From Truth Matters Chico: Mayor Gruendl threatens to release personnel files – why is he so desperate to shut these people up?

19 Sep

The following is a repost from Truth Matters Chico, with permission from Mary. Read more discussion at

http://truthmatterschico.com/2013/09/19/mayor-gruendl-threatens-to-release-personnel-files/

Mayor Gruendl threatens to release personnel files

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In today’s Chico News & Review, Bob Speer writes of our interaction with the Mayor during September 17 Business from the Floor, wherein we exposed his recent Facebook rant:

Interviewed after the meeting, the mayor was unapologetic, though he acknowledged he may have been “a little over the top.” Obviously frustrated by what he called a “cover your ass” effort on the women’s part, he said they’d waived their right to employee confidentiality and threatened to reveal embarrassing things from their personnel files.

We will be addressing the entirety of the article shortly; however, we wanted to get this out to you right away. Every person who has a personnel file at a prior employer should be outraged.

Again we ask, why is it so important that the Mayor silence us? Could it be that, although we have only exposed the tip of the iceberg, he knows what lies beneath the surface? Could it be that, as the longest-seated member of the Council, his prior words and voting record would reveal that he contributed to the City’s current financial situation? Does he want to stop us before we reveal a truth he does not want to acknowledge?

This behavior is frightening. It is an abuse of power for a government official to assault private citizens and attempt to quash their right to free speech. Only your voices can stop this out-of-control official. Please attend Council meetings and be heard, or write your Councilors and demand that they cease their efforts to silence dissenting opinions. Remember, the next person who disagrees with the Mayor could be you or someone you love.

If you did not see the Mayor’s Facebook rant, it is here:

2013-09-06_Mayor Scott Gruendl_FB

The entire Chico News & Review article can be found here:

http://www.newsreview.com/chico/on-the-chopping-block/content?oid=11501932

As always, we thank you for your readership and encourage your comments.

Remember, Truth Matters, Chico!

GRUENDL_CHICOER

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City another $700,000 in the hole? wow – that’s about exactly what they appropriated for the new management salaries!

16 Sep

I just get insulted when the newspaper tries to cover for the government, the way the ER has been covering for our city council and $taff lately. I hate to be a reactionary, but I’m human, I react.

This morning, as if it’s a SURPRISE!, we hear that the city is $700,000 farther in the hole than Chris Constantin has recently reported.   Where could it have gone! Stolen by those Measure J opponents? No, that was the $900,000 they bitched about six months ago, this is apparently a new missing amount.

Well, I don’t have my calculator handy, but I’d say, it’s just about exactly the amount that Nakamura has appropriated – and that’s the appropriate word here – to pay the salary increases he gave to himself and his department heads when he “reorganized” the city. 

I feel reorganized – don’t you? I mean, my pockets are EMPTY! That was one hell of a reorganization – some political philosophizers  would call it, a redistribution of wealth. See, Nakamura redistributed money from certain funds into the General Fund, and then he used that money to pay the new salaries. That’s what we call a Lando.

Excuse me if I don’t understand why they are so surprised when those funds they pilfered have come up short. Duh, silly me! I’m not playing the game.  You’ve heard of the Emperor Has No Clothes game, where you pretend a naked man is suited up in the finest outfit you have ever seen. Well, in this game, we pretend we have a lot of money, when we really don’t. If you are the first one to shriek, “STOP SPENDING MONEY, WE DON’T HAVE ANY!” you are OUT! 

Chico City Council to hear fund deficit is significantly higher than anticipated

By ASHLEY GEBB-Staff Writer

POSTED:   Enterprise Record 09/16/2013 12:07:56 AM PDT

 
Click photo to enlarge

Sean MorganAll Chico E-R photos are available
 

CHICO — The Chico City Council will hear Tuesday that the capital projects fund deficit has unexpectedly grown by $700,000.Finance staff previously estimated that Fund 400 would have a negative balance of $2.5 million at the end of this fiscal year. Instead it’s now estimated to carry a $3.2 million deficit.

To prevent additional deficit, the fund’s current structural imbalance must be corrected.

Councilor Sean Morgan said he was angry upon first hearing the news.

“It’s like, how do we continue to find that we are further and further in the hole?” Morgan said. “My next question is, how does this happen?”

Fund 400 pays for major programs, buildings and facilities, and major equipment, and also operates as a holding fund for project administrative costs, according to the city staff report. Direct and indirect costs accumulate in the fund and are later allocated to the source by which they are funded.

The fund’s negative balance began in fiscal year 2011-12 and has been partially attributed to elimination of redevelopment agency-funded projects, and the number of projects that can fund overhead costs.

