Wednesday, May 14, 2014

5/14/14 Council meeting open thread

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.

On tonight's agenda: the budget and the six-year "financial plan." While the agenda packet is short on details, we can be sure that Vina will want to continue neglecting road maintenance and pension liabilities while increasing staffing costs. Oh, and it looks like they have completely zeroed out the capital improvement budget for the next five years.

139 comments:

  1. Hot off the city website -
    Request for Qualifications

    Professional Concept Development and Design Services
    Posted Date:
    5/14/2014 12:00 PM
    .
    The City of Encinitas seeks Requests for Qualifications for Professional Concept Development and Design Services.

    The City would like to develop materials that present information that is educational yet fresh and compelling. Specifically, this would include a publication of some sort, such as a pamphlet or brochure, which would be distributed to the public. They City would also like assistance in developing a campaign that aims to increase public engagement as well as supplemental outreach materials. It is anticipated that the final products will be in the form of printed materials and digitized formats.

    Although we are a local government agency, we do not want our final product to look and feel “government issued.” The selected firm will potentially take us from the concept development phase to the print and digital presentation on a short timeframe.
    RFQ Submission due date: June 2, 2014 by 2:00 p.m.

    Another consultant? What happened to the communications officer position?

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    1. Apples and oranges...

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    2. They might start by having someone who can interpret their own data at the City! Some of the obstructionists are getting tired of going down on their days off and correcting mistakes that pass through multiple layers of staff and their managers. Their lawyers also are getting tired of this. Citizens are growing weary of paying legal fees to the City Attorney when he continues to lose cases.

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  2. There is no video - only audio. What happened?

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    Replies
    1. Typical failure of the city ....

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  3. Public Works director Pruim - another Peter principle person.

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  4. Councilman Muir requested that his item 12A (last on the agenda) for a hiring freeze be moved up before the discussion on the budget agenda item 10A. Barth and Shaffer voted no discussing a hiring freeze before the budget approval which includes hiring more staff.

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    1. Typical failure of the city council, only God can help us now.

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    2. Barth and Shaffer are no different than Stocks. Their votes are the same. Their goal is to continue the fraud.

      A few weeks ago Barth claimed that Lew Edwards would cost only $20,000. Audet found an email from Lew that said it would be over $170,000. Shaffer pointed out that Lew's consulting fees would only be $20,000 so Barth wasn't really misleading. What does everyone else think?

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    3. They're lying or terribly confused.

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  5. Whoa! Dissension among the council members! They're not all getting along. Tony just accused Mark of playing politics.

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  6. Grandstanding by Kranz. No hiring freeze discussion.

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    Replies
    1. They're discussing it now.

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    2. Kranz calls for the makeup artist to adjust his stylish do....

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  7. MUIR
    What a Buffon

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    Replies
    1. Since when is it good business practices to hire people and then immediately review the position? I laughed out loud when it came to light he voted for the positions in 2011 and 2012.

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    2. Good business practices require that the business stays solvent.

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    3. "Tried and Tested" ....but not for for incompetence...

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  8. Council member Shaffer - Once new city employee is hired into a city position - you're not going to have your position eliminated. Does she mean all employee positions are now tenured? Council member Barth is the savior of hiring more staff.
    Vote on a hiring freeze - NO - by Barth, Kranz, and Shaffer. Yes on a hiring freeze - Muir and Gaspar.
    Yeh! Barth, Kranz, and Shaffer will get to hire 9 more employees for new city positions.

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    Replies
    1. I can't believe I voted for these fools. Uggg.

      Dump all of City Council

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  9. Looks to me like he just shit his pants

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  10. Thank goodness Barth, Kranz, and Shaffer have no fiscal responsibility or common sense. More new hires. Gus wants them.

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  11. Muir's freeze would have made more sense without the retro-active part. Perhaps he meant previously approved positions that had not yet been filled.

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  12. Afraid you misunderstood the point 6:46 and 6:49.

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  13. Isn't it weird how they say "staff" and "council" instead of "the staff" and "the council"? It somehow seems to give both bodies undue wisdom and authority.

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  14. Muir could have proposed elimination of unfunded FTEs.

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    Replies
    1. It wouldn't have made a difference in advancing good fiscal responsibilities. Council members Barth, Kranz, and Shaffer are bobbleheads.

