Wednesday, January 13, 2016

1/13/16 City Council meeting open thread

They're baaaaaaaaaackkkk......

The current city council has continued prior councils' practice of not providing written summary minutes of council discussion, but only "action minutes" which state the outcomes. Encinitas Undercover will provide a forum for observers to record what occurs at each council meeting.

Please use the comments to record your observations.

91 comments:

  1. Bummer for the new artificial turf at Leo Mullen sports park across from Target. Number 1 - City doesn't have enough money. Number 2 - grants may not be available. Number 3 Soccer league won't give $20,000 a year unless they get lights. Number 5 - the city doesn't have enough money for artificial turf. Grass isn't good enough.

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    1. There is no grass at Leo Mullen now, which is the case for about 9 months out of every year.

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  2. Headlines -
    Turf warts: Two worn soccer fields with artificial surfaces closed, deemed unsafe

    U.S. women's soccer team will play more often on grass fields

    Miami-Dade County Parks Embrace Artificial Turf Despite Cancer Concerns

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  3. Anyone who questions why we should turf Leo Mullen should go down and visit Leo Mullen.

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    1. The city stopped maintaining Leo Mullen. It's not a turf problem, but a "let it look like sh%$, and the council will vote for the artificial turf" problem in Parks and Rec.

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    2. The problem of keeping grass growing at Leo Mullen has been an annual, cyclical problem for the 15 years I have lived in Encinitas. It is not a new problem. There is something fundamentally wrong with the field management at Leo Mullen. Wrong type of grass, wrong watering/drainage, wrong soil? Other grass fields in the area are always much better than the feeble attempt to grow grass at Leo Mullen.

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    3. The number one problem is overuse. Period.

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    4. Most of the maintenance problems started with parks and rec director Rudloff. There was green grass there before Vina and his cabinet.

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    5. If it is solely due to overuse, then turf is needed.
      The condition of the field is an embarrassment to Encinitas. Teams from all over the county come to play at the patch of dirt at Leo Mullen.

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    6. 12:10 PM
      An embarrassment to Encinitas? Bars and drunks is an embarrassment. It's wintertime and the grass dies. So, the Encinitas Soccer Express is embarrassed? Are they still carrying a $200,000 balance in the bank account?

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    7. Nope. Never had it either. You will say the tax forms say they did, but you don't realize that the club has expenses throughout the year but only has income at a certain time of the year. You think you know, but you don't know..

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    8. 10:07 PM
      Encinitas Soccer Express is very secretive about the income and the number of competitive players that also use the fields. The Soccer Express has never provided any financial information to the city. If you have the financials for the last 10 years, give it to the city.

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    9. Express is not secretive. It's a 501c3 that must file annual public tax statements that anyone can lookup. You misinterpret those statements to make a false claim, that the club has a bunch of money. It does not.

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    10. 10:57 - with a little homework, you would find this from the IRS website:

      In general, what public disclosure requirements apply to tax-exempt organizations?

      In general, exempt organizations must make available for public inspection certain annual returns and applications for exemption, and must provide copies of such returns and applications to individuals who request them. Copies usually must be provided immediately in the case of in-person requests, and within 30 days in the case of written requests. The tax-exempt organization may charge a reasonable copying fee plus actual postage, if any. The IRS must also make this same information publicly available.

      For the cost of a sheet of paper, an envelope, and USPS Forever stamp, you too can have your very own copy(ies) of their tax return(s). So get up off the couch and go have a look around!!

      - The Sculpin

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    11. Encinitas Soccer Express is secretive. Go to their website. You will not find their financials on the website. There is no information on the number of players in the competitive soccer division. Of the 1500 players listed how many play in the competitive league. So what does it cost to play competitive league. No information on the website. Why isn't this financial information on their website?

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    12. 11:05 - why does it need to be? Competitive players are selected, most by invitation. After all, it's competitive - no "feel good" trophies in that division! If your kid is being looked at for a competitive spot, believe me, you know all about the financial commitment it's going to take - no secrets there!! But if you go to the offices in person, or write them a letter (send it certified, return receipt requested so you can count the clock down), they'll send you their tax returns - and it's all in there.

      - The Sculpin

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    13. Encinitas Soccer Express - If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

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    14. Actually, they're the less expensive alternative to Surf or Nomads.......

      - The Sculpin

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    15. Show me one soccer club that provides their fee structure. They don't do it because then the other club would undercut by $1 and say, look, our fees are cheaper (oh, btw, the uniform fee and the camp fee and the clinic fee aren't included).