Over the years, as project funding shrank, indirect costs remained the same, causing $3.2 million in indirect costs to accumulate.

As staff developed the 2013-14 budget, $25 million in unexpended projects remained for the prior fiscal year. Because those projects were not completed and indirect costs were not reduced, the fund’s deficit grew, the staff report states.

“The good news is this should be the last surprise,” Morgan said. “The bad news is the budget we just passed in June — there is $700,000 not accounted for.”

Councilor Randall Stone said he too was frustrated by the news, but it wasn’t surprising. Councilors and staff have understood for a while that numerous funds have problems.

“We knew that given the nature of what has gone on for the last 10 years, the potential for something like this was very high,” he said.

The impacts still will be devastating, Stone said.

Anticipated revenue and savings benefits from elsewhere will not be able to compensate, making deeper cuts necessary.

And small areas the city has worked to preserve, such as the $20,000 to $28,000 it costs to keep Caper Acres open, will come under closer scrutiny.

“All of these little things that didn’t seem like much to many people were tremendous in being able to achieve our goals,” he said. “That gets eviscerated with an $800,000 debt.”

Whether concessions or more layoffs, there is no easy fix, Morgan said.

“I am only one council member but I will scream from the rooftops that we cannot afford to cut public safety any more for any reason. It’s going to have to come from somewhere else,” he said.

Challenges ahead are substantial, Stone said.

“You feel like that kid with his finger in the dike and seeing major cracks and holes developing,” he said. “We are not securing it. The hole just got much larger.”

Fund 400 remains the city’s second-largest deficit fund, after the private development fund, which itself is $9.4 million in the red. Combined with the airport and capital grants funds, they add up to more than $14 million in deficits.

Also Tuesday, the City Council will be asked to authorize recruitment for a vacant senior maintenance worker position, and hiring for the new economic development manager and a city engineer positions. Funding has been budgeted for all three.

The agenda also includes consideration and approval of work plans for the Architectural Review and Historic Preservation Board, the Arts Commission, the Airport Commission, the Bidwell Park and Playground Commission, and the Planning Commission.

PUBLIC MEETING

Chico City Council

6:30 p.m. Tuesday

Council Chambers

421 Main St.

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Who really owns our resources?

13 Sep

I wrote a letter to the Marysville Appeal Democrat to thank the Marysville for Reasonable Water Rates group for going to so much trouble making their formal complaint to the CPUC. 

I was glad to hear Marysville for Reasonable Water Rates is protesting Cal Water’s proposed rate increase. I was surprised more people aren’t protesting, until I spoke to some friends of mine recently who had never read the rate increase notices contained in their water bills.

A couple of years ago, Cal Water sent a notice in our water bill that they were raising rates to get us to conserve water. Last summer, they announced we conserved too much, that they “could not meet operational costs,” and would have to raise rates again. That notice said, “Cal Water is requesting $556,000 to retain the same level of employee health care, pensions, and retiree health care benefits for General Office Personnel …” $423,000 for “healthcare, pensions and retiree health benefits for district personnel,” $415,000 “for General Office operation expenses,” $395,000 to “retain quality employees in the district.” Last, and least, only $163,000 for “infrastructure improvements between 2013 and 2016.”

These rate hikes aren’t about improving service, but about paying for overly generous salaries, benefits and pension packages. That is not justifiable in an area where the average family lives on less than $40,000, but the Cal Water management employees whose pensions we’re paying enjoy salaries between $78,000 and $100,000 a year.

I hope more people will ask Cal Water for the balance sheet — but you might also want to read those little notices they send in your bills.

Juanita Sumner

Chico

It is very depressing to me that I can’t get people in Chico to mount some sort of effort to turn this rate hike back. As I wrote above, it’s all about paying the pensions, mostly management. Do you make $80,000 a year?  Will you get a pension when you are too old to work, paid for by the public? The statistics say no, most people around here live on less than $40,000/year and have little or no retirement savings. Their homes are upside down or worth little more than they paid, and their kids are being turned away from college either because Chico schools did not prepare them adequately or because their parents don’t have the money to put them through the sausage factory of the CSU system. 