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    2. Interesting that Gus's last minute add to the presentation was a slide showing unfunded FTEs. This on a night where a council member was making a motion to consider a hiring freeze. Is it possible that he didn't want Muir to realize that he could propose elimination of the approved FTEs?

      I come from a large private sector business. What is the purpose of having approved but unfunded FTEs. What's the point? Shouldn't hiring authority and funding be tightly coupled?

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    3. 7:48 PM
      Yes, in the real world hiring authority and funding would be tightly coupled. The current Encinitas city government isn't the real world. Vina cut his experience in Stockton and Sacramento. Is this what we want for Encinitas? More staff positions because existing staff is just too busy micromanaging specific work areas.
      Council member Shaffer's is constantly confused. Barth has no fiscal responsibility. Kranz hasn't met a spending motion he doesn't like. Muir is a milquetoast. Gaspar is intelligent but doesn't want to be a leader.

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    4. Let's be accurate here on Gaspar: she is owned and operated. No point in discussing intelligence.

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    5. She may be owned and operated, but she makes more sense than the other 4 council members.

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    6. It's not unusual during an economic downturn, to leave positions unfunded as employees leave. It's a more complicated process if you layoff an employee as that position has to be eliminated. The idea is that as activity (i.e. the economy) picks up, it's a lot quicker to begin funding, and therefore hiring, for the position.

      Leaving a position authorized but unfunded also gives a sense of the historical average workload, although some of the council members had difficulty differentiating the two. That doesn't mean unfunded positions should hang around forever. At some point every department's structure and operations should be reviewed for efficiency and applicability. That's true for public and private organizations.

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  15. Gus, council, and staff do have wisdom and authority. Bow lower to them.

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  16. Oh! Parks and rec director Rudloff is singing a song of woe because she doesn't have more staff to be proactive to citizens' reports. Example - A citizen reported a missing bollard at Moonlight Beach. Staff went out and put a cone over the bollard hole, but it took a whole week to replace the bollard because there was no one in parks and rec to coordinate the work.
    That is sad. Parks and rec should hire at least 10 people to coordinate repair work. Barth, Kranz, and Shaffer forget about fiscal responsibility. Rudloff wants to improve customer service. Give her whatever she wants.

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    Replies
    1. Have the lifeguards get off their scooters and do something useful.
      They are a hazard on the beach as they race around in their motorized devices.

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  17. Planning director Murphy has some colorful slides in his power point presentation.

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  18. Fire chief Daigle has goals to increase the salaries of battalion chiefs salaries to make the salaries closer to the deputy chiefs salaries. Why stop there?
    Increase all salaries.

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  19. Gus Vina - council repeat after me - strategic plan, strategic plan.

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  20. Council - give Vina all the money he is asking for the new transportation plans and other plans. Vina knows how to run a city. Council knows nothing.

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  21. As soon as the council meeting came on Cox Cable the audio disappeared. How convenient. Cox confirmed it was not in their system so the missing audio was of value to lip readers and no one else and still is at 7:45pm. This is not the first time such a convenient inconvenience has been broadcast on Cox cables government access channel that i have personally witnessed. Thanks WC without you would be as blind and deaf as the broadcast by our city provided tonight. In the past when there was such an issue time warner carried it without a problem and Cox failed at that time so it didn't originate at the city at that time. It was only Cox that failed with the broadcast. My question now is are other cable systems carrying the audio tonight? My guess would be only Cox' broadcast was deficient. Please let me know what you find. Thanks to all who care enough to try to enact positive change in our local government.

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    Replies
    1. The City puts it up as a live stream through its website. WCV has nothing to do with that. He provides a way for people to comment as the live stream flows.

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  22. O MA GOD! Muir couldn't even read his notes and bobbled it from the get go. No wonder no one takes this guy seriously. He and GASbag will remain lame ducks for the rest of their time on council. I feel like our money is wasted on these two.

    Naughty Kranz accusing Muir of playing politics. I get the impression these 5 are not the best of friends and the little nicey, nicey Barth wants is coming to an end.

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    1. Whether you are for or against anyone of the five council members, this superior attitude BS as exhibited above (8:02 PM) just has to stop. Until you get your butt out there and show us how it's done, then knock off that crap. Disagree with them all you want but stuff the ridicule.

