Lololll. Who's responsible for this fiasco ?? Who at the city wasn't doing their job?? What city supervisor was off at Starbucks having a cup of Joe?? Most importantly..... Who's going to lose their job??? Answer-----No one. Cause it's business as usual at city hall.
Current Encinitas City Council said nothing about this complaint. Vina received the complaint letter in January 2013. The city of Encinitas government is the biggest polluter in the city. What type of cover up is going on at city hall?
I thought that their job was to protect our natural resources and the residents of this city. Anywhere else and Gus Vina would have lost his own job for this!
Did anyone else notice that the City of La Mesa, the other city where Glenn Sabine is a contract attorney, was also sued? Makes you wonder about a lot of things, at least it makes me wonder.
Via pushec thru Cal Builders. It was an election year 2012 and Vi Vina needed to build the park under duress from Stocks and Muir. First Vina said the park and moonlight beach improvements were connected, turns out they were not. Then Vina goes $8 million in debt. Next Vina takes and recommends the lowball bid from Cal Builders. Every other bidder protests the awarding of the contract and the grounds are Calbuilders were wrongly bidding grading and lacked proper certifications. The council and Vina ignored these complaints / protests.
In 2008 during the Hall Park hearing resident after resident told Teresa Barth and the council the grading and haz mat plan was a hazard, residents told the council city engineer Masi Man had no idea what the grading would be and that Rossini Creek was at risk, the council ignored the residents.
Now we learn deputy mayor shaffer the self proclaimed ethics and transparency queen new in january this complaint was coming in and said nothing
that is your city council. Fire Vina, Dump Barth, Phony Tony and 5he 3 blind mice
Glen Pruim at the city is one of the addressees in the letter. The other is a guy at Cal builders. Jump on them and the prior council, not Lisa, who was in office less than a month when the first violation went down in December of 2012. I agree, the person overseeing this for the city should probably be let go...
Lisa went along with the Council in rating Vina "excellent" and supporting Sabine despite a clear and persistent pattern of cronyism and incompetence.
A brief history:
- Sabine's long and well-documented history - Lisa's recognition of the mess the staff made of Desert Rose - Prop A fiasco started by Vina's unauthorized hiring of pro-developer attorneys Rutan & Tucker to write a biased analysis - Blatant lies on Prop A ballot arguments about history of 101 upzoning without a public vote most likely due to bad information or lack of accurate information from staff - Staff incompetence in dealing with Coastal Commission (wrongly ignored CCC on road diet, falsely used CCC as argument against Prop A) - Entire year wasted on yet another round of "strategic planning" led by Vina while continuing to ignore road maintenance, pensions, financial reforms
Lisa is the only council member to have even grumbled about any of this, but even she isn't really taking a strong stand to stop any of it. She rated Vina "excellent!"
The council members all bear full responsibility for the culture of cronyism and incompetence until they start doing something to change it.
Ok, Desert Rose is a different issue. I'm just saying that on this one, look at the project manager for the city, the guy at the construction company, Vina, prior council etc. etc. And if we're going to have this discussion about this council NOT getting it done, who are the candidates for next time, who is going to do the legwork done to get them in and hold them accountable. What are going to do, WC? Are you willing to come out from behind the secret curtain and run for office, or be a major player? Personally, despite all the setbacks and or lack of current progress, I'll still take Lisa and Tony over Jerome and Jim. And I still hold them accountable, I have issues with Sabine, Staff and a long list of other issues. I reserve the right not to support Lisa and Tony next time, but for now, I think they're our best shot in the next 3 years, unless we can dump Gaspar. The choices in this town to me will be a Gaspar or Muir developer loving council, or a possibly more moderate, not as developer loving council. My concern as always is we end up with a 4-1 majority like we had for many years. So my question remains, who is going to step up and run, or help make it happen?>
6:17 Lisa Shaffer is not trustworthy. In my opinion she is a selfish self seeking self centered person who must be voted out of office. I walked neighborhoods for Ms. Shaffer and donated money to her campaign. She is fake, fake, fake.
She did not hold Vina accountable for going behind the councils back and giving Rutan and Tucker $50K
She signed her name to the ballot statement that told the public the lies that the 101 upzoning included a vote of the public (it didn't) She signed her name to the lie on the ballot that there will never be 5 story buildings in Encinitas (it is no where in the code banned forever) She owns this, her failed ethics, her crap morality.
She gave Vina an excellent review knowing Vina orchestrated the Prop A ballot misinformation
She gave Sabine a positive review knowing Sabine helped bury the road reports.
Speaking of road repairs- the roads continue to deteriorate on her watch.
You may want to claim she has been good for the city but our roads continue to get worse, our pensions get higher and Vina has hired 4 new Directors for 150K or more all with pensions on her watch. Oh yea, and now Socialist Shaffer wants to increase fees on residents for youth sports and she wants raise fees on residents improving their properties- they call that a tax increase where I come from. Shaffer and Barth - so much for sustainability, unless your sustaining the cronyism at city hall
Reposting from June 6, 3:16pm. Credit to whoever wrote it, for background info:
During the Hall Park Planning EIR report in 2008 residents went to city hall and informed the council led by Stocks, Bond and Dalager that the city did not have an adequate draining and grading plan and that Rossini Creek was under threat.
The council and staff led by Patrick Murphy and city Engineer Massi (something) ignored residents. They are responsible.
Late last summer City Manager Vina recommended raiding 15 fully funded citywide capital projects like improving Cottonwood Park and too the money to start the Hall Park just ahead of the election. Because the city did not have adequate funds to build the park because of financial mismanagement the council including Barth, Gaspar and Muir all approved what I consider a risky plan to bury toxic pesticide soil on the site rather than dig it up and haul it away. Digging it up and hauling to away would seem to be more safe and healthy, but it cost more money. So the council under Gaspar, Muir and Barth led by city manager Vina took the cheaper approach and buried it on site.
Today we are seeing the consequences of failed leadership. The city's grading plan was inadequate from the beginning, the planning staff claiming it was a good grading plan proved not to be true, the city council and city manager hose the cheaper route to treat hazardous waste soil (the city calls it dirty dirt....maybe the new PR spin doctor Mr. Norby will call it something else) - too because they failed to plan properly.
The whole thing could have been avoided if the council, city manager and planning director Patrick Murphy had followed the recommendations of the residents in 2008- they didn't.
They could have built one less park but they didn't. At last weeks council meeting the council discussed raising fees on youth sports AND they talked about raising sports fees for groups over 25 people............I guess the talk about the park being a regional sports park for serving regional tournaments and fitting a new high density regional zoning plan turned out to be true............hmm imagine that.
it is not a regional sports park for serving regional tournaments as you have continually tried to state. it will serve the Encinitas families who have kids playing for Cardiff and Encinitas soccer leagues. Encinitas hosts one tournament a year and it is played on many school and city fields. the park will be added to that list of fields, but unfortunately not until 2015 because the turf won't be in until fall of next year...
The kids in Cardiff have a great field at the Cardiff Sports Park and Cardiff Elementary, the kids in Encinitas got Leo Mullen-
please............Gaspar and Muir along with the three blind mice and 'Phony' Tony are talking about raising fees on families for sports and hosting regional sports tournaments. The park also was approved as a "special use park" not a community park. These are the facts, that you choose to ignore them does not mean the rest of us should. $80 million in cost to taxpayers, and now another $500K and a dead creek to boot.
Lisa Shaffer was sworn in as a new council member in December 2012. Did she know about this? Surely, unless Gus Vina hid it from her. Remember that Vina got an "excellent" rating from the council after the complaint was filed.
Also remember that the Hall property park was supposed to open in April 2014. The fall opening came as a surprise. Was this complaint the real reason for the delay? The city gave some cockamamie excuse about the sod.
Back in 2003 the city was ordered by the Water Board to install erosion controls on the Hall property after the property was cleared. Heavy rains washed excessive amounts of silt down Rossini Creek to the lagoon. This was before the contaminated soil was buried. One can imagine what kinds of toxic materials ended up in the lagoon. Again the residents were the one to call attention to the problem.
Heads should roll, but if the past is any guide to the future, it won't happen.