I was surprised to get a pretty good conversation out of my letter  – here are the responses I got:

  • Bill Simmons · California State University, Chico

    Mr. Binninger hit the nail right on the head. Its about a 121.80 % rate increases on Marysville’s ratepayers in the last 10 years. it’s about the run-a-away escalation of water rates. I submit to you (the readers) that in the private sector the costs incurred for continuing ed. are often born by the employee and not by the ratepayers as is the case with Cal Water who asking for a rate increase to foot the bill. For those of you who are truly interested in Cal-Waters’ proposal and the Department of Ratepayer Advocacy analysis for Cal Waters’ proposal, log on to: http://www.dra.ca.gov/Cal_Water_GRC_DRA_Testimony_page.aspx.
    It makes for a eye opening reading. Furthermore, I have never heard anything so ridiculous in my life to suggest that the size of a town is a pre-qualifier to reasonable and affordable water rates. At least the rate payer would have a voice in the rates if it were a mutual water agency and not a state regulated private for profit water co.
    Reply · 4 ·  · September 9 at 3:49pm
  • Bill Simmons · California State University, Chico

    Great job Water Warrior Juanita Sumner. Keep up the good fight for the ratepayers of Chico. Know that you are not alone in this battle for reasonable and affordable water rates. This movement is getting up steam throughout California. Who Rah!
    Reply · 4 ·  · September 9 at 4:01pm
  • Mike Healy ·  Top Commenter · Penn Valley, California

    While I understand your frustration retaining trained licensed water and wastewater operating employees is a challenge for each and every utility district in the state of Ca. continuing education in order to maintain licensure in these professional fields is a must as is being competitive in each and every category of employment benefit packages. The fact is that gaining license requires extensive study in areas such as chemistry and mathematics and systems operations, maintenance and repair and a long term commitment to practical experience, AKA “On the Job” experience in one category prior to being certified and licensed. One final fact for you to consider for each 5 operators who retire only 3 applicants pass the licensure tests so the employment field is hardly what I would consider sustainable and it is for this reason that the costs you detailed in my humble view are costs of doing business and not fluff, look at just about any utility, private or public and you will see the same manpower costs and minimal CIP expenditures. Tell your kids to study chemistry, math and learn mechanical theory and they might have a job that may be forever in demand.
    Reply · 1 ·  · September 9 at 6:04am
    • Lou Binninger ·  Top Commenter · Marysville, California

      The point of the letter was the ridiculous out of line rates, not that you had to attend school to work with water. Yuba City, Linda and Olivehurst comply with the same regulations as Cal Water-controlled cities like Marysville, Oroville and Chico while using the same quality professional operators. The water costs are nearly 50% less in the areas where Cal Water does not provide the service. Oroville people are beginning to rise up about the rates. We were wondering about the Chico residents. Now, we know at least one that is paying attention.
      Reply · 8 ·  · September 9 at 7:48am
    • Eric Royer ·  Top Commenter · Florida State University

      It seems that marysville is too small an operation to have its own affordable water supplier then. The costs need a larger population base to support them.
      Reply · 1 ·  · September 9 at 8:34am
    • Lou Binninger ·  Top Commenter · Marysville, California

      Eric Royer Say What?!
      Reply · 2 ·  ·September 9 at 10:28am

      Mike Healy, above, is saying that if we want water, we can just expect to pay for it. He works for a group called “Global Water Resources,” which has just secured some kind of contract with the city of Grass Valley. What I’m reading, is a guy who looks out for his own ass. My family has wells on a couple of our properties, and it doesn’t cost a fraction of what we pay Cal Water at our other rentals  to keep our wells tasting and TESTING great.  Here at my apartment, we have Cal Water, and it comes out of the tap tasting like PV Pool, complete with pee! We’ve seen the “technician” coming out of our neighborhood well house carrying an empty bottle of Chlorox – seems “technology” hasn’t changed since I was a child Mike – my grandpa used Chlorox to sanitize our well and pump too, and he didn’t have any college education. 

      And every time we get those notices telling us how much CRAP is in our Cal Water, I tell you what, I thank God we have those technicians telling us what kind of poison they’re pumping into our houses! 

      Thanks for chiming in Mike, gave me something to make fun of. You bureaucrats will do anything to protect the trough. 

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Yes, the clerk certainly does pick and choose what she puts in the reports and minutes

12 Sep

I hate to be a pest, in fact, I won’t tolerate a pest. Yesterday I found rat turds on my garbage can, so my husband went out and bought me a trap! It’s that time of year, everybody’s foraging – but I don’t put up with rats that close to my house.

Yes, I hate to be a pest – mostly because, people will only put up with a pest for so long. I’ve always known I’ve been walking on thin rice paper Downtown, trying to get information out of employees who may or may not like what I’m doing. I’ve had city staffers walk up to me out of nowhere and hand me documents – one woman said, “if anybody asks you where you got this, you don’t remember…” I’ve had them come up and tell me things, call me on my private phone, approach me at my kid’s games,  to tell me things aren’t good Downtown. This has been happening for a good five or six years, ever since I started to criticize the pay scale and the benefits. 