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  23. There was no audio on TWC either, just video. Something is very wrong.

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    Replies
    1. No video on the webcast, just audio. The results of Vina and council's excellent customer service and transparency in council government.

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  24. Webcast video appeared about 10 minutes into the meeting.

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  25. they get me sick.

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  26. We can look forward to some special preening when Princess Narcissus takes the mayor's seat. Preview available right now.

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  27. Webcast dead. No audio, no video. What is happening?

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  28. Richard Philipps is useless. Why is he still milking our tax dollar. Oh, its because of his useless boss that is just like him- Gus Vina.

    The City is full of useless PsOS.

    Vote out all city council next election. I'm going to….

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  29. Gasbag says she is irritated by hearing herself talk... Geez imagine how the public feels...

    City has 231 employees?? What do they all do everyday??

    Shaffer trying to wear pearls... Not working for her at all.

    City wants to hire someone to work at Hall property park. Why?? What's wrong with the people in P and R now??

    Shaffer has no idea what future projects have been proposed by the city.

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  30. Gus Vina and his new bloated government. Give it to him council. Don't be fiscal responsible.

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  31. "Does your dept. have too many people?"

    "No."

    I guess that settles that.

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  32. Shaffer asking staff if people lose seniority when they get demoted.... Answer NO.
    Gus says city needs a plan to retain employees.
    Gus talking about people time and money... Gee no city people have taken the time to spend money to fix my street. Does this guy understand the function of govt??
    Public complains about time it takes to get building permits.... Muir says we are coming out of the recession. Murphy says permit requests skyrocketing.
    Olivenhain fire station getting good feedback. Fire chiefs says we don't have to many persons in Olivenhain. Muir wants more FTE. Discussion on overtime pay, why?? Chief says ff " burned " out on overtime.

    It's fascinating how every question is a softball tossed up and hit out of the park. How about ordering employees to work whatever hours are needed to get the job done.

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  33. Are the people in your department working too hard?

    "yes".

    That settles it. Hire more people now.

    Can the council and vina have their positions eliminated tonight?

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  34. Rename it Leucadiabout. Why are circular thingy obsessives particularly obsessed with putting them in Leucadia? We already have two unnecessary circular thingies on Leucadia Blvd. Now they're talking about a grant for a third — three blocks in a row! Yesterday, I saw a pedestrian come within literally an inch of getting hit in one of those supposedly super safe crosswalks. She bent her body sideways like a bow as a car came to a screeching halt at the crosswalk. Ped-activated lights embedded in the roadway would be much safer.

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    Replies
    1. And you have data beyond your anecdote?

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    2. 8:53 Do you have data showing that crosswalks at circular thingies are safer than ped-activated lights embedded in the roadway? Common sense says the latter are more visible than the former.

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    3. Every day, my friend. Go see for yourself. I'm nearly hit almost every time by someone just going for it because the rules are either not known or not obeyed.

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    4. 8:49, I didn't make the claim that one was safer than the other. The onus is on you.

      Make a claim, back it up.

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    5. 9:06's reply is to 8:53, not 9:04.

      Delete
    6. Back-up: Ped-activated lights embedded in the roadway blinking on both sides of the crosswalk are more visible than none. Therefore, drivers would be more attentive to them, would be more likely to stop for pedestrians, thereby making lighted crosswalks safer than unlighted crosswalks. Common sense, don't you think? The same principle brought about the requirement for brake lights in the middle as well as at the sides of vehicles.

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    7. How about both?? Let's spend more money!! Or wait... Let's hire some crosswalk guards to help us cross the street...

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    8. 9:22,

      We don't need common sense. We have both options in operation in thousands of places. We have data. If you are serious about advocating for safety, you'll do some homework and make your case with objective data, not folksy whitisisms.

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    9. OK, we don't need common sense. Let me make a note of that.

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    10. Using common sense, where is it safer to cross a street in a crosswalk? 1) At a red light, 2) At a stop sign.

      Oh, wait, 9:31 needs data to answer that question!

      Delete
    11. I'll take data over common sense every time. Common sense is often wrong.

      Two examples are the Monty Hall problem, and a wind powered vehicle that can go dead downwind faster than the wind.

      http://montyhallproblem.com/

      http://www.wired.com/2010/08/ddwfttw/

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    12. Methinks 9:53 is a bureaucrat!