Ok, but you're going to try and lay this whole thing at her doorstep? I don't think so. Stocks, Bonds, Dalager, Maggie, Teresa has been on the council, I could see that, but just because you don't like Lisa? It's a real reach. Everything else I agree with you on, the whole Hall property thing has been a fiasco.
City Manager Gus Vina had the complaint in hand in January 2013. The Council knew about the violations in January 2013. Council and Vina have made no public statements about the pollution by the city from January to the present day. This is a cover up by the current City Council, Gus Vina, and the various staff.
Does anyone need any further proof than this that Teresa Barth DOES NOT SPEAK for Millennials?? It is shocking and disgusting that this corner of nature was ruined in this way. The web of life that used to be present in the creek is now dried up. I challenge the council to bus in all of the Millennials that they claim to represent, and ask them to look at the results of their choices. Maybe they will turn this case over to Marco Gonzalez since he now represents the very worst abusers in Encinitas like the downtown bar owners.
Also, where was our self-named ethical politician in all of this, Lisa Shaffer? Was her willingness to sit back and watch this environmental abuse one of her "confessions" during her recent presentation at Mira Costa?
Again, the first incident named in the complaint was in December of 2012. Trying to lay this at her doorstep is a cheap shot. Blame Vina and prior council if you want, but talk is cheap when you don't sign your name and you accuse someone of being responsible who just came on to the council. Use your head, try actually reading the complaint or see the names posted above. Look at who the project manager is for the city, the construction company and then track back through city staff....
There is nothing cheap about pointing out the failed leadership and hypocritical claim she makes as an ethics leader. Shaffer knew as council person about the park. She is responsible along with the other 4 council members. If Shaffer eld Vina she would have held him accountable for his failures in January 2013, instead she let Vina lead her, and keep this complaint from the public. Now we know why Vina wanted to hire a spin doctor for $135,000 dollars a year plus pension obligations heaped on the backs of taxpayers- Shaffer and the council ignored the speakers who opposed this hire and gave Vina the green light to waste more of our money.
These are the facts, that you choose to ignore them does not mean the rest of us should.
I still think you're reaching. If you're going to make that claim, name Muir, Gaspar, Kranz and Barth. Notice you lead with "Shaffer and the council". I'm not saying she's not potentially responsible, but this blog is becoming the anti-Shaffer platform. I still prefer to hold out hope (maybe foolishly) that she'll start holding some feet to the fire. She at least tried to get a comparison on Sabine. The Communications job is not $135k, do some reading and get it right. The range was between $70 and 95k a year for pay. You accuse someone else of lacking ethics and leadership, yet you yourself have no problem inflating figures. Don't get me wrong, like the speaker above, I actively campaigned for Lisa and want to see a lot more, I'm disappointed as well. I also know that she has 3 years left, whether any of us like it or not, so I chose to hope she's going to come around in the next 2 years. Otherwise, I'm right there opposing her relection. But you're tying to many things to her wagon. I guess it's easier to be Gaspar, who does nothing, and by so doing gives us 0 expectations..
9:41 you make excuses. It was you who said Shaffer should be give a 'coupon' it was I who held her accountable. Of course all 5 blind mice being led by Vina are to blame. Also, when Vina went before the council to ask for a pay range for a PR spin doctor to join his 'cabinet' he asked the council to approve up to $135K and Shaffer, Phony Tony, Muir, Gaspar and Barth all approved it- that is who they are, taking our money to benefit themselves rather than representing the residents- just like they gave $50K to Rutan and Tucker to spread misinformation to the public- live with it.
Lisa and Teresa set themselves up for particular attention since Teresa has for years played a victim role and has claimed that if only she were allowed to be mayor that things would be better. Things are far worse under her than in any time in Encinitas history. Council and Gus Vina have empowered staff to be their worst ever.
Shaffer gave a lecture entitled, "Confessions of an Ethical Politician," then from what I heard, spent an hour talking about herself.
This is not to say that the others on council are not responsible too, but these 2 are manipulative and deceitful on top of being irresponsible!
The only bigger idiots in enc than the current council are the idiots that elected these idiots. Somewhere 5 villages are missing their idiots and they gather every Wednesday night at enc city hall.
Ok, they gave him $135k for the position, but that's not what it pays. Let's get real. I guess my real issue is the topic of this post is about sediment and run off in the creek below the Hall property. Yet it quickly becomes a witch hunt on Shaffer. If you want to go after her, talk Prop A, Sabine, whatever relevant topic you want. The guilty parties on this one are listed in the link, ie the city project manager and their bosses. Let's maybe cover that for a 2nd before we go several degrees of Kevin Bacon. I'd like to hear all 5 council people weigh in on this one, I may even speak to the matter, although I'm sure there are more qualified speakers.
Again, you didn't even go to the Lisa presentation. it was "What I heard". If you didn't go, or can't give a qualified outline, don't bring it up. I agree with the Sculpin, I don't give a rats ass what she talked about, it's not council business. Nailing her on the fact that she taught/teaches ethics mixed with your dislike isn't relevant. STick to her votes.
Clearly you're not happy with Tony and Lisa, you feel cheated, I get it. Personally, I feel more cheated by Gaspar, and before her Dallager, because they wear their non-interest on their sleeve, and it's right in your face. Gaspar's recusal/non-vote on the school was the lamest of all time.
I'll repeat it again, be careful what you with for, the pro-development candidates will be right back on the ballot next time...
12:01, our new majority of Barth, Kranz and Shaffer have not done a single thing to distinguish themselves from the old guard except for push for a ban on water bottles and plastic bags. While these are issues dear to the hearts of many in our community, the big issues like pensions, a city culture of ineptitde and dishonesty, and a cozy relationship with builders, are just the same old same old! We already have a pro-devlopment council!
12:01 how do you know I didn't go to Shaffer's speech? Pretty arrogant of you to make such a statement without having a basis in fact. The facts are these-
1. Shaffer was on the council in January 2. Shaffer along with the other 4 new in January there was a problem, if they did not know and Gus kept it from them then they are incompetent, and Gus should be fired immediately. 3. Shaffer gave Vina a raise and voted against residents in letting Vina hire a spin doctor.............now we know why 4. Shaffer singed her name to the falsehood ON A BALLOT STATEMENT no less that made the false claim no upzone had happened without a vote of the people and 5 story buildings were forever banned. 5. Shaffer preferred to spend taxpayer money and time going to Gus Vina indoctrination called strategic planning rather than implement true pension reform or fix our streets.
Lastly, SHAFERR IS A PRO-DEVELOPMENT HIGH DENSITY COUNCIL PERSON- she opposed A, she is pushing high density overlay with Vina, she backed Marco and high density at desert rose-
Not like Stocks and Bonds she's not, trust me. If you went to Shaffer's speech, let's see your report, your outline. I don't care if you think I'm arrogant or not.
Again, be careful what you with for, Alice Jacobson is probably sitting there laughing, waiting to run again with Jerome and Mike Andreen's backing...
7:52- How is Shaffer any different than Stocks/Jacobson/Dalager or phony tony and pension hihg Muir?
Shaffer opposed A and approved a ballot statement lie to mislead voters- just like ol' Stocks ]Shaffer claims their is a surplus while she knows there is no money to fix roads or replenish the money VIna raided from parks, just like Stocks Shaffer has done nothing to fix pensions and approved 4 hires at 150K+, just like stocks
What si worse about Shaffer is she is a socialist/communist ideologue, who thinks she knows best what we need and will forice it on us- high density housing, regionalism
Becuase you are willing to accept untruths, misinformation and failed leadership from Shaffer does not mean the rest of us should-
It's not the blog that made Shaffer the queen of ethics. She took ownership all by herself. It is fair to call her out on any issue if there is a whiff of unethical action on her part. Even if she wasn't told by Vina about this problem, how did she not know about it? Many citizens did. I've known about it for months, but it was "confidential' until it was officially posted on the Water Board website.
Perhaps it's not unethical to be naive, uninformed, or just plain ignorant, but it brings up the question of common sense and competence. She can be at least partially exonerated if Vina kept the council in the dark. But a lot a people at the city knew. Their names are on the letter.
What, god forbid we should talk about the creek, we have to burn Shaffer at the stake first. LOL. Yes, thanks for bringing it up, what is going to be done to re mediate this damage....