When I needed something from the clerk’s office, I’d ask for it. I’d tell them I didn’t want to be a bother, no hurry, etc. Debbie Presson was always almost too friendly, too cheerful, but I appreciated her cooperativeness. I remember when my neighbors and I had an appeal up before the city, we were told, we had to get it in within “calendar” days, not working days. It was Christmas time, and they counted both Christmas Eve and Christmas in the 15 days we had to turn in our appeal.  Debbie Presson was really nice – when my husband needed help with something, she told him, she’d be down there on Saturday morning, give her a call and she’d meet him at the door downstairs. That bothered me – at the time, I didn’t want her to go to the trouble, now I wonder, was she on overtime? And why can’t she do her job during the 9-5 M-F week? So, I figured – my mom liked to go to her office for the peace and quiet, maybe that’s what Debbie was doing. 

Knowing we pay dearly for Presson’s time, I’ve kept my requests to a dull roar.  But always Presson indicated to me that I could call her or e-mail her office anytime I needed anything! We had personal conversations I won’t repeat here. I started to get too comfortable with this woman because she was so kissy-nice all the time. 

You know me, I can’t swing with a good thing, I always have to shoot a hole in the dinghy. I started to find out, Presson has a lot of discretion. Discretionary rules always bother the hell out of me. Discretionary rules often set up a system by which “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” And sometimes I don’t want my back scratched, and I sure as hell don’t like scratching somebody else’s back. Yeeeeecccchhhhh!  I don’t play those games, I always get thrown out for bitching about stuff.

Below here I have the exchange I’ve been mentioning between myself and Debbie Presson, from December of last year, regarding incorrect minutes from the November finance committee meeting.  One thing I will point out – last year she had those minutes up within a month of the committee meeting in question, that’s why I asked her why she’d left out a whole conversation between me and Hennessy regarding the employee’s share.  

Then she says they will be discussing my questions regarding minutes at the January 2 2013 council meeting – I don’t remember it, and she only posted the minutes for that meeting a few days ago. According to the minutes, my letter was read to council and no action was taken. You have to get up there and call these people out physically if you want something – gee, I guess I had better things to do the day after New Years than go Downtown and try to Matt Dillon some legal propriety out of these idiots Downtown.

This is why I’m getting to the end of my patience with Debbie Presson and $taff and the talking heads we call our “elected representatives” – they play games, they jack me around, they are shysters.

In December of last year, having attended a Finance Committee meeting during which I asked detailed questions about the city retirement system and was given erroneous answers by the Finance Director, I read the report from that meeting and noticed that while another question I’d asked had been included in the report, they’d left the conversation about the pension system completely out, not one word.  So, I felt this was important enough to mention, I wrote the following e-mail to Presson and the council:

 

>>> juanita sumner  12/12/2012 6:49 AM >>>

Hi Debbie, Council members, 

 

I was just going over the minutes for  the Finance Committee meeting I attended earlier this month. I see that one question I asked, about the cost of certain consultant reports, was included in the minutes, but not the question I asked regarding what the city pays toward the “employee share” of pension premiums. Jennifer Hennessy stated at that time, “about $7 million.” Later she sent me an e-mail correction – the actual figure was closer to $10.1 million.

 

I wonder why my question and Hennessy’s answer are not included in the minutes? I asked this question during the discussion regarding the loss of Measure J. I was trying to point out, that while the city is complaining about losing $900,000 on a failed tax measure, they spend millions paying THE EMPLOYEE SHARE of pension costs, in addition to the employer share. Our city’s financial problems would be solved if the contracts were rewritten so that the employee pays their own share. Why isn’t this option coming up in the discussion? 

 

I also notice, the police advisory board gets verbatim minutes. I wonder, why aren’t all the committee meetings, including the ad hoc meetings, recorded verbatim? 

 

I’d like this letter to be attached to the next city council agenda as a “communication.” 

 

I’d also like to thank Fritz McKinley for answering my flood notice question. 

 

Thank you for your anticipated cooperation, Juanita Sumner

 

Presson answered right away to let me know she’d received the e-mail:

 

Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:34:27 -0800
From: dpresson@ci.chico.ca.us
Subject: Re: letter to council
To: juanita sumner

Hi Juanita….
 
I have received your email and I wanted you to know that I will check into the minutes as well as place your letter on the January 2, 2013 meeting under Reports and Communications.  I will however be in touch with you as soon as possible.
 
Have a great evening!
 