      Horrors!

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    13. 10:00 is too lazy to research whether his conclusions are supported by facts.

      sad!

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    14. If you're the bluffing bureaucrat with the data at hand, show it!

      If it's my common sense or yours, I'll take mine 24/7/365.

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    15. Make a claim, back it up.

      Your folk wisdom convinces only you, friend.

      Don't be lazy. Google awaits.

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    16. 8:49 shows their ignorance on common sense and road safety.

      Your circle thingies are called modern day roundabouts and they are much safer than other forms of intersection control.

      You are lazy and ignorant. The rest of us have common sense and use it. Please take the time to become less ignorant.

      http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tpp/offices/oasp/rtb_inventory.html

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  35. City superintendent says he has too much work to do. Poor baby.... Waaa waaaa.

    Murphy wants more city planners... But must be a senior planner. Apparently telling bars to close at midnight requires a senior planner versus a freshman planner. Wow .

    Fire chief says he will be working all night.... Hey chief there are hundreds perhaps a thousand people in enc working all night.

    Barth wants aggressive funding to capture more revenue. Soon to be knocking on your door, city staff. Gee , if I buy a brick or bench will that move my building permit to the front of the line.

    Barth says stepson loves his ff overtime .

    Gaspar asks why if staff has been reduced .... I have no idea what she's getting at. My question is if staff has been reduced why are costs up??

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  36. Gaspar! Stop with the meek request! Tell Vina to give the council a better chart that clearly states the number of full time employees and contract employees.
    Vina just mentioned a new transportation contract employee.

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  37. I can't take it anymore. These people are running this city??? Only God can help us now. Dead Lord help us move these morons out of our city...

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  38. Barf, Shaffer. Another Shaffer praise to the staff on what a wonderful job being done by the staff presenters.

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  39. Muir is shoveling the manure on great presentations by the staff. What a #$@$ bobblehead.

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  40. Get rid of Pruim.

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  41. Barth making an "intent" motion to approve the operating budget with the adjustments. Approved unanimously. The dumb $#%$ just approved 9 or more full time employee positions. Case closed.

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    Replies
    1. Higher taxes and high density development heading your way -- brought to you by your very own City Council.

      Yeah!!!!!

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  42. Why can't they do their jobs? If they can't handle it, why do we keep them?

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  43. Notice how these people talk in code. CIP, FTE, ...

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    Replies
    1. CIP = Capital Improvement Project

      FTE = Full Time Employee

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  44. Just one man's opinion:

    I don't think any of these folks are idiots. I think they are decent folks doing their best, with little financial or personal benefit.

    Is this a JV squad? Sure. Should we accept JV? No.

    But can we agree that this crop is an upgrade from the Dallager, Bond, Stocks era?

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    Replies
    1. Well then define decent ?? These people are making motions to make motions. Now they want to discuss the motions to make motions. Blah blah blah. It's not that hard. But these IDIOTS couldn't find their asses with two hands.

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    2. Sounds like you better get off your Arse and run for City Council.

      I'd appreciate some new blood.

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  45. 9:25 PM
    No, this crop isn't an upgrade from the Dalager, Bond, Stocks era. Malfeasance doesn't always involve financial or personal benefit.

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  46. Muir wants more firefighters...

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  47. We just hired a park and beach supervisor ...

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  48. New code for increasing salaries for the battalion chiefs - compacting.

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  49. More sh---- from Barth. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you staff.

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  50. Barth thanking staff for doing a clean and organized job... WTF?? I have a degree from a major university in this country and I have NO fucking idea what these yahoos have been talking about....

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  51. Population: ~60,000. Nineteen or 20 square miles of city. Did somebody say 231 employees tonight? How many consultants and contractors? A lot. The overall budget is how many millions?

    It's not possible for any council person, especially working part time for next to nothing, to master every detail of every issue. That's why they ask so many questions and why there seems to be so much confusion.

    If the city manager, city attorney and staff wanted to pull the wool over the council's eyes, that would be easy. There's a huge imbalance. If there are 231 employees, the five council members are greatly outnumbered. The wool is over their eyes, but they appear to be trying to remove it.

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    1. What???

      They City Council has a ring in their nose from an incompetent City Manager.

      The next good City Council will understand their main priority and that is to fire crappy City Managers and hire good ones.

