Thursday, August 20, 2015

Encinitas' new full-time, pensioned Code Enforcement officer hired because of late-night bar problems has performed a total of 11 late-night visits all summer

We have pointed out the absurdity of the City Council's creation, at Gus Vina's request, of a new full-time Code Enforcement position (replacing a part-timer for a net increase of half of a full-time position) to deal with late-night and weekend bar problems when the position would be mostly daytime, weekday hours.

And here's what we get for our additional $54,000 per year: 11 late-night inspections all summer.

From Lisa Shaffer's newsletter:
To date, for this summer, Code Enforcement conducted a total of 11 late night inspections for June, July and August 2015 on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night. In addition, Sheriff Deputies also conducted downtown/ beach patrols every weekend. At times Code Enforcement was accompanied by ABC officers or Sheriff's Deputies and at times, Code Enforcement and Sheriff’s Deputies worked separately or on different nights.

For this summer, only three establishments received citations for various violations
Shelter/Saloon: one citation for overcrowding, two citations for excessively loud noise, and one citation for obstructing use of the sidewalk
Kraken: one warning for overcrowding and one warning for excessively loud noise. Two subsequent citations for noise were voided due to a technical error.
Priority Public House: one warning for overcrowding
Not even eleven nights when they inspected each of the handful of problem bars? But eleven total visits all summer?

And the existing one and a half full-time Code Enforcement Officers couldn't be bothered to make 11 bar visits over 2 or 3 weekend nights? You've got to be kidding.

12 comments:

  1. Noun
    Wikipedia has an article on:
    Gravy train

    gravy train ‎(plural gravy trains)

    (idiomatic) An occupation or any lucrative endeavor that generates considerable income whilst requiring little effort and carrying little risk.  

    (idiomatic, politics) A gorging on luxuries, since someone else foots the bill.

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  2. Add more useless employees to the straining city coffers - it is the era of fiscal civic exploitation by the over compensated ticks. The fox guarding the henhouse syndrome. The first post says it all.

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  3. Sadly, is anyone really surprised that another well paid staff member was hired, specifically this time, to address late night 'vibrancy' and very little effort was made toward that specific goal over the summer? Same old, same old, sounds like to me. Money down the drain.

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  4. This is another sneaky move and again, we, the taxpayers have no say.

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  5. new city manager needs to clean house and fire 20% of employees. If city council doesn't give this instruction, the existing city Council will not return.

    By Tony et all, You are useless.

    First good elimination is "Art Director"

    Next - stop the useless sheriffs beach patrols.

    Next - cut half the lifeguards or let the state provide life guard service like Carlsbad.

    This City Council is clueless and wasting time with the whole PV trophy project.

    Sigh…..

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    Replies
    1. Sigh... Talk about clueless. You are aware that Carlsbad has to pay for that State lifeguard service... Right? Do you think they get it for free?

      Not to mention that the State doesn't do a great job maintaining their facilities either. Have you been to South Ponto recently? It looks like $hit!

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  6. Carlsbad has state beaches, thus state lifeguards. Let's try and wake up and smell the coffee.

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    Replies
    1. Carlsbad has light blue plastic lifeguard towers that many other beaches in CA also have. However, they cost a few thousand dollars.

      Our council can't resist an opportunity to waste our money!

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    2. A State Park Ranger is often seen around Moonlight Beach. It appears they have jurisdiction there too.

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  7. I hope Karen, our new city manager, will tell the sheriffs to get off of our beaches on their stupid bikini patrol. That the sheriffs captain ever thought this was a good idea begs the question of her competence. They can be called in when needed but to waste our dollars on this useless exercise of authority that is already covered by rangers and lifeguards is absurd and obviously just a joy ride for these highly paid law enforcers. I wonder how many hours we have paid for this unneeded service already.

    Then again, our city seems to have no problem paying handsomely for substandard performance. This beach patrol is another in a too long list.

    Karen, you are so needed and I hope you hit the ground running.

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    Replies
    1. 3:46 We really don't know what we're getting in a city manager yet, so I would hold out any hope before you actually see if she is what we want. She seems to bounce a round and now she is home. First, of all, why the big car allowance? Major mistake #1.

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    2. I agree, with her very high salary, and with her living in Olivenhain, she doesn't need a $500 per month car allowance!

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