Lisa Shaffer's newsletter reported that there was a "surplus" in the budget since Gus Vina was doing such a great job. There was between $3 and $4 million in "surplus."
She went on to say that she recommended putting 10% of the "surplus" into a backup fund to shore up pensions.
I guess that this fine will wipe out the fund that she had wanted to set up for a couple of years.
Personlly, I think the first order of business is to restore the funds that Gus Vina raided for the park.
It didn't say Vina was doing a great job, but it did say there was a surplus, and that 10% should be put into a backup fund to shore up pensions. Again, not sure how her saying that there was a surplus equates with the fine on the park runoff. I think I'm wasting my breath...
Anon 1:52 has the same communication style as Lisa--the I'm smarter than you so I might as well not waste my breath attitude.
I think that Lisa has lived here for about 6 years, and she gave a talk about being an ethical politician after less than 1 year of service on council.
At the risk of sounding ungrateful, wouldn't it be a better approach for her to listen to voters, or at least engage in a conversation, instead of telling them what to do or praising herself in a public lecture before completing her first year of service?
Shaffer is full of Shinola- how do I know this, because she sat there asking why there was not enough money to fix our roads when the road budget was reviewed. Is it possible only a simpleton or a liar would claim there is a surplus just after being told there was not enough money to fix roads?
Oh yea, if there is a surplus why did Shaffer vote to raise fees on the parents and families of youth sports and to raise fees on homeowners seeking permits to improve their properties?
It is clear 1:52that you are from the same school of 'look the other way' ethics that Shaffer is from. Just because you want to make excuses for failed leadership costing taxpayers don't expect us to join you-
You're missing my point, I agree with you on the presentation. I think she also should've passed on doing the presentation. Bad timing to say the least. Smells bad. I just didn't thing the comparison was fair. I'm going to quit talking Shaffer, because she'll be in office another 3 years, and some people clearly don't like her, so we'll see what happens and vote next time.
Verbatim first two paragraphs from her email:
"The end of the 2012-2013 fiscal year financial summary shows that we have an unexpected $3.8 million surplus in our General Fund. This is great news. But it barely got a mention. Instead, there was lots of news coverage of my request that we not use single-use plastic water bottles at off-site City Council meetings. Go figure!
Our November 13 Council meeting started with a special meeting to review the performance plans for the City Manager and City Attorney. The Council had this discussion in closed session because employees are entitled to privacy with respect to their performance evaluations and it's hard to discuss a performance plan without discussing actual performance. We did not complete our work in this one session, and so the City Manager and City Attorney will continue to work on their plans and we will continue our meeting in the near future. I still hope we will end up with public documents reflecting what the Council is expecting from these two individuals who are the only staff directly under the Council's responsibility."
4:10 please explain, how can there be a surplus of 3.8 million when we are 43 million behind in road repairs? Please explain how their is a 3.8 million surplus when Gus Vina just raided 15 fully funded projects of $8million?
For Shaffer to claim there is a surplus only shows she is incompetent to run a business and incompetent to be a city council member.
I'm not in budget office, nor am I Shaffer. You'll have to ask Lisa, I'm done talking Lisa. You go down to her office hours and find out. I'm merely presenting what she wrote, dudes and dudettes. People want to play fast and loose with what is and isn't said on this blog, I cut and pasted from email so you can see what she said, that's it. I know the roads have issues. I assume she's talking a specific year/instance on the budget. I would like to see how we have a surplus in this city.
Spend the time you're wasting creating all these questions and write the waterboard and ask them to restore the whole Rossini Creek Watershed, I am.
-Signed,
Dude who is not Shaffer, over 40, still cares about Encinitas but is tired of the hate.
Dude, you miss the point. Lisa put the target on her own back by proclaiming that she was "ethical," thus causing other people to point out that she's mostly talk yet has fallen short in her actual performance. She is so desperate to control her image that she scheduled a public lecture to communicate how ethical she is. It is as though after less than a year on council, she has been honored with a lifetime achievement award. I guess that you could say that she has, except that it seemed to have originated from herself.
I disagree that as a public figure, she should get to control her own story in the papers, in public lectures, and in city functions, yet Encinitas citizens are supposed to go down to her office and have private meetings with her. Many have already tried that.
Supposedly, at the lecture, she read emails from former supporters that were harsh, without explaining what she had done to cause them to write these comments. Does she really think that people weren’t left wondering what Lisa had done to cause supporters to lash out at her?
In addition, she has written that “critics” don’t matter. Those “critics” walked door to door for her, donated money, and used their networks to promote her as a candidate. Some former supporters feel that she is so unethical, that they themselves have lost credibility with their own friends.
Sorry, but I have no sympathy for this self-inflicted wound. She needs to start listening instead of trying to control her image.
Corrrect. Many of us were burned after going to bat to get her elected. We were duped and wasted our time campaigning just to watch her immediately mess up desert rose which was unbelievable, completely choked on that vote. Following with prop A deceit she lost all credibility with her former supporters. Watch for three more years of her congratulating herself.
From what I heard, Lisa Shaffer misunderstood. The City had more money than we had expected come in from property taxes, sales tax revenues, and TOT (Transit Occupancy Taxes), but we had more money than anticipated transferred (reallocated and spent) from existing Capital Improvement Project funding, and we had greater operating expenses than projected, as has been the case, for years, with respect to Operating Expenses.
So the "surplus," is not a bottom line excess, but merely a "feel good" figure designed to make the budget appear better, to the misinformed or gullible. What has happened this year, under the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, is that the City Manager has taken control.
We did not have our promised public goalsetting meetings, before this year's budget items were "approved," late at night, with only a couple of speakers willing to wait until almost 11 p.m. to speak!
Everything has put off for the marketing, public relations ploy of "strategic planning," and setting a two year budget. We will already be in the second year by the time the Strategic Plan "workshops" and public input (if any) can be quantified and qualified.
So far the Strategic Plan "workshops" are more about posing, posturing and pushing an agenda of development, either up or out, rather than goal setting, in general. The workshops are more about staff and Council and outside "authorities" making presentations, with little opportunity for public input or "brainstorming." The Mayor says we have to do it this way, because the Brown Act makes it so Council and staff can't effectively communicate EXCEPT at public meetings! Poor dears! We will be voting no on any housing element that includes upzoning, UP or OUT, but will be supporting a new General Amnesty, as we had in 1991, with covenants for 20 years, for affordable housing, already existing, to be counted.
We hope EVERYONE had a Happy Thanksgiving. We can all be grateful for our blessings, and the opportunities we have, for connection.
So maybe this explains why strategic planning is Gus' "passion!" In other words, he has flipped the power structure completely and is in control of the council instead of them telling him what to do.
Is what has happened the last year really what Encinitas citizens want? How many support this all out assault on our natural resources and this massive waste of money?
OK, so now that everyone knows that they know that we know: action, or no action from the Council? Firings or no firings? New contractor, or no new contractor?
What they do now - and how pathetic they are in explaining why they kept this quiet - will be telling.
Assume the Coast News perhaps will pick up this story, it needs to go to the U-T and more than Gus' "28 identified activists" have to show up at council and demand action, now. Not "we'll put it on a future agenda," not "those individuals spoken to will be held accountable," but real action, now.
It is not inconceivable that there's a lawsuit against the city in here somewhere....
Wait for council to schedule it, and under Vina's watchful eye and Sabine's sage "advice," this thing will never see the light of day.
We need folks to step up and speak each week at oral comms, when the Council cannot control what speakers say. The newer the faces, the better. Council needs to know that behind every one of Vina's "28 identified activists" are scores more watching and ready and willing to open their mouths.
This is Dr. Lorri- My Google acct. is not working properly so I will post this way. If this information is accurate, and it sure looks like it, I am more then a little disappointed in the P@R staff, as well as The Whole Council and Vina. Who are Vina's activists? I have never heard this before. If I am not on his list, I guess I will be shortly, as this is not going to go away. I was told by 2 P@R staff members that there was NO toxic runoff going into Rossini Creek. I asked shortly after the first post on Encinitas Undercover was published. So I guess I was either lied to, or the staff didn't know. I would like to believe the second, but I am pretty sure it was the first.
The activists are the noble folks that have saved Encinitas from ruin, the ones vina & council like to lump together and ignore since they are "activists". Well there are way more than what is on this short list the city can rest assured.