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  52. 9:39 PM
    After tonight the number of full time employees is over 250. Contract employees is running around 200 (Vina doesn't disclose the list). The council was voted in to run the government. There is no excuse for what all of the council did tonight in voting to approve all of Vina's suggestions.

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    Replies
    1. The city manager runs the government. The council oversees the city manager.

      If you were a council member, do you really think you'd have everything wired?

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    2. Yes. Its your job. Ask questions and challenge things that don't seem right.

      The number one problem at City Hall is bloated City Employee costs. Why support a City Manager that is focused on making the situation worse?

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  53. City wants to increase TMF that traffic midigation fee !! Shaffer wants even higher TMF...( sigh) I'm going to walk the dog...

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  54. "A battalion is a military unit with 300 to 1,200 soldiers that usually consists of two to seven companies and is commanded by either a lieutenant colonel or a colonel, if in the United States Army or the United States Marine Corps. Several battalions form a regiment or brigade."

    How many people are in a fire department battalion chief's battalion, or does the word mean something else in that context?

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    1. Yes, the word means an increase in salary as in compacting closer to the deputy fire chief salary.

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    2. In 2012 total pay plus benefits for a deputy fire chief was about $228,000. Only two deputy fire chiefs. Reorganization of fire department with one deputy fire chief and three battalion chiefs. Fire chief's staff report only mentions two battalion chiefs for salary increase. Encinitas must keep up with the other cities on pay increases. Who are the two battalion chiefs?

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    3. Cut Employee Costs!

      City Council is failing us.

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    4. "Battalion chief" sounds as if the guy is commanding an army. If there are or will be one chief, one deputy chief and three battalion chiefs, what do the three battalion chiefs do, are they divided geographically, and how many subordinates are they responsible for?

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    5. It is a ruse to spike salaries and pensions.

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    6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  55. I hope they finish before 11.

    I want to watch Jon Stewart.

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  56. 10:05 You're safe. The live stream stopped dead about 10 minutes ago.

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  57. I'm back from walking the dog, what did they decide?? To increase TMF ?? Has Shaffer ever met a fee she's against increasing?? Doubtful!!

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  58. Shaffer takes an item and creates major confusion. She reminds me of a scrambled egg. Maybe her pearls were giving her fits. Note to Granny Barth---the big necklace was working for you. Try dying your hair. Looks like Muir invested in maybe a new, or at least a clean vest. Must have been hot in that tonight. Kranz needs a new outfit. It is looking worn. Does Gasbag ever blink when she babbles? She is scary looking. Yes, I got tired of listening to her drone on and on. Voice lessons might help her. All in all, Vina runs the council. He is as smooth as silk and this council is enamored with him. They just spent more money, but Kranz says there is plenty. Muir went against his own hiring freeze. What is this guy drinking?

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    1. They're all Vina clones - worthless.

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    2. Kranz says he's too busy governing to be concerned of anything else......yep, Dalager has returned. Shaffer is perplexed trying to arrange the paper clips on her desk. Barth thinks she is Obama and is establishing her legacy. Gaspar likes to hear herself drone on and go no where. Muir can't wait for the In N Out to open..
      Meanwhile Vina and Sabine fiddle as Encinitas burns....

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    3. Shaffer's new moniker - "Scrambles"!

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  59. Bring back Jim Bond for fiscal responsibility.

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    Replies
    1. More like senile homilies - "That thar dog can't fetch!".

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  60. Where can one find the definition of an intent motion?

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  61. In Vina's "Playbook to a Happy Retirement"

    Its in the chapter 3 titled " Planning"

    directly past chapter 2- "Convince the City Council they DON'T KNOW SHIT"

    Read on to Chapter 4- "Getting through the Last Year"

    Its all about, surviving the last year of employment before announcing retirement when the City Council final starts learning they have been lead by a government raised blowhard that knows nothing about Fiscal Accountability and true leadership to improve the Quality of Life for the Citizens of the City and Solid Financial Planning.

    Vina is selling out Encinitas big time and he don't care because he is out of here in under 2 years!

    Guaranteed.

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  62. Chapter 3 is Titled " Strategic Planning" .

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  63. School is loser today?? Because of this fire?? What pussies.