      Competitive, ~500
      Recreational, ~1100

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    16. 1:27 PM
      That's the way it is in the cut throat world of children's soccer? What good life lessons the soccer clubs are giving our children.

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    17. The children know nothing about it. They get great experiences, and, yes, great life lessons.

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  4. Hey Mayor GASpar, since you are so concerned about homeless people, why not be a shining example and invite a homeless person to stay in your warm big house for one night? You need to put your words into action. That is what a good mayor would do.

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  5. Muir must have taken his "talkie" pills tonight. Oh, I forgot, election time fast approaching.

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    1. Dump Muir. He has done nothing!

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    2. Dump Porky. The chair needs a light weight.

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  6. what happened on the electric vehicle charging at Vulcan?

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    1. 11:09- Maybe it electrocuted itself? :) Sorry, it was too good of a setup. I really didn't know it was down, but just couldn't resist some stupid humor. It is late and I have had 3 beers so forgive me.

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  7. 11:09 PM
    Still under consideration. One revealing comment on fast 30 minute fast chargers for the electric cars. A fast charge is a power drain on the electrical boxes. Power blackouts, perhaps?

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    1. 12:38,

      You work for Underwriters Labratories, do you?

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  8. $1.2M for turf for a small minority of Carlsbad living kids to play soccer? It makes $10M for Pacific View (which was over-priced) seem like a steal. I don't get it $1.2M for turf? Land on the coast, buildings, construction costs, I get. Artificial turf?

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    1. Huh? Mostly 92024 and 92007 kids play for Express. And the 92009s that do are mostly EUSD kids. Turf fields are expensive but the benefit of field availability is significant for a large portion of our community.

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  9. County Supervisor candidate Gaspar seemed pretty keen on giving $100k to the Escondido org to bolster her credibility in District 3, rather than keeping the funds local to build on Encinitas's own Community Resource Center's work.

    http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=de101c7101931fdca6f1f07f0&id=2bda414f88

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    1. This is a link to Shaffer's latest newsletter.

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  10. Did anyone notice how the City Staff is dragging their heels on projects approved by the Council? Kind of like how Congress supports Obama.

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    1. 11:00 am- Obama has gotten everything he wants, even if it means violating the constitution and power of his office-

      1. "Dream Act"- amnesty. As soon as Obama unilaterally decided that all illegal immigrant children would be able to get free education, housing, health care 65,000 illegal immigrants (mostly men aged 15-21) came to the USA in the summer of 2015 and were then quitely "resettled" in communities and towns withot the publics knowledge. This Obama order is now being reviewed by the court in Texas.

      You seem to forget 11:00 am that John Boehner, Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi- the leaders of the house, have given Obama all he has asked for. Ominbus pork spending, TPA and TPP , Iran Corker.

      Obama recently went around congress to over reach on the second amendment.

      He has been an unmitigated disaster and the most divisive President of the last 40 years.

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    2. Thanks grandpa.

      Now how about a nice warm bowl of soup?

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    3. As a person who has experienced this, I can guarantee you that Staff does exactly what 11:00AM says. They stall, give the wrong information at times, and are generally non cooperative is they don't like where the topic is headed. So many examples, and if I shared those, you would all know who I am. So, you either have to take my word, or go on believing whatever you believe. If I were a Council member I would instruct the City Manager to do her job and get rid of many staff members. I would probably start with with the Planning Dept. and then work my way to Engineering and Parks and Rec.

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  11. I have no clue how this council can justify spending millions of dollars on turf for Mullen park especially when so many questions went unanswered.

    Typical of this council - say YES and figure out later how to pay for it. What a joke.

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    1. Um, because there are no fields for the kids to play on in the winter time. Some geniuses decided to build sports fields without lights. And your "millions" becomes less than a million if all grants are realized (but admittedly it doesn't look good for the water district grant).

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    2. This turf will need to be replaced every 6-8 years. The city should sell naming rights that last for 6 years in exchange for paying for the turf and maintenance.

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    3. Um, it was 8-10 years. I'm sure if there was someone with 800K that wanted their name on the field, the council would be more than willing to accept it..

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    4. The city should not even be in this business. This should be a none profit issue. The idiots that vote yes are idiots and do not deserve any votes in the near future.

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    5. So all non-profit sports leagues should provide the facilities for the kids who play? Right. Then snuffy basketball should build gymnasiums, volleyball too, and baseball and softball should build fields. Want to start a rugby club? First you need to come up with the millions it would take to build a field.