Debbie

When I didn’t hear anything or see any change in the minutes a week later, I wrote back, wondering if she needed proof – Mark Sorensen was the one who e-mailed me to tell me Hennessy had given me the wrong information. By this time, the whole employee share thing was getting pretty clear, and I felt like I was being pushed back in my attempts to bring it to public attention:

 >>> juanita sumner 12/19/2012 8:28 AM >>>

Hi again Debbie,

 

I wonder if you’d like me to forward you the e-mail discussion I had with Mark Sorensen and Jennifer Hennessy regarding the question I asked that was omitted from the minutes of the meeting? I’m sure Scott Gruendl and Mary Flynn also heard my question and Hennessy’s answer. 

 

My question and Ms. Hennessy’s answer (answers?) need to be part of the public record. I’m just wondering, why do the minutes mention the one question I asked, but not the other?  The record needs to be complete. This is another reason people don’t participate. I rode my bike through the park to that meeting, at 7:45 in the morning, just to ask that question, and it’s important to me that the question and the answer are part of the official record. Is it a waste of my time to attend these meetings? A waste of time for the public to pay attention? 

 

I’ll be at the next Finance Committee meeting, I’d like some kind of resolution to this problem by then  – thanks, Juanita Sumner

Presson answered me that day. She mentions council’s 2001 decision regarding “‘action only’ minutes, with some summary when needed.”  Well, I think what has become apparent in this conversation, is that Presson and her staff are either incompetent to provide proper “summaries” or they are willingly distorting the record. You decide. 

 

Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2012 19:56:57 -0800
From: dpresson@ci.chico.ca.us
CC: bnakamura@ci.chico.ca.us; DBrinkle@ci.chico.ca.us; KMasters@ci.chico.ca.us
Subject: RE: letter to council regarding minutes
To: juanita sumner

Hello Juanita.

I have researched your questions regarding the discussions that occurred at the 11/27/12 Finance Committee Report (minutes) and found that the report does not reflect all of your comments regarding employee share of pension and benefit costs and subsequent responses by staff. That report is currently under review and once the report is amended, we will provide the Council with the report, with a copy to you as well. Please note, it is always our intent to provide a thorough report from these meetings. The reports however, are typically in summary format. Council’s formal action in 2001 was to direct staff to provide “action only” minutes, with some summary when needed. That motion carried 7-0. 

On a side note, but still related to this topic…. City Manager Nakamura sent you an email following that November Finance Committee meeting which included two attachments pertaining to safety and miscellaneous costs as well as an overview of the range of healthcare benefits that employees can chose from and for which they pay a share of the costs. Would you mind confirming if you did or didn’t receive this information? We would like to make sure he has your correct email address.

As I had mentioned in my 12/12/12 email, your email will be included on the January 2, 2013 agenda under Reports and Communications. At that time, I will be able to address regulations regarding the types of minutes required. Hope that helps. 

I wish for you and your family a wonderful holiday and will see you on January 2, 2013.

Sincerely,

Debbie 

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Clerk feels her $135,000/year time is best spent hunched over her computer picking and choosing what goes into the minutes – that’s why the minutes are seven months behind

11 Sep

Well, my questions to the city clerk and staff regarding the production of meeting minutes has started quite a conversatin.  It’s gotten weird – with Stephanie Taber and Sean Morgan asking me to “back off.”  But here’s the answer I was waiting for, from Debbie Presson:

Hi Juanita.

 

I thought I would provide additional clarification regarding the preparation of minutes that is clearly my responsibility.

 

First, let me set the record straight, the Council action regarding minutes which carried 7-0 on November 7, 2000 was to “approve “action-only” minutes, with staff to provide summary detail when needed.”  This action was based on the fact that VHS videos (at that time) were available for check out the day after the meeting.  We then moved to DVD’s when that technology became available and then in 2009, started streaming the meetings and making all Council meeting videos available on the website so our citizens would have immediate access to the meeting information.  For citizens who cannot access the videos on the internet, we still maintain a DVD copy available for citizens to check out and take home to view.

 

So, yes… the City Council minutes are behind at this time.  Back in May 2010 through the first part of 2011, they also got behind when nine additional Council meetings were held in order to take in public comment for the General Plan Update.  Public input was critical to that process and therefore needed to be reflected accurately.  I had to watch those meetings over and over again in order to capture what each citizen stated for the record. 

 

The second note that I would like to make is that I do not pick and choose what goes into the minutes.  The detailed minutes were in many cases “verbatim” in order to capture anything related to the budget issues that the Council was grappling with at that time.  I began to provide more verbatim minutes when Council kept asking questions regarding the financial situation but was often told by the Finance Director that she didn’t have that information with her.  Detailed or verbatim minutes were solely related to those financial discussions and contained all the comments from all speakers related to the item, not just the items I wanted to see included.