That goes back to the Stocks/Bonds days, when we were called obstructionists. I've never heard that out of Teresa's mouth, and I better not. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. As the loan dissenting opinion for a few years, she should know that...
Barth, Shaffer Phony Tony and Muir/Gaspar have all used the word obstructionist to describe opposing views. Gus Vina is keeping a list of those with opposing views,
Gus told a well known activist that there are only 28 of them. I heard Teresa use the word obstructionist during the Prop. A campaign. I won't name names, but if you ask Gus maybe he will tell you whose names are on his list. Send Gus an email or ask the new Communications Specialist when she begins working next month.
3:21: Verify it with Vina himself. Ask Teresa if she's ever called our activists "obstructionists." Ask Lisa if she ever told residents during the Prop A campaign that the Prop A effort was actually "a handful of residents acting like it's a life and death matter."
If you haven't figured out by now that the city has and continues to engage in retribution against "obstructionists," then you have never opposed the city in a visible way.
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sandiego/water_issues/programs/compliance/acl_complaints.shtml There's the link to the complaint at the state level reposted.
Here is what you CAN do now, without leaving your couch: write the local regional agency and demand that the city restore the creek before the Hall park project can proceed. Here's the contact info:
SAN DIEGO REGION (9) www.waterboards.ca.gov/sandiego 2375 Northside Drive, Suite 100 San Diego, CA 92108 E-mail: info9@waterboards.ca.gov Tel: (619)516-1990 Fax: (619)516-1994
You all sound like Bush Cheney saying weapons off mass destruction .It's so to late ,you were on your couch waging your finger and bloging .Blah Blah Blah
And you should be more environmentally friendly and quit wasting water that is pumped in from thousands of miles away and contributes to more pollution going to our ocean.
You are clueless about the environment. I bet you use plastic bags
I love plastic bags and recycle them. There is NO water shortage only a political shortage of will to tell the Surfrider foundation, bay keepers etc etc to go fuck themselves and start desalination. Ever been without water?? Ever gone thirsty?? Ever wondered how you'll get your next drink of water?? I have, it's not a nice way to die. Luckily I made it out of the desert with the help of some good people. I'd have paid $1000 for a gallon of water and so would you. Remember as you limit the resources you drive the price so high you force yourself to move away. Remember you are doing this to yourself, I have no sympathy for your idiocy.
Water shortages from here on in are a reality. All new houses should have grey water systems and drought resistant plants. No more watering the lawn or the street. Start with common sense before the desal, which is hugely expensive and still somewhat of a last resort.
"As an Amurican, I have a right to abuse and exploit the environment. Being a glutton is my birthright. Resources are infinite for as many Amuricans as we can make. I am more important than the health and future of the planet. If there's not enough water to go around, make more! It pays to be a clueless, irresponsible moron. Try it. Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see."
3:59- in your perfect world there are NO human being exploiting the planet. Please show us how to do that human by human. I'll go after you if that's ok....
Oh, 6:32, are you familiar with the concept of conservation? How about moderation? How about reducing the global population to a level the planet can sustain without its excesses inflicting slow death on the planet and many of its diverse species, including our own?
Reducing the global population ?? Via...???? Starvation?? Nuclear holocoast?? Death by thirst. ?? Again I say, lead by example. If you want to reduce global population then start with yourself.
8:12 PM Gray water systems are touted as panaceas for water shortages. No plumbing, no gray water needed - use a cup of water for face and hand washing. Use an outhouse - no need for gray water systems there. Use cast iron for cooking and scrub out with sand or dirt. Laundry - small bucket of water for wash and a smaller bucket for rinse. Drinking and cooking water - ration. Stock up on sand for washing and lime for the outhouse.
3:26 Gray water systems do create more drinking water for everyone when drinking water isn't wasted on plants, lawns etc. Still pretty sketchy to over build in a desert area that is dependant on water from another state. A local lady once suggested cisterns to save the millions of gallons of rain water that dumps right back into the ocean every good storm here. That's smart planning and simple conservation. But once again, when that kind of beneficial infrastructure is unseen, few give it credence.
My point is, we can make water convervation happen, and it should always be the first step. Still, farming and commercial are by far and large the biggest water users in CA. But water supply should be on the table anytime new developments come up, the supply is not infinite.
7:54 AM Water conservation for whom? It is a rationing of water so that developers can build more houses. Doesn't it feel good that the water you save today will help build more houses tomorrow. Have you read about the water wars in the 1930s? No amount of conservation would have stopped it. Wake up and smell the coffee, it you have enough water for making it.
It is a natural creek, but it's a seasonal creek. It probably had flow year round due to runoff from the greenhouses. See the link at the top of the post, several Cardiff locals discuss the creek.
State and local pension retirees to sue state of Illinois if pensions reduced. Whew... Thankfully we don't have those problems in Mayberry by the Sea. All we need to worry about are plastic bag and plastic water bottle bans.
Lololll. Who's responsible for this fiasco ?? Who at the city wasn't doing their job?? What city supervisor was off at Starbucks having a cup of Joe?? Most importantly..... Who's going to lose their job??? Answer-----No one. Cause it's business as usual at city hall.
ReplyDelete"The usual suspects," of course...what the city calls all of us!
DeleteCurrent Encinitas City Council said nothing about this complaint. Vina received the complaint letter in January 2013. The city of Encinitas government is the biggest polluter in the city.
ReplyDeleteWhat type of cover up is going on at city hall?
I thought that their job was to protect our natural resources and the residents of this city. Anywhere else and Gus Vina would have lost his own job for this!
DeleteWell the taxpayers foot the bill and no one gets fired at city hall.
ReplyDeleteBang your pots!!
ReplyDeleteBang your pots!!
Bang them until they all quit and leave.
Scum!!
Human shit with eyeballs.
Robbers of the public treasury.
Drive them out.
Bang your pots!!
Bang your pots!!
Did anyone else notice that the City of La Mesa, the other city where Glenn Sabine is a contract attorney, was also sued? Makes you wonder about a lot of things, at least it makes me wonder.
ReplyDeleteI don't wonder. The combination of ineptitude and corruption is self-evident.
DeleteWhy is he still here? Crazy.
ReplyDeleteVia pushec thru Cal Builders. It was an election year 2012 and Vi Vina needed to build the park under duress from Stocks and Muir. First Vina said the park and moonlight beach improvements were connected, turns out they were not. Then Vina goes $8 million in debt. Next Vina takes and recommends the lowball bid from Cal Builders. Every other bidder protests the awarding of the contract and the grounds are Calbuilders were wrongly bidding grading and lacked proper certifications. The council and Vina ignored these complaints / protests.
ReplyDeleteIn 2008 during the Hall Park hearing resident after resident told Teresa Barth and the council the grading and haz mat plan was a hazard, residents told the council city engineer Masi Man had no idea what the grading would be and that Rossini Creek was at risk, the council ignored the residents.
Now we learn deputy mayor shaffer the self proclaimed ethics and transparency queen new in january this complaint was coming in and said nothing
that is your city council. Fire Vina, Dump Barth, Phony Tony and 5he 3 blind mice
Follow the money....
DeleteTrace the money, who took what from whom...
Follow the money....
Glen Pruim at the city is one of the addressees in the letter. The other is a guy at Cal builders. Jump on them and the prior council, not Lisa, who was in office less than a month when the first violation went down in December of 2012. I agree, the person overseeing this for the city should probably be let go...
ReplyDeleteLisa went along with the Council in rating Vina "excellent" and supporting Sabine despite a clear and persistent pattern of cronyism and incompetence.
DeleteA brief history:
- Sabine's long and well-documented history
- Lisa's recognition of the mess the staff made of Desert Rose
- Prop A fiasco started by Vina's unauthorized hiring of pro-developer attorneys Rutan & Tucker to write a biased analysis
- Blatant lies on Prop A ballot arguments about history of 101 upzoning without a public vote most likely due to bad information or lack of accurate information from staff
- Staff incompetence in dealing with Coastal Commission (wrongly ignored CCC on road diet, falsely used CCC as argument against Prop A)
- Entire year wasted on yet another round of "strategic planning" led by Vina while continuing to ignore road maintenance, pensions, financial reforms
Lisa is the only council member to have even grumbled about any of this, but even she isn't really taking a strong stand to stop any of it. She rated Vina "excellent!"