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    6. I guess our kids should be out working and not wasting their time in sports. Let's repeal the child labor laws and get them back in the factories where they belong. God forbid we do anything for the little brats not that our parents did anything for us.

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    7. The kids need to spend more time studying so they can make their way in this world. Sports and outside activities are taking away from learning.

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  12. Um, from Council Member Lisa Shaffer's newsletter.

    "The council approved funding for artificial turf at Leo Mullen Sports Park by a vote of 4-1 with me voting no. The idea first came to the Council without adequate analysis and staff work, but was approved on the assumption that the City would defray some of the $1.2 million cost through a combination of grants for turf removal from the County Water Authority, from the US Soccer Foundation, and from the Encinitas Soccer League. It turns out that the plan to install lights violates the Encinitas Ranch Specific Plan and would require a public vote per Prop. A. It turns out that the US Soccer Foundation grant was tied to choosing a particular vendor, which violates our competitive procurement policy. It turns out that the Encinitas Soccer League will only give money if we install lights. And the turf removal rebate has a very tight time schedule that staff said they didn't think we could meet. My Council colleagues expressed frustration at the time delays that have jeopardized the turf rebates, and questioned the need for a consultant, but in the end, they voted yes anyway, authorizing the City to cover the full cost, with a $16,000 contribution from the Encinitas Soccer League (which previously offered $200,000), including installing conduits for future lighting. ESL says it is pursuing an initiative to seek public approval for installing lighting, and if successful, they would reinstate their earlier funding commitment.

    While I'm all for youth sports, I just can't justify $1.2 million for one field that serves only one group of residents, in advance of our Parks Master Plan that is intended to identify where we need additional investment and what our priorities should be. I also objected to the absence of any financial plan that would set aside funding every year toward the cost of the $500,000 needed to replace the turf in 8-10 years. For grass fields, the cost of putting in new sod is included every year as ongoing maintenance. But knowing the artificial turf will have to be replaced, it seems irresponsible to me not to build those costs into the budget just like we set money aside to replace vehicles based on their useful lifetime."

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    1. The truth is, Shaffer helped pass Prop A and is now laughing at the fact that kids, which she and Barth don't like to begin with, are now kept from night lights for the fields because of she and Tony passing Prop A. Shame on Shaffer!

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    2. The turf companies say 8-10 years, depending on how they are maintained. This is their marketing hype. Ours will last 6 years, and they will blame us for maintaining them poorly, or too much sun, or salt air, or too little rain, or too much rain, or too much use. In my experience, this turf degrades much quicker than what they say.

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    3. Anonymous at 5:47 PM -- Neither Lisa or Tony helped pass Prop. A. Both signed the argument and rebuttal statements against Prop. A on the ballot. All five council members did.

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    4. What a joke Lisa the fib teller Shaffer turned out to be. Shaffer paid $10 million for Pacific View saying it would "activated " quickly with citizens groups - a swap meet! Two years later it is an eye sore, it looks like Baltimore. SHAFFER Kranz at Blakespear got rid of the citizens group and moved in Developer DE Wald. Encinitas does not have money for youth sports because Shaffer, Kranz, Blakespear and Barth spent it.

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    5. Lisa asked good questions at the council meeting. But what she didn't say in her newsletter is the increased availability of the fields. Also, the soccer club currently pays for rental lights and was going to use that money for the donation. If there are no lights, there is no money available from the club.

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    6. True, 5:47 PM Shaffer and Kranz DID sign the against-argument on Prop A, but AFTER they rode into office on the wave of Prop A misinformation. Do you really believe the community would have passed Prop A knowing that it would stop night lights for all the youth sports parks and the safety observation requirements for the Marine-Safety Center? The entire thing was a grudge match between Stocks and Ehlers that morphed into a sad joke on the families of athletes in Encinitas; meanwhile our children are free to play on night-lighted fields... in C'Bad.

      The biggest joke is the Cardiffians decrying lights for a community park as ruining 'community-character' while behind their back the under-crossing at Montgomery is bungled away to make way for the intrusive Rail-Trail, a SanDag project that will be paid for by Encinitas taxpayers AND the City council and allies crow about the Teresa Barth Fruit forest approved in Glen Park that will be a lure for all the homeless to come and get a 'free' lunch! Talk about ruining 'community-character'!