 

I am honored to serve as the City Clerk of Chico and my duties surrounding the legislative history are very important to me.  I strive at all times to provide minutes that accurately reflect what actions were taken at each and every meeting and more importantly, what the video can attest to…. at any given moment.  As mentioned by both the Mayor and Stephanie Taber, there is no statute that provides a deadline or time line for the presentation of minutes to the Council for review.  Having said that, I am committed to getting them caught up as quickly as I can.  However, there are other things that are deadline driven and required by State law that will always need to be completed within the time frames allowed by law.  Those types of items by their very nature, take priority over the minutes.

 

I do appreciate your suggestion of annotated agendas where the motion, second and vote are indicated.  At this time, I am just trying to get the minutes caught up…. but should a backlog of minutes occur again in the future, I believe the annotated agendas would be helpful to those individuals who choose not to watch the videos.

 

Thank you for your comments. 

 

Debbie Presson  

I answered:

Debbie, you do pick and choose. I still have the e-mail exchange where I had that conversation in which Jennifer gave me erroneous information about the employee share, and you and Dani just “chose” to leave that whole conversation off the record. I wondered if Jennifer had asked you to strike it – is that allowed?  You’d put another question I’d asked in the record, so I knew I was at the meeting.  It was Sorensen who pointed out Jennifer gave me the wrong figures, and I had to ask you to add that. It’s pretty clear that you guys listen to the tapes and type what you want into the record.

 

I’ve seen the verbatim minutes. With a video for back up, I see absolutely no reason for verbatim minutes. 

 

It is my belief that you would better serve the public if you gave us the annotated agendas where the motion,  second and vote are indicated. That would be best for all the meetings, not just council. I think it is a terrible waste of expensive staff time to strain over an hour’s tape for 5 – 6 hours trying to pick and choose. 

 

Here’s why I choose not to watch the videos – all I want is the motion, second and vote, why should I have to sit at my computer, pushing the button, trying to find the exact moment of the motion, when you get paid over $135,000/year to take notes?  Why can’t the notes be available within a week? A month? That’s not unreasonable, other towns do it with less resources than Chico. 

 

Thank you for doing the job you are generously paid for, and I’d also like to add, you guys need to pay your own pensions and healthcare package. That would really establish some good will on your part. 

 

Sincerely, Juanita Sumner

This is a catharsis – FINALLY the city clerk drops that “have a wonderful day” bullshit and talks straight – I’ve been waiting for this through years of phony ass-kissing and superficial conversation.   I don’t hate Debbie Presson, I hate phony people, and she doesn’t present her true face, she uses that sugary coating as a defense mechanism, so nobody will tell her to cut the crap and do her job. Well, I’m telling her, damn the feel-good torpedoes. 

 

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Marysville for Reasonable Water Rates rally postponed – but there’s good news

9 Sep

I got this notice from Connie Walzchak of Marysville for Reasonable Water Rates, saying that the rally originally scheduled for Sept 21 will be postponed, date to be announced. I will also postpone any plans I was making for the 21st – I want it to be in concert with the Marysville rally.

But this is not bad news – she sent along word that their formal complaint had been served and the wheels of bureaucracy are in motion. I know, they grind slow, but they grind. I hope this will come to something good. You can support this move by writing to the CPUC yourself – here’s one link:

http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/puc/aboutus/Divisions/CSID/Public+Advisor/

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION-PLEASE READ AND SHARE
CAL WATER HAS BEEN SERVED
RALLY HAS BEEN POSTPONED!!

The Formal Complaint that was filed in May to CPUC regarding the California Water Service proposed increases for Marysville has made it’s way through the CPUC Docket Department and Cal Water has been served. See below:

To: Defendant, California Water Service Company (U60W) and to Thomas F. Smegal, Vice President, its representative:

Pursuant to the provisions of Rule 4.3, the Docket Office of the California Public Utilities Commission hereby officially serves the following legal documents on defendant in the referenced proceeding:

I.INSTRUCTIONS TO ANSWER NOTICE AND CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE FILED SEPTEMBER 4, 2013:
E-Filed: Instruction to Answer
PDF (525 KB)
E-Filed: Instruction to Answer
PDF (643 KB)
II. COMPLAINT C.13-08-017 FILED AUGUST 14, 2013 IN TWO PARTS:

E-Filed: Complaint
PDF (16667 KB): E-Filed: Complaint: PDF (12484 KB)

III. NOTICE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT (See, Word document on Attachment Line, above.)
All References to Rules are to the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure. The weblink is available at: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Practitioner/Library.htm

