to government.
DeleteThe council has been at work for over 6 months to main concerns-
ReplyDelete1. They haven't addressed a realistic long term financial plan for Encinitas that address the huge PERS payments forthcoming, and the costs to operate the Regional Sports Complex on an annual basis.
2. They haven't fired Sacramento Gus yet. For him to even propose a Communications specialist is ridiculous and for Council to go along with his madness is ridiculous.
Stop the madness and fire this clown. He only has 1.5 more years until retirement anyway. Why put ourselves in worse shape by keeping this guy who has a track record of sinking Cities.
Gus will tell them a little now and more later. Council bobbleheads one and all to not demand information now.
ReplyDeletePaul Ecke Central Elementary School needs safe routes to school for my children. Please make it happen and sign the petition and make it happen.
ReplyDelete