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  64. Another fire news conference. Same blah blah as yesterday.
    SD county sheriff telling us how wonderful the system works.... Huh?? Isn't that what it's supposed to do??
    Well I don't have the day off like the school teachers, private sector people must work so... Hi oh hi ho....

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  65. What is the recap for last night on the council decisions.

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    Replies
    1. City manager Gus Vina's primary theme -
      city employees are overworked
      secondary theme -
      good government customer service comes from hiring more government employees

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    2. Vina hasn't learned from his previous mistakes - he is taking Encinitas down now too.

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  66. In a nutshell, all staff is over worked and no time to complete projects. More projects coming in, so they need to hire more people. So there you are....spend, spend, spend. The council gets reports that they can't figure out, but staff can't seem to answer all their questions. Doesn't matter because they will approve anything.

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  67. Quoting from Shaffer's amazingly snarky newsletter: "There are 186 employees under the old [CalPERS] pension formula, 25 people under tier 2, and 20 under the least generous tier 3."

    That totals to 231 employees. Are there City employees who aren't in CalPERS? How does 9:45 above get "over 250" employees?

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  68. Cities data on the state controller's site -
    For 2012 - 364 full and part-time employees in Encinitas

    http://publicpay.ca.gov/Reports/Cities/City.aspx?entityid=397&fiscalyear=2012

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    Replies
    1. That 2012 data doesn't distinguish between full time and part time employees.

      Delete
  69. 4:55 PM
    No, the data doesn't distinguish between full time and part time employees. Did you know that Encinitas is reporting that many employees? Why isn't the total number provided to the council and the public? The 364 number of employees doesn't include contract employees.
    Vina told the council last night that the IRS sees contract employees as regular employees. The council's newly approved staff positions don't represent the rank and file employees.

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    Replies
    1. Encinitas UndercoverMay 15, 2014 at 5:20 PM

      It's pretty easy to distinguish between full-time and part-time based on pay and benefits as we did here.

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    2. "Contract employees" as in independent contractors?

      From what I know, companies have employees who are salaried and get benefits and maybe a pension. Then there are independent contractors who are retained on a temporary basis for specific purposes. They get a fixed amount of pay, no deductions from their pay for IRS, state, SS, Med, etc., and don't get benefits.

      I've searched the City website but haven't found this: How many full-time employees does the City have who get salaries, benefits and are enrolled in CalPERS so they'll get pensions?

      I'm wondering where Encinitas stands in comparison to other cities in its full-time employees-to-population ratio.

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    3. 7:31,

      I'd love to see and post that if you want to do a comparison.

      Here are the Encinitas full-timers (link) as of 2012.

      If you compare to other cities of around 60,000 population, remember that we contract out our police services to the county sheriffs, so eliminate any police you see in other cities.

      Let us know what you find!

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    4. Hmm, that list shows only 174.

      In her newsletter that came today, Shaffer cited 231 CalPERS-enrolled employees.

      She didn't say full-time employees or add any other qualifiers.

      Are employees other than full-timers enrolled in CalPERS?

      Delete
    5. Cities must make CalPERS payments. A city can walk away from CP but must make ALL unfounded payments and future payments up front to CP. In the case of Enc we would have to pay about $120-150 million up front. For that money we could buy 15 more PV.

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    6. Less you think using long term contract employees is unique to the public sector, it's used more and more in the private sector. One example that comes to mind is FedEx whose long-haul drivers are all independent contractors even though they can't haul any freight except FedEx. I think UPS are all employees.

      Often private firms announce employee layoffs but hire many back as private contractors. There are plenty examples out there in the private sector where jobs are filled by private contractors in what normally would be considered an employee position.

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    7. Yeah, and a lot of times it sucks to be a contractor. No health, no vacation. It's not that great.

      The heavy hitters salary and pension wise in our town are fire and public safety. It would be even hire if we had our own PD.

      How many employees are PT or seasonal, I bet it's at least 50.

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    8. Quoting Barbara Henry in the U-T:

      "A new city staff report indicates that Encinitas now has 240.95 full-time equivalent positions. That’s up slightly from a year ago when the city had 236.35 positions."

      So I guess it's safe to say Encinitas has 241 FTE employees.

      Delete
  70. In next week's episode of the return of the mysterious Encinitas budget, council will perform capital project scrubbing. No joke. It's on page 98.

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