Please call if you have any questions

Regards,
Martin M. Nakahara
Senior Legal Analyst
‘ 415-703-2291 (Direct)
‘ 415-703-1929 (Office)
* martin.nakahara@cpuc.ca.gov

Cities up and down California and across the U.S. are fighting back against Private “For Profit” Water Companies. This movement is gaining national attention. Our Formal Complaint has grabbed the attention of several State Officials. Their offices waited for our complaint to go thru the process at CPUC and have requested a copy of it directly from CPUC. Something has to be done to protect residents and businesses from the “out of control” spending by the Private Water Companies (like Cal Water).Ratepayers can not continue to fund their disregard for budget control. Ratepayers can not continue to shoulder the burden of rate increases at a whim.

With the mountain of work ahead of us to proceed with this Formal Complaint (meetings etc), it has become necessary to POSTPONE the rally that was scheduled for September 21st. We are humbled by the residents and businesses that have volunteered to help with the rally. Thank you. Thank you to Brenda at Copy City for printing and donating the flyers. Marysville thanks you!! We will be using them in the near future (with a date change).

WE, YOU, OUR CITY needs to continue to show our solidarity!! Please continue to display those signs with pride. You have every right to SPEAK UP and STAND UP!! With the number of hits and views on this site, we know that you are on board Marysville!!

FOR SIGN REQUESTS send an email to:
Marysvillewater@yahoo.com

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!
FIGHT BACK MARYSVILLE!!!!

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Caper Acres Volunteers meeting postponed until September 16

9 Sep

There had been a meeting scheduled tonight for those interested in issues surrounding Caper Acres closure, but due to an emergency it’s been postponed until next Monday – Sept. 16 – 6:30 pm, same location – Faith Lutheran Church on East First Ave. 

I will try to keep you posted!

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Asleep at the wheel – minutes and videos missing from city website – why can’t the clerk produce the minutes in less than seven months?

9 Sep

I’ve been trying to follow the efforts of a group called “Truth Matters Chico”, ex city employees who are asking sticky questions.  One thing that’s come up as a result of their chain rattling is that months of minutes and videos are missing from the city council website.  I mean, we can’t even see what measures were passed or failed, who voted how, nothing. A news reporter gets a story up in 24 – 48 hours – sometimes less – why can’t the clerk’s office get the minutes posted in less than seven months?

If you go to the city website, follow the links through “minutes and agendas,” you will find that there are no minutes posted pasted February (clerk Debbie Presson promised that the Jan/Feb minutes would be posted by today).  Minutes can take a lot of forms – some cities even use court reporter machines to capture every single word.  Our minutes, lately, have just been simple reports about the business that took place at the meeting – what issues were discussed, what actions were taken, who voted how. 

If you want the play-by-play, you used to be able to watch the video online.  Suddenly the video feed is acting up, not only in the archives, but I’ve had trouble watching the meetings live.  It says to update my browser, etc, but my browser has been updated. For one thing, why am I able to view some videos but not others? The website used to work great, what’ the hitch?

While the video is good to have for the clerk to check in cases of doubt, or when you want to watch a hearing, or listen to the councilors’ reasoning behind a vote,  the video can also be onerous to wade through when all you want is the motion and the vote. This simple information  ought to be available within seven days of a meeting, as far as I’m concerned. We need the minutes to be posted promptly and consistently.   In Willows you get it within 30 days, and you can view old minutes years back.

http://www.cityofwillows.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={DAE0F6FE-EC82-4EE8-BFB7-971C8E0CD12D}

Wow, their reports are pretty thorough. Check out their school district minutes:

http://www.willowsunified.org/Board-of-Trustees/Agendas–Minutes-2013-14/index.html

But we wait seven months?  I e-mailed Gruendl, Sorensen and clerk Debbie Presson, and here are their replies:

From Sorensen:
Juanita: 

 
I just successfully watched several of the different videos in that date range at the following location:
 
One note: If you’re using some other browser, try Internet Explorer. I notice that Google Chrome (which is what I normally use) does not work reliably with Granicus. 
 
The January and February minutes were just approved at the last Council meeting and must not be posted to Granicus, yet. You can see those minutes under item 2.3 on the Sept 3 meeting agenda:
The next batch of minutes for approval should post with the 09/17/2013 meeting agenda, and once approved by Council, would then be posted in Granicus….. 
Here Presson informs us she’s just loaded the January and February minutes:
Hi Mark and Juanita.
 
I just uploaded the minutes of January 24, January 29, February 5 and February 19 and they should be available for viewing under “Minutes and Agendas”/City Council/”View Meetings Online.”  I found that the videos are available as well.
 