The council members all bear full responsibility for the culture of cronyism and incompetence until they start doing something to change it.
WCV
Ok, Desert Rose is a different issue. I'm just saying that on this one, look at the project manager for the city, the guy at the construction company, Vina, prior council etc. etc. And if we're going to have this discussion about this council NOT getting it done, who are the candidates for next time, who is going to do the legwork done to get them in and hold them accountable. What are going to do, WC? Are you willing to come out from behind the secret curtain and run for office, or be a major player? Personally, despite all the setbacks and or lack of current progress, I'll still take Lisa and Tony over Jerome and Jim. And I still hold them accountable, I have issues with Sabine, Staff and a long list of other issues. I reserve the right not to support Lisa and Tony next time, but for now, I think they're our best shot in the next 3 years, unless we can dump Gaspar. The choices in this town to me will be a Gaspar or Muir developer loving council, or a possibly more moderate, not as developer loving council. My concern as always is we end up with a 4-1 majority like we had for many years. So my question remains, who is going to step up and run, or help make it happen?>
Delete6:17 Lisa Shaffer is not trustworthy. In my opinion she is a selfish self seeking self centered person who must be voted out of office. I walked neighborhoods for Ms. Shaffer and donated money to her campaign. She is fake, fake, fake.
DeleteShe did not hold Vina accountable for going behind the councils back and giving Rutan and Tucker $50K
She signed her name to the ballot statement that told the public the lies that the 101 upzoning included a vote of the public (it didn't) She signed her name to the lie on the ballot that there will never be 5 story buildings in Encinitas (it is no where in the code banned forever) She owns this, her failed ethics, her crap morality.
She gave Vina an excellent review knowing Vina orchestrated the Prop A ballot misinformation
She gave Sabine a positive review knowing Sabine helped bury the road reports.
Speaking of road repairs- the roads continue to deteriorate on her watch.
You may want to claim she has been good for the city but our roads continue to get worse, our pensions get higher and Vina has hired 4 new Directors for 150K or more all with pensions on her watch. Oh yea, and now Socialist Shaffer wants to increase fees on residents for youth sports and she wants raise fees on residents improving their properties- they call that a tax increase where I come from. Shaffer and Barth - so much for sustainability, unless your sustaining the cronyism at city hall
Reposting from June 6, 3:16pm. Credit to whoever wrote it, for background info:
ReplyDeleteDuring the Hall Park Planning EIR report in 2008 residents went to city hall and informed the council led by Stocks, Bond and Dalager that the city did not have an adequate draining and grading plan and that Rossini Creek was under threat.
The council and staff led by Patrick Murphy and city Engineer Massi (something) ignored residents. They are responsible.
Late last summer City Manager Vina recommended raiding 15 fully funded citywide capital projects like improving Cottonwood Park and too the money to start the Hall Park just ahead of the election. Because the city did not have adequate funds to build the park because of financial mismanagement the council including Barth, Gaspar and Muir all approved what I consider a risky plan to bury toxic pesticide soil on the site rather than dig it up and haul it away. Digging it up and hauling to away would seem to be more safe and healthy, but it cost more money. So the council under Gaspar, Muir and Barth led by city manager Vina took the cheaper approach and buried it on site.
Today we are seeing the consequences of failed leadership. The city's grading plan was inadequate from the beginning, the planning staff claiming it was a good grading plan proved not to be true, the city council and city manager hose the cheaper route to treat hazardous waste soil (the city calls it dirty dirt....maybe the new PR spin doctor Mr. Norby will call it something else) - too because they failed to plan properly.
The whole thing could have been avoided if the council, city manager and planning director Patrick Murphy had followed the recommendations of the residents in 2008- they didn't.
They could have built one less park but they didn't. At last weeks council meeting the council discussed raising fees on youth sports AND they talked about raising sports fees for groups over 25 people............I guess the talk about the park being a regional sports park for serving regional tournaments and fitting a new high density regional zoning plan turned out to be true............hmm imagine that.
it is not a regional sports park for serving regional tournaments as you have continually tried to state. it will serve the Encinitas families who have kids playing for Cardiff and Encinitas soccer leagues. Encinitas hosts one tournament a year and it is played on many school and city fields. the park will be added to that list of fields, but unfortunately not until 2015 because the turf won't be in until fall of next year...
DeleteThe kids in Cardiff have a great field at the Cardiff Sports Park and Cardiff Elementary, the kids in Encinitas got Leo Mullen-
Deleteplease............Gaspar and Muir along with the three blind mice and 'Phony' Tony are talking about raising fees on families for sports and hosting regional sports tournaments. The park also was approved as a "special use park" not a community park. These are the facts, that you choose to ignore them does not mean the rest of us should. $80 million in cost to taxpayers, and now another $500K and a dead creek to boot.
Lisa Shaffer was sworn in as a new council member in December 2012. Did she know about this? Surely, unless Gus Vina hid it from her. Remember that Vina got an "excellent" rating from the council after the complaint was filed.
ReplyDeleteAlso remember that the Hall property park was supposed to open in April 2014. The fall opening came as a surprise. Was this complaint the real reason for the delay? The city gave some cockamamie excuse about the sod.
Back in 2003 the city was ordered by the Water Board to install erosion controls on the Hall property after the property was cleared. Heavy rains washed excessive amounts of silt down Rossini Creek to the lagoon. This was before the contaminated soil was buried. One can imagine what kinds of toxic materials ended up in the lagoon. Again the residents were the one to call attention to the problem.
Heads should roll, but if the past is any guide to the future, it won't happen.
Ok, but you're going to try and lay this whole thing at her doorstep? I don't think so. Stocks, Bonds, Dalager, Maggie, Teresa has been on the council, I could see that, but just because you don't like Lisa? It's a real reach. Everything else I agree with you on, the whole Hall property thing has been a fiasco.
DeleteQuick, somebody call Turko !
DeleteCurrent City Council Cover Up -
ReplyDeleteCity Manager Gus Vina had the complaint in hand in January 2013. The Council knew about the violations in January 2013. Council and Vina have made no public statements about the pollution by the city from January to the present day.
This is a cover up by the current City Council, Gus Vina, and the various staff.
Bang your pots!!
DeleteBang your pots!!
I will never allow my kids to play sports on this toxic mess of a park!
ReplyDeletewhat fields do you allow your kids to play on now? do you know the spray schedules of those fields? no, didn't think so.
DeleteHall doesn't just have "spray schedule" toxins on it, it has decades-old BANNED substances embedded in the dirt.
DeleteNice try...you work for the city, by any chance?
Perhaps you haven't been around long enough to know how unbelievably toxic some of this was. Pesticide Park is the nickname.
Deleteyes, i know they buried it rather than haul it off as a matter of cost savings. and, no, not a city employee. future park user.
DeleteDoes anyone need any further proof than this that Teresa Barth DOES NOT SPEAK for Millennials?? It is shocking and disgusting that this corner of nature was ruined in this way. The web of life that used to be present in the creek is now dried up. I challenge the council to bus in all of the Millennials that they claim to represent, and ask them to look at the results of their choices. Maybe they will turn this case over to Marco Gonzalez since he now represents the very worst abusers in Encinitas like the downtown bar owners.
ReplyDeleteAlso, where was our self-named ethical politician in all of this, Lisa Shaffer? Was her willingness to sit back and watch this environmental abuse one of her "confessions" during her recent presentation at Mira Costa?
Again, the first incident named in the complaint was in December of 2012. Trying to lay this at her doorstep is a cheap shot. Blame Vina and prior council if you want, but talk is cheap when you don't sign your name and you accuse someone of being responsible who just came on to the council. Use your head, try actually reading the complaint or see the names posted above. Look at who the project manager is for the city, the construction company and then track back through city staff....
Delete8:47
DeleteThere is nothing cheap about pointing out the failed leadership and hypocritical claim she makes as an ethics leader. Shaffer knew as council person about the park. She is responsible along with the other 4 council members. If Shaffer eld Vina she would have held him accountable for his failures in January 2013, instead she let Vina lead her, and keep this complaint from the public. Now we know why Vina wanted to hire a spin doctor for $135,000 dollars a year plus pension obligations heaped on the backs of taxpayers- Shaffer and the council ignored the speakers who opposed this hire and gave Vina the green light to waste more of our money.