      Lisa has told anyone that will listen that she is obsessed with a 'legacy', a personal 'legacy' of this Rail-Trail, all part of a $4.9 billion dollar plan to allow the freeways and side-streets to gridlock while 'taking' half the street-widths for extra-wide bicycle and pedestrian travel from Camp Pendleton to the Mexican border! Read Sandag's transportation plan, where are the jobs everyone is supposed to ride their bikes to?

      Lisa's lack of self-knowledge be damned! Her legacy will be the toxin-pop-tart on a stick, Pacific View, the Once-And-Future $34 million dollar Bed-and-Breakfast for downtown.

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    7. The fact that Prop A requires that any "structure" (not just buildings), include lights be voted on was a SELLING point that appealed to voters.

      You should better characterize your "grudge match" as between Stocks and the voters.

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    8. Instead of people like you who misled them?

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    9. There was never wide spread support for 90-foot lighted soccer fields. The 2000 Godbe Survey, paid for by the city, but tucked away in order not to reveal that only 15% of citizens supported a sports facility and 85% supported passive use or open space. And this was a city-wide survey, not just in Cardiff.

      Good luck on gathering signatures to put the question on the ballot and then winning the vote. Gaspar's sport foundation to raise money to build the sports park on the Hall property only reached about $20,000 and then quietly died. Everyone in the city is paying for it now through borrowed money. The Encinitas Soccer League needs to do some serious fundraising, if the claimed community support is really there. It ought to be easy.

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  13. Lisa is an fool. She wants to provide low income housing for any refugee ranging from Mexican to Iraq to come and live in Encinitas.

    Great idea Lisa and Tony- I am sure Encinitas would love to grow into oxnard and accommodate all the welfare new residents. NOT

    I for one, do not want a bunch of refugees living here unless they can afford to live here. If not, live in El Cajon or lakeside until you can afford to live here. Thats the way it works.

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    1. Wouldn't you say that if anyone who can't afford to live here? Start where you can, work your way up. Lisa has stated on many occasions that she wants her kids to be able to afford Encinitas. Shouldn't they start in east county, too?

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    2. Maybe Shaffer can manage the FEMA refugee camps in the outbacks of Kentucky. That's where half of California's population will end up after the 8.5 earthquake devastates the region.

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  14. The theme of the entire meeting was the failure of staff at timely follow-through on several items that had been previously agreed to by council. The Leo Mullen screwup is inexcusable. This is a symptom of bad management. If this city staff can't do the job they need to be replaced.

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    1. What is the new City Manager doing? It's her job to evaluate the efficiency of her staff. Could it be status quo is better than upsetting the proverbial apple cart?

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    2. So far, I am not impressed by the City Manager.

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    3. I thought Catherine Blakespear, Tony Kranz and Mark Muir all did a good job of expressing their disappointment with staff. Too bad only Lisa Shaffer voted no because of the lack of adequate analysis of the financials, and lack of timely follow-through by staff.

      Lisa isn't running again. The others, excluding the mayor, scolded staff, but voted yes. KG made excuses, stating staff couldn't have anticipated all of the issues that arose.

      Everyone except LS ended up voting for the funding because they, unlike Shaffer, will be running for re-election; CB probably will be running for mayor.

      This issue is a political hot potato. Council should put the lighting issue on the ballot, as well as the rail trail issue and the issue of putting six roundabouts on 101 through Leucadia, turning a major arterial into a two lane road.

      Questions can be put on the ballot, or could be before, for about $30K, each, during a General Election. Allowing the public to weigh in on these matters of citywide importance could help to restore trust in our elected representatives. A public vote is the best public needs assessment.

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    4. Thank God Shaffer isn't running. Like Barth she knows the public plans to vote her irresponsible, self-serving ego out of office on a rail. Shaffer lied on the Prop A ballot statement sent to voters. Shaffer lied in her newsletter about supporting a proposed tax increase. Shaffer said Pacific View would be quickly activated, now we learn the city lacks money to operate and repair it. Good riddance Shaffer, you were more interested in serving yourself then the community.

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  15. 10:05 AM
    The fault lies with the council. They listened to glowing advertisement of artificial turf gleaming in the hot sun as young soccer players ran back and forth over old crumb rubber tires with the temperature of the field over 100 degrees. Bad management starts with the council.

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    1. No, actually. They heard about how the field would be available for the entire year (it's closed to play for about 1/3 of the year now) and how the organic in-fill doesn't have the same negative press as the crumb rubber.

