All this is based only on what is in my inbox:
Good news this week! Gaspar, Barth, Muir, Schaffer, and Kranz voted to change the way the city deals with street improvements.
For over a decade people have noticed inconsistencies between various projects, neighborhoods, and what is in city code. This week the council gravitated toward the option of customizing the city’s infrastructure requirements to fit in with the character of individual neighborhoods. So, for a new development or a remodel, the things residents and developers are required to do should be changing.
More important, the requirements will be clear and well defined for all to see. This should reduce concerns about abuses of power by city staff.
Even better, someone on the council was smart enough (experienced perhaps) to recognize that a gap plan has to be developed, between now and when a long-term neighborhood-by-neighborhood plan is put into place.
Stuff like this (clicky clicky) reduces the appeal and property values in Encinitas. The council voted to take a step toward cleaning that up!
Here's a statement not publicly disputed by the city, written by Kevin Farrel:
“ The City Engineering Department stated, “ Our goal is to have curb, gutter and sidewalk on every home in Encinitas.”
And, apparently staff wants big wide streets, too. In many cases the city requires homeowners to give up significant portions of their property to widen the current right of way beyond what seems justifiable or consistent with the developer just down the road.
The council majority ran campaigns on community character. This is the first real action they have taken that clearly polishes their community character credentials. This week's action is why people voted for them.
They appear to have been way way too humble about this important action. Neither Lisa or Teresa seemed to try to draw attention to this important vote. Maybe they were comfortable in the belief it would work out.
Thanks to those who wrote the council and especially to those who stayed late at night to speak to the council in person before the vote.
(Pre-snark response: the city engineer’s plans seem to put more water into the storm drains rather than less. )
Maintaining community character is important for each area. It should be consistant with the neighborhood and not be a hodgepodge type of thing. The city manager looked terribly dismayed that the council chose #5. I hope this is a start to letting city staff know what we the citizens what in our city.
ReplyDeleteAnd please, council, stop with the "thank you to the staff". Good grief, that is why they get the big bucks. They will become "slackers" if they keep getting praised for every little thing they do. I worked hard all my life, worked excess hours without pay, and I didn't expect to get a "thank you". That was part of my job. And, no it does not necessarily make for good morale because you will eventually forget to thank someone and they will have hurt feelings. This is not a physical therapy office (totally different venue).
Thanking staff--particularly after a pattern of dishonest presentations and very substandard work overall communicates one message. The council members or mayor saying this has poor standards!
DeleteWhat are they supposed to say ___you staff? They're trying to have civility, that's it. I think even Jerome may have said thank you to staff back in the day. Get over it.
DeleteBTW, thank yous and kuds are always a nice perk, I always appreciated it, especially for a late night or weekends. Working sucks now, compared to 20 years ago, so you have to take whatever you can get..
4:45 Obviously, some of them should be told what you are suggesting. We don't pay the staff for civility. We pay them to do a job. No one shouldt expect a thank you for every little thing. People would be wasting all day long on the job thanking people instead of getting their job done. The city gets enough perks, believe me and we the taxpayers pay for those nice perks. $stock$ has nothing to do with anything. The boy is history and we care not to think of him, so if you are one of his puppets, you won't get far with me.
DeleteWhen I watched Wednesday's meeting, Engineer Maher was very poud of the inconsistencies since he mentioned that they "experimented" with different treatments like curb/gutter/street, or in other places, gravel, in other places pavers, and in other places honeycomb cement blocks with grass growing through it. While walking through neighborhoods, I had always wondered why homeowners did not take more care to blend in with other properties.
ReplyDeleteNow I think I understand. It seems that Masih has been "experimenting" on various parcels on the same streets. What a drag! What if someone wants trees and Masih wants to experiment with gravel or pavers? This is crazy that they were able to force homeowners to change their entire interace with roads so that Engineering could "experiement."
He needs to buy his own neighborhood and stop using ours as his lab!
Doin' a heck of a job, Masih!
DeleteThe council is the only party the public can hold accountable, at this time. Also, the council is ultimately in charge of city administration. There's lots communications between council and staff that the pubic doesn't get to hear. If Masih had been insubordinate wouldn't he have been reprimanded?