These are the facts, that you choose to ignore them does not mean the rest of us should.
I still think you're reaching. If you're going to make that claim, name Muir, Gaspar, Kranz and Barth. Notice you lead with "Shaffer and the council". I'm not saying she's not potentially responsible, but this blog is becoming the anti-Shaffer platform. I still prefer to hold out hope (maybe foolishly) that she'll start holding some feet to the fire. She at least tried to get a comparison on Sabine. The Communications job is not $135k, do some reading and get it right. The range was between $70 and 95k a year for pay. You accuse someone else of lacking ethics and leadership, yet you yourself have no problem inflating figures. Don't get me wrong, like the speaker above, I actively campaigned for Lisa and want to see a lot more, I'm disappointed as well. I also know that she has 3 years left, whether any of us like it or not, so I chose to hope she's going to come around in the next 2 years. Otherwise, I'm right there opposing her relection. But you're tying to many things to her wagon. I guess it's easier to be Gaspar, who does nothing, and by so doing gives us 0 expectations..
Delete9:41 you make excuses. It was you who said Shaffer should be give a 'coupon' it was I who held her accountable. Of course all 5 blind mice being led by Vina are to blame. Also, when Vina went before the council to ask for a pay range for a PR spin doctor to join his 'cabinet' he asked the council to approve up to $135K and Shaffer, Phony Tony, Muir, Gaspar and Barth all approved it- that is who they are, taking our money to benefit themselves rather than representing the residents- just like they gave $50K to Rutan and Tucker to spread misinformation to the public- live with it.
DeleteLisa and Teresa set themselves up for particular attention since Teresa has for years played a victim role and has claimed that if only she were allowed to be mayor that things would be better. Things are far worse under her than in any time in Encinitas history. Council and Gus Vina have empowered staff to be their worst ever.
DeleteShaffer gave a lecture entitled, "Confessions of an Ethical Politician," then from what I heard, spent an hour talking about herself.
This is not to say that the others on council are not responsible too, but these 2 are manipulative and deceitful on top of being irresponsible!
The only bigger idiots in enc than the current council are the idiots that elected these idiots. Somewhere 5 villages are missing their idiots and they gather every Wednesday night at enc city hall.
DeleteOk, they gave him $135k for the position, but that's not what it pays. Let's get real. I guess my real issue is the topic of this post is about sediment and run off in the creek below the Hall property. Yet it quickly becomes a witch hunt on Shaffer. If you want to go after her, talk Prop A, Sabine, whatever relevant topic you want. The guilty parties on this one are listed in the link, ie the city project manager and their bosses. Let's maybe cover that for a 2nd before we go several degrees of Kevin Bacon. I'd like to hear all 5 council people weigh in on this one, I may even speak to the matter, although I'm sure there are more qualified speakers.
DeleteAgain, you didn't even go to the Lisa presentation. it was "What I heard". If you didn't go, or can't give a qualified outline, don't bring it up. I agree with the Sculpin, I don't give a rats ass what she talked about, it's not council business. Nailing her on the fact that she taught/teaches ethics mixed with your dislike isn't relevant. STick to her votes.
Clearly you're not happy with Tony and Lisa, you feel cheated, I get it. Personally, I feel more cheated by Gaspar, and before her Dallager, because they wear their non-interest on their sleeve, and it's right in your face. Gaspar's recusal/non-vote on the school was the lamest of all time.
I'll repeat it again, be careful what you with for, the pro-development candidates will be right back on the ballot next time...
12:01, our new majority of Barth, Kranz and Shaffer have not done a single thing to distinguish themselves from the old guard except for push for a ban on water bottles and plastic bags. While these are issues dear to the hearts of many in our community, the big issues like pensions, a city culture of ineptitde and dishonesty, and a cozy relationship with builders, are just the same old same old! We already have a pro-devlopment council!
Delete12:01 how do you know I didn't go to Shaffer's speech? Pretty arrogant of you to make such a statement without having a basis in fact. The facts are these-
Delete1. Shaffer was on the council in January
2. Shaffer along with the other 4 new in January there was a problem, if they did not know and Gus kept it from them then they are incompetent, and Gus should be fired immediately.
3. Shaffer gave Vina a raise and voted against residents in letting Vina hire a spin doctor.............now we know why
4. Shaffer singed her name to the falsehood ON A BALLOT STATEMENT no less that made the false claim no upzone had happened without a vote of the people and 5 story buildings were forever banned.
5. Shaffer preferred to spend taxpayer money and time going to Gus Vina indoctrination called strategic planning rather than implement true pension reform or fix our streets.
Lastly, SHAFERR IS A PRO-DEVELOPMENT HIGH DENSITY COUNCIL PERSON- she opposed A, she is pushing high density overlay with Vina, she backed Marco and high density at desert rose-
Not like Stocks and Bonds she's not, trust me. If you went to Shaffer's speech, let's see your report, your outline. I don't care if you think I'm arrogant or not.
DeleteAgain, be careful what you with for, Alice Jacobson is probably sitting there laughing, waiting to run again with Jerome and Mike Andreen's backing...
7:52- How is Shaffer any different than Stocks/Jacobson/Dalager or phony tony and pension hihg Muir?
DeleteShaffer opposed A and approved a ballot statement lie to mislead voters- just like ol' Stocks
]Shaffer claims their is a surplus while she knows there is no money to fix roads or replenish the money VIna raided from parks, just like Stocks
Shaffer has done nothing to fix pensions and approved 4 hires at 150K+, just like stocks
What si worse about Shaffer is she is a socialist/communist ideologue, who thinks she knows best what we need and will forice it on us- high density housing, regionalism
Becuase you are willing to accept untruths, misinformation and failed leadership from Shaffer does not mean the rest of us should-
Geeze someone goes to the ends of the earth to announce how ethical they are and now this? Give me a break.
ReplyDeleteGaspar, Muir, Barth, Shaffer, and Kranz are the leaders in this cover up as they hid behind their false "we care about the environment" act.
ReplyDeleteOk everyone... We meet at city hall this Friday to protest... Oh wait they are closed. Another one of those 4 day weekend paid holidays. Never mind.
ReplyDeletedoesn't everywhere have paid holidays? I don't get your comment.
DeleteIt's not the blog that made Shaffer the queen of ethics. She took ownership all by herself. It is fair to call her out on any issue if there is a whiff of unethical action on her part. Even if she wasn't told by Vina about this problem, how did she not know about it? Many citizens did. I've known about it for months, but it was "confidential' until it was officially posted on the Water Board website.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it's not unethical to be naive, uninformed, or just plain ignorant, but it brings up the question of common sense and competence. She can be at least partially exonerated if Vina kept the council in the dark. But a lot a people at the city knew. Their names are on the letter.
There historically is no creek.
ReplyDeleteIt's run off from over irrigation which comes from the Colorado River and northern ca.
No run off is a good thing. It's shows less water use.
11:23- I guess you and your kind speculate on more than just property.
DeleteThe Cabezon
11:23, "There historically is no creek. It's run off from over irrigation which comes from the Colorado River and northern ca."
DeleteTell that to all of the dead frogs that have lived there for years.
It was a creek before Montgomery crossed it over 60 years ago.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHas anyone ever been up the creek, lol....
DeleteYeah, me and Jody Pierce built a tree house up the creek in 1973.
DeleteDid you practice any Night Moves? LOL...
DeleteWhat's the status of Rossini Creek now? Has it recovered?
ReplyDeleteWhat, god forbid we should talk about the creek, we have to burn Shaffer at the stake first. LOL. Yes, thanks for bringing it up, what is going to be done to re mediate this damage....
DeleteWell that. $430,000 would go a long way to fixing my street....I wonder from which fund Sac Gus will steal that money ???
ReplyDeleteLisa Shaffer's newsletter reported that there was a "surplus" in the budget since Gus Vina was doing such a great job. There was between $3 and $4 million in "surplus."
DeleteShe went on to say that she recommended putting 10% of the "surplus" into a backup fund to shore up pensions.
I guess that this fine will wipe out the fund that she had wanted to set up for a couple of years.