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    2. Instead of funding the field outright and trying to recoup some of it with the grant from MWD and others they made the artificial turf contingent on those other monies so staff had to wait until all the funding was secured. Turns out maybe some of it isn't. If council had just outright funded it the request for bids would hove been issued long ago.

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  16. There are five council people with mouths. If there was no action or report about the turf for a long period of time, why didn't they use their mouth(s) to ask the status of it? The blame lies with them for not following through on something they approved many months ago.

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  17. Shaffer can volunteer to host the night soccer games. The glow of her majestic personage will undoubtedly light the fields! She has also agreed to solve the issue of the rising seas levels - she'll glare at the rising waters and force them to retreat! She is the new Moses of Encinitas!

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    1. Yes, the parting of the San Elijo lagoon for the stack and pack concrete rail trail will be Lisa Moses Shaffer's legacy.

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    2. "... stack and pack concrete rail trail ..."

      What a mindless mantra "stack and pack". It makes no sense as used here but it identifies you as one of the tribe. God forbid you think for yourself.

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    3. Stack and pack, complete streets, rail trail...it's all one of a piece of the "sustainability " movement. Talk about mindless.

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    4. Yes, let's talk about mindlessness and how many people here are in a endless mantra loop. Good thing nothing has changed since we became a city. No need to change with the times as you can simply ignore what is going on. We don't have to blindly accept new concepts but tailor them to our way of life. But you prefer to ignore it all and think we can just continue living in our "Leave it to Beaver" world (or maybe the more recent Brady Bunch).

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    5. The best and most desirable cities are ones not overrun with massive development and traffic jams. If that is what you call a "Leave it to Beaver" way of life, I'll take it.

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    6. Really? Paris is very nice, Hong Kong is absolutely outstanding! Yes, I like to return to my little hovel, but I find those cities are very desirable........

      As for a "Leave it to Beaver" way of life? No thanks - the world is far too interesting to not enjoy and be a part of......

      - The Sculpin

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    7. Go abroad, come home, and show us your vacation pictures, Sculp. Encinitas will never look like Paris or Hong Kong, but could well end up looking like OC.

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    8. If you like these cities so much, don't let the door hit you on the way out. Maybe you like wasting your time in traffic. With your way of thinking, it won't be long before it will be constant gridlock.

      By the way, Paris is a very dirty city.

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    9. Yeah, man!

      Because if you travel and find anything appealing about the places you visit, then you are disloyal to your hometown.

      We must never comment about nice things or good ideas that come from outside the arbitrary line around Encinitas.

      Anyone who violates this rule should get the hell out!

      Our city has gone to shit, our council and staff are criminals, but this is the best damned place on earth in every single way, and we can learn nothing useful from anywhere else.

      Have I got that right?

      Brilliant!

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    10. Bad attempt at a twist. No one said one cannot go elsewhere and appreciate it. The argument is that that is not an excuse to try forcing one's beloved town X on our existing one.

      But you knew that, 6:18. Try again.

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    11. 6:18 obviously can't comprehend what was posted. Have I got that right?

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    12. "If you like these cities so much, don't let the door hit you on the way out."

      Comprenez vous?

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  18. Is the Mizel family foundation money that is given to the city from gas and oil leases? How does this fit in with the council's go green policy?

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  19. If the money is from gas and oil, and I don't know if it is, so what? It's money and it's green. The Mizel's have been around this area a long time and have given back 10 fold to the community. I'll take the money any day.

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  20. If they love this community so much, why don't they give out of the goodness of their heart? No, they have to have something in return. Many others have volunteered their services at the Library. Too bad they don't have enough money to get the place named after them.

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  21. Exactly how long have the Mizels lived in Encinitas?

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    1. I thought I read in someone's post the year 2007. If that is the case, it is not very long.

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  22. Steve Mizel could give history lessons at the library on Silverado Savings and Loan.

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  23. Mizel, a rabid zionist. Look it up for yourself. Is this what the citizenry want or just what our council can be bought off for? Whoring out our city treasures should not be at councils discretion alone. What is next? The David Meyer Pacific View arts center? The Doug Harwood Community Park? This could become never ending. Did the Teresa Barth memorial fruitcase grove open the door to just about anything for sale here without any public say?

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  24. The BRAKES need to be applied to stop this name game. The council seems to thrilled that people throw money in front of their noses so they can get their name attached to something.

    The people of Encinitas should have a say on this issue.

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  25. If Steve Mizel isn't listed on the Mizel family foundation how can he enter into contracts with the city?

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  26. https://youtu.be/bYJZS0n6LVk

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