DeleteIt is hard to tell how much the staff is guiding the council or how much Gus is leading them all around by rings through their noses. I like it when Sheila reminds them that the CITIZENS are who is really in charge. All we can do at this point is to vote the council out unless we see some big changes.
DeleteLet it be, fer chrissakes! If people want gutters, curbs and sidewalks, let 'em live in a uniform housing development where those features already exist.
ReplyDeleteIf people in older neighborhoods don't have gutters, curbs and sidewalks, and the majority don't want them, leave things as they are.
Those neighborhoods that alternate between gutters, curbs and sidewalks and none look ridiculous. What's the point of having 100 or 200 feet of concrete lining the street then nothing but earth or plants past the asphalt?
Masih also said that staff had not been enforcing city regulations of curb, gutters and sidewalks for many years. Not true! Staff had been selectively enforcing this standard, which was used to either favor or punish the applicant. Masih was trying very hard to paint a rosy picture of what staff had been doing. Tony Kranz almost directly criticized him, but prefaced his remarks by saying it was not directed at Masih. But it was, and good for Kranz for doing it.
ReplyDeleteKevin Farrell made a comment after the meeting that this was a BIG decision for the council with important ramifications. I agree completely. And yes, Vina didn't look happy. Muir cut him off when Vina made a suggestion to not vote on any option.and send the report back to staff for reworking.
Congratulations to the City Council for finally making a decision for the citizens and not for Vina.
4:47 Finally, Muir got some balls. Let's keep those balls rolling.
DeleteVina works for YOU council! You may be snowed by his kissing up, but if you got rid of him, your lives would improve a lot,
DeleteAgree!!!
DeleteI agree too. Get the Citizen trust back and fire the weasel. Thinks will greatly improve for the City Council and our City!
DeleteFire Vina. Its the only way forward. His list of misdirection keeps growing.
Hire a City Manager with some fiscal responsibility- Not a fiscal failure plan.
Fire Vina.
Epilogue
ReplyDeleteLisa was happy about the lack of confrontation and pleasantness at city hall. That's what happens when you vote in the interest of the public and drop the subterfuge. More please
It was great to see Muir stand by his motion and not let the weasel swizzle thing around.
ReplyDeleteGood job Muir. Remember you are the city managers boss . You lead the city and are accountable to the public. Not Guss . Don't become a $tock$....
He already is a $tock$ !!
DeleteMuir needs to press the weasel about Peak Democracy.
ReplyDelete9:16- Watch over the next few weeks and I think you will see Muir make some comments about our communications director position. All I can say for now.
DeleteHe voted to hire her.....now he opposes the position??
DeleteMuir is only concerned about his pension, and the next calzone from Leucadia pizza.
Perhaps Vina sold him and the other Council members another bill of goods? And, perhaps Muir is tired of Vina, and perhaps he is the only one with really nothing to lose by challenging Vina's decision. He has a good pension, is the only one who even asked Sabine questions at a Council meeting, doesn't care much for some things going on on the Council. It will be interesting to see what he does, if anything.
Delete9:29. She is hired and what could he possibly say. Can't undo it now.
ReplyDeleteYes he can and should. A City can eliminate a position at any time. Plus she is still in her probationary period and can be terminated at any time during the first year for any reason. Its has nothing to do with her, the position is just not needed. What has she done since starting and what is on her list of things to do?
DeleteThe huge ever increasing staff costs is the problem that needs to be addressed. The position is not needed. Put the $135,000 a year towards needed projects. That is where the true need exists.
All we, as citizens can do, is ask the City to show us what she is doing? The Council does have the right to eliminate the position if they don't think it was as necessary as Vina said it was.
DeleteAs one who likes Marlena and respects the job she did at the Patch, I am still not in favor of her position at the city. We don't need a communications officer.
DeleteGet the Citizen trust back and fire the weasel. Thinks will greatly improve for the City Council and our City!
ReplyDeleteFire Vina. Its the only way forward. His list of misdirection keeps growing.
Hire a City Manager with some fiscal responsibility- Not a fiscal failure plan.
Fire Vina.