Personlly, I think the first order of business is to restore the funds that Gus Vina raided for the park.
It didn't say Vina was doing a great job, but it did say there was a surplus, and that 10% should be put into a backup fund to shore up pensions. Again, not sure how her saying that there was a surplus equates with the fine on the park runoff. I think I'm wasting my breath...
DeleteAnon 1:52 has the same communication style as Lisa--the I'm smarter than you so I might as well not waste my breath attitude.
DeleteI think that Lisa has lived here for about 6 years, and she gave a talk about being an ethical politician after less than 1 year of service on council.
At the risk of sounding ungrateful, wouldn't it be a better approach for her to listen to voters, or at least engage in a conversation, instead of telling them what to do or praising herself in a public lecture before completing her first year of service?
Shaffer is full of Shinola- how do I know this, because she sat there asking why there was not enough money to fix our roads when the road budget was reviewed. Is it possible only a simpleton or a liar would claim there is a surplus just after being told there was not enough money to fix roads?
DeleteOh yea, if there is a surplus why did Shaffer vote to raise fees on the parents and families of youth sports and to raise fees on homeowners seeking permits to improve their properties?
It is clear 1:52that you are from the same school of 'look the other way' ethics that Shaffer is from. Just because you want to make excuses for failed leadership costing taxpayers don't expect us to join you-
You're missing my point, I agree with you on the presentation. I think she also should've passed on doing the presentation. Bad timing to say the least. Smells bad. I just didn't thing the comparison was fair. I'm going to quit talking Shaffer, because she'll be in office another 3 years, and some people clearly don't like her, so we'll see what happens and vote next time.
DeleteVerbatim first two paragraphs from her email:
"The end of the 2012-2013 fiscal year financial summary shows that we have an unexpected $3.8 million surplus in our General Fund. This is great news. But it barely got a mention. Instead, there was lots of news coverage of my request that we not use single-use plastic water bottles at off-site City Council meetings. Go figure!
Our November 13 Council meeting started with a special meeting to review the performance plans for the City Manager and City Attorney. The Council had this discussion in closed session because employees are entitled to privacy with respect to their performance evaluations and it's hard to discuss a performance plan without discussing actual performance. We did not complete our work in this one session, and so the City Manager and City Attorney will continue to work on their plans and we will continue our meeting in the near future. I still hope we will end up with public documents reflecting what the Council is expecting from these two individuals who are the only staff directly under the Council's responsibility."
Or maybe 1:52 IS Shaffer!
Delete4:10 please explain, how can there be a surplus of 3.8 million when we are 43 million behind in road repairs? Please explain how their is a 3.8 million surplus when Gus Vina just raided 15 fully funded projects of $8million?
DeleteFor Shaffer to claim there is a surplus only shows she is incompetent to run a business and incompetent to be a city council member.
Prove me wrong, provide an explanation-
I'm not in budget office, nor am I Shaffer. You'll have to ask Lisa, I'm done talking Lisa. You go down to her office hours and find out. I'm merely presenting what she wrote, dudes and dudettes. People want to play fast and loose with what is and isn't said on this blog, I cut and pasted from email so you can see what she said, that's it. I know the roads have issues. I assume she's talking a specific year/instance on the budget. I would like to see how we have a surplus in this city.
DeleteSpend the time you're wasting creating all these questions and write the waterboard and ask them to restore the whole Rossini Creek Watershed, I am.
-Signed,
Dude who is not Shaffer, over 40, still cares about Encinitas but is tired of the hate.
Dude, you miss the point. Lisa put the target on her own back by proclaiming that she was "ethical," thus causing other people to point out that she's mostly talk yet has fallen short in her actual performance. She is so desperate to control her image that she scheduled a public lecture to communicate how ethical she is. It is as though after less than a year on council, she has been honored with a lifetime achievement award. I guess that you could say that she has, except that it seemed to have originated from herself.
DeleteI disagree that as a public figure, she should get to control her own story in the papers, in public lectures, and in city functions, yet Encinitas citizens are supposed to go down to her office and have private meetings with her. Many have already tried that.
Supposedly, at the lecture, she read emails from former supporters that were harsh, without explaining what she had done to cause them to write these comments. Does she really think that people weren’t left wondering what Lisa had done to cause supporters to lash out at her?
In addition, she has written that “critics” don’t matter. Those “critics” walked door to door for her, donated money, and used their networks to promote her as a candidate. Some former supporters feel that she is so unethical, that they themselves have lost credibility with their own friends.
Sorry, but I have no sympathy for this self-inflicted wound. She needs to start listening instead of trying to control her image.
Corrrect. Many of us were burned after going to bat to get her elected. We were duped and wasted our time campaigning just to watch her immediately mess up desert rose which was unbelievable, completely choked on that vote. Following with prop A deceit she lost all credibility with her former supporters. Watch for three more years of her congratulating herself.
DeleteEnlightenment next? Self-canonization?
DeleteFrom what I heard, Lisa Shaffer misunderstood. The City had more money than we had expected come in from property taxes, sales tax revenues, and TOT (Transit Occupancy Taxes), but we had more money than anticipated transferred (reallocated and spent) from existing Capital Improvement Project funding, and we had greater operating expenses than projected, as has been the case, for years, with respect to Operating Expenses.
DeleteSo the "surplus," is not a bottom line excess, but merely a "feel good" figure designed to make the budget appear better, to the misinformed or gullible. What has happened this year, under the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, is that the City Manager has taken control.
We did not have our promised public goalsetting meetings, before this year's budget items were "approved," late at night, with only a couple of speakers willing to wait until almost 11 p.m. to speak!
Everything has put off for the marketing, public relations ploy of "strategic planning," and setting a two year budget. We will already be in the second year by the time the Strategic Plan "workshops" and public input (if any) can be quantified and qualified.
So far the Strategic Plan "workshops" are more about posing, posturing and pushing an agenda of development, either up or out, rather than goal setting, in general. The workshops are more about staff and Council and outside "authorities" making presentations, with little opportunity for public input or "brainstorming." The Mayor says we have to do it this way, because the Brown Act makes it so Council and staff can't effectively communicate EXCEPT at public meetings! Poor dears! We will be voting no on any housing element that includes upzoning, UP or OUT, but will be supporting a new General Amnesty, as we had in 1991, with covenants for 20 years, for affordable housing, already existing, to be counted.
We hope EVERYONE had a Happy Thanksgiving. We can all be grateful for our blessings, and the opportunities we have, for connection.
So maybe this explains why strategic planning is Gus' "passion!" In other words, he has flipped the power structure completely and is in control of the council instead of them telling him what to do.
DeleteIs what has happened the last year really what Encinitas citizens want? How many support this all out assault on our natural resources and this massive waste of money?
OK, so now that everyone knows that they know that we know: action, or no action from the Council? Firings or no firings? New contractor, or no new contractor?
ReplyDeleteWhat they do now - and how pathetic they are in explaining why they kept this quiet - will be telling.
Assume the Coast News perhaps will pick up this story, it needs to go to the U-T and more than Gus' "28 identified activists" have to show up at council and demand action, now. Not "we'll put it on a future agenda," not "those individuals spoken to will be held accountable," but real action, now.
It is not inconceivable that there's a lawsuit against the city in here somewhere....
Agree 100%, would like to see a big crowd putting it's money where it's mouth is on this one when it's on the agenda. I will be there...
DeleteWait for council to schedule it, and under Vina's watchful eye and Sabine's sage "advice," this thing will never see the light of day.
DeleteWe need folks to step up and speak each week at oral comms, when the Council cannot control what speakers say. The newer the faces, the better. Council needs to know that behind every one of Vina's "28 identified activists" are scores more watching and ready and willing to open their mouths.
That money could have fixed Birmingham. Almost.
ReplyDeleteFuck Birmingham, fix Santa Fe Dr.
DeleteThis is Dr. Lorri- My Google acct. is not working properly so I will post this way. If this information is accurate, and it sure looks like it, I am more then a little disappointed in the P@R staff, as well as The Whole Council and Vina. Who are Vina's activists? I have never heard this before. If I am not on his list, I guess I will be shortly, as this is not going to go away. I was told by 2 P@R staff members that there was NO toxic runoff going into Rossini Creek. I asked shortly after the first post on Encinitas Undercover was published. So I guess I was either lied to, or the staff didn't know. I would like to believe the second, but I am pretty sure it was the first.
ReplyDeleteHate to break it to you but most definitely you were lied to. Like most in Encinitas people have no clue what happens at city hall. It is disgusting.
ReplyDeleteThe activists are the noble folks that have saved Encinitas from ruin, the ones vina & council like to lump together and ignore since they are "activists". Well there are way more than what is on this short list the city can rest assured.
ReplyDeleteRemember sometimes we are also "obstructionists," per Barth.
DeleteThat goes back to the Stocks/Bonds days, when we were called obstructionists. I've never heard that out of Teresa's mouth, and I better not. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. As the loan dissenting opinion for a few years, she should know that...
DeleteSeveral of us have heard it out of Barth's mouth.
DeleteBarth, Shaffer Phony Tony and Muir/Gaspar have all used the word obstructionist to describe opposing views. Gus Vina is keeping a list of those with opposing views,
DeleteAh, the conspiracy. Where is proof of this list? Who has seen the list, and who's on it. Come on, if there's a list, let's have the names.....
DeleteGus told a well known activist that there are only 28 of them. I heard Teresa use the word obstructionist during the Prop. A campaign. I won't name names, but if you ask Gus maybe he will tell you whose names are on his list. Send Gus an email or ask the new Communications Specialist when she begins working next month.
DeleteIt's always "A well known Activist" or anonymous person. Without an actual name, it's all a load of hogwash to me....
Delete3:21: Verify it with Vina himself. Ask Teresa if she's ever called our activists "obstructionists." Ask Lisa if she ever told residents during the Prop A campaign that the Prop A effort was actually "a handful of residents acting like it's a life and death matter."
DeleteIf you haven't figured out by now that the city has and continues to engage in retribution against "obstructionists," then you have never opposed the city in a visible way.
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sandiego/water_issues/programs/compliance/acl_complaints.shtml There's the link to the complaint at the state level reposted.
ReplyDeleteHere is what you CAN do now, without leaving your couch: write the local regional agency and demand that the city restore the creek before the Hall park project can proceed. Here's the contact info:
SAN DIEGO REGION (9)
www.waterboards.ca.gov/sandiego
2375 Northside Drive, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92108
E-mail: info9@waterboards.ca.gov
Tel: (619)516-1990
Fax: (619)516-1994
Amen! Something everyone on this board can agree on. Again, this is the email:
DeleteE-mail: info9@waterboards.ca.gov
The creek restoration should include that part that is on the Hall property park, both the dry creek and the creek that has been buried underground.
DeleteThe creek restoration should include that part that is on the Hall property park, both the dry creek and the creek that has been buried underground.
ReplyDeleteInclude that in your comments when you write the water board. Good point.
DeleteYou all sound like Bush Cheney saying weapons off mass destruction .It's so to late ,you were on your couch waging your finger and bloging .Blah Blah Blah
ReplyDeleteYeah, but you're on here reading it, so help us out, fire off an email.....
DeleteLet the creek dry up.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like the Grinch who stole the environmental health of our city.
DeleteYeah. I heard they're changing the story to the Grinch that Stole the Holiday.
DeleteAnd you should be more environmentally friendly and quit wasting water that is pumped in from thousands of miles away and contributes to more pollution going to our ocean.
ReplyDeleteYou are clueless about the environment. I bet you use plastic bags
I love plastic bags and recycle them. There is NO water shortage only a political shortage of will to tell the Surfrider foundation, bay keepers etc etc to go fuck themselves and start desalination. Ever been without water?? Ever gone thirsty?? Ever wondered how you'll get your next drink of water?? I have, it's not a nice way to die. Luckily I made it out of the desert with the help of some good people. I'd have paid $1000 for a gallon of water and so would you. Remember as you limit the resources you drive the price so high you force yourself to move away. Remember you are doing this to yourself, I have no sympathy for your idiocy.
DeleteWater shortages from here on in are a reality. All new houses should have grey water systems and drought resistant plants. No more watering the lawn or the street. Start with common sense before the desal, which is hugely expensive and still somewhat of a last resort.
DeleteStop the building. Gray water systems don't provide drinking water when all water is in short supply.
DeleteSpeaking as 10:41:
Delete"As an Amurican, I have a right to abuse and exploit the environment. Being a glutton is my birthright. Resources are infinite for as many Amuricans as we can make. I am more important than the health and future of the planet. If there's not enough water to go around, make more! It pays to be a clueless, irresponsible moron. Try it. Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see."
3:59- in your perfect world there are NO human being exploiting the planet.
DeletePlease show us how to do that human by human. I'll go after you if that's ok....
No they don't, but they save on water usage for laundry, watering of plants etc, thus saving more water for drinking...
DeleteOh, 6:32, are you familiar with the concept of conservation? How about moderation? How about reducing the global population to a level the planet can sustain without its excesses inflicting slow death on the planet and many of its diverse species, including our own?
DeleteReducing the global population ?? Via...???? Starvation?? Nuclear holocoast?? Death by thirst. ??
DeleteAgain I say, lead by example. If you want to reduce global population then start with yourself.
8:12 PM
DeleteGray water systems are touted as panaceas for water shortages. No plumbing, no gray water needed - use a cup of water for face and hand washing. Use an outhouse - no need for gray water systems there. Use cast iron for cooking and scrub out with sand or dirt. Laundry - small bucket of water for wash and a smaller bucket for rinse. Drinking and cooking water - ration.
Stock up on sand for washing and lime for the outhouse.
3:26
DeleteGray water systems do create more drinking water for everyone when drinking water isn't wasted on plants, lawns etc. Still pretty sketchy to over build in a desert area that is dependant on water from another state. A local lady once suggested cisterns to save the millions of gallons of rain water that dumps right back into the ocean every good storm here. That's smart planning and simple conservation. But once again, when that kind of beneficial infrastructure is unseen, few give it credence.
See LA Times article - "Who owns Colorado's rainwater."
DeleteAre cisterns illegal?
Colorado changed their laws:
Deletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/us/29rain.html?_r=0
My point is, we can make water convervation happen, and it should always be the first step. Still, farming and commercial are by far and large the biggest water users in CA. But water supply should be on the table anytime new developments come up, the supply is not infinite.
7:54 AM
DeleteWater conservation for whom? It is a rationing of water so that developers can build more houses. Doesn't it feel good that the water you save today will help build more houses tomorrow. Have you read about the water wars in the 1930s? No amount of conservation would have stopped it. Wake up and smell the coffee, it you have enough water for making it.
7:54- wrong again.
Delete9:43
DeleteInteresting theory. But I don't think that leaving our faucets on 24/7 to keep developers out of town is a good idea.
It not a natural creek and it's a good thing people are wasting less water.
ReplyDeleteIf u want to create an artificial creek system due so on your own property and you pay for the water and electricity.
The miss located frogs can also go in ur backyard.
It is a natural creek, but it's a seasonal creek. It probably had flow year round due to runoff from the greenhouses. See the link at the top of the post, several Cardiff locals discuss the creek.
Delete8:17 you forgot to mention the earth is flat, too, pal.
ReplyDeleteEarth is not flat moron.
ReplyDeleteThe earth is closer to round. All you need to do is get on a plane to see the curve of the earth. Man KLCC members are stupid.
9:28
ReplyDeleteWell, no, but...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySjT4QcEOw0
10:06 not surprised at your lack of anything close to a sense of humor, but Fred...you too?
ReplyDeleteYes. I have to regroup and find my sense of humor. Meanwhile, this is the last time I am responding to you on this subject.
DeleteI think the funniest thing to watch would be the KLCC members try and get by without assistance from welfare.
ReplyDeleteNow that would be funny.
State and local pension retirees to sue state of Illinois if pensions reduced. Whew... Thankfully we don't have those problems in Mayberry by the Sea. All we need to worry about are plastic bag and plastic water bottle bans.
ReplyDeleteWhomever made the fateful decisions should have the fines deducted from their pensions.
ReplyDeleteWill $abine mediate the City out of this pickle? Doubt it - he is too busy tutoring his grasshopper devotee Kranz on how to milk the system.
ReplyDelete