As Mark mentioned, I am working on the completion of the rest of the minutes. 
 
Have a great weekend.
And Gruendl chimes in:
I hope that Debbie and Mark were able to answer your question as well as you can see these dates. I would only add that the city will be updating Granicus so that any browser will work for video streaming as others have had this complaint, as well as Apple operating systems have trouble with Granicus and the update will address all of these issues (I hope, it is technology after all and it never seems to do what it was intended to do).
 
My response:
(Please forward to the entire council)
 

Thanks Scott, Mark, Debbie,  for your response to my question,

 
I have had trouble, on and off, over the past few months viewing videos on the city website, and I’ve had trouble watching the meetings live. I’ve been told repeatedly I needed to update my browser, I’ve updated when appropriate, but I’ve still had the same problems.   This is really new – for several years, that website worked almost without a hitch. Sometimes it still works without a hitch. 
 
Why suddenly it doesn’t work with Google Chrome? Since when? 
 

As for the minutes, why does it take so long to post these? Look at the city of Willows website here:

http://www.cityofwillows.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={DAE0F6FE-EC82-4EE8-BFB7-971C8E0CD12D}

What I am asking for in “minutes” is a summary of the actions taken, what exact motions were made, who voted which way, did they pass, etc. We’re not getting verbatim minutes, so I’m wondering, why does it take seven months to post the minutes? 

 

In past, you councilors have been allowed to peruse the minutes forever, striking comments, revising stuff. Is this still the case? If so, why? 

 

Finally, I know there is a closed session discussion regarding contracts tonight, so I want to remind you council members – you’ve laid off people, cut positions, and cut services. You’ve sat watch over the illegal and vindictive closure of Bidwell Park – that’s your legacy.  Now it’s time to cut pensions and benefits – tell employees they have to pay for their own packages. You need to remember that this city spends somewhere around $10 million paying for pensions and benefits for people who make well beyond the average wages for private sector taxpayers. Scott, you’ve complained about the $900,000 “lost” to the defeat of Measure J – that’s ridiculous, in the face of the money you’ve handed to city employees in the way of pensions and benefits. You don’t like criticism – do a better job!

 

Sincerely, Juanita Sumner

I had to add that last bit about the contract talks, because I think it relates. They’ve made excuses about being short of staff – because they’ve laid off the worker bees. Now they have the nerve to tell us the work can’t get done, but they continue to collect their awesome (and I mean that in the sense of “mind-blowing”) salaries. 

 

I’ll keep us posted.

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Yeah, the park is still closed

6 Sep

I was on my way to the Economic Development committee meeting last week, late afternoon, and as I exited the park onto Vallombrosa Way,  getting off my bike to thread my way through a group of fat-assed park walkers standing directly in the gateway, a woman arrived at the locked gate in her car and just sat there, staring.

 

“Why is this closed?” she demanded.

 

The other women, all of who seemed to have small credenzas taped onto their behinds, just stared back. I took my opportunity. “It’s closed because they spent all the park money on their $48 million unfunded pension liability…” Before I could finish that, she had shook her head and driven away. I don’t know if I was giving her too much info, or whether it truly disgusted her, but she left.   We’ll see what kind of outrage that sparks. 

 

How soon we forget.  Caper Acres Volunteers will be having a meeting on Monday at the Faith Lutheran Church on East First, 6:30 pm. They met last week with park management, Dan Efseaf and Ruben Martinez, as well as Lise Smith Peters, the volunteer coordinator, and we’ll see if there’s any fingerprints on their foreheads. I think they were told they could either join the regular Park Volunteers, or they could form a non-profit. Abigail Lopez seems pretty determined, but if I were her, I’d take a harder line with $taff, and join me at City Hall to picket the contract talks. We’ll see.

 

I asked Dan Efseaf about the park donation fund, he gave me the number of that fund so I could look it up. This is not a task to take lightly – drink seven cups of coffee and load your pockets with bread crumbs to leave you a little trail by which to get yourself out. I haven’t done it yet. But you may remember, when I looked into the Downtown Parking fund, I found they use over half of that to pay salaries and benefits, mostly for workers who don’t have anything to do with Downtown Parking. They pay for an entire police position out of that fund, over $100,000, and no, that cop is not “dedicated” to Downtown. He could very well be sleeping off a good beating over behind the Christian Science Reading Room on Palmetto. 

 

Oh yeah, we get some quality for these salaries, don’t we?

 

At last week’s Park Commission meeting, Efseaf mentioned repairs and maintenance needed at Caper Acres. Apparently, this is their excuse for closing Caper Acres – it’s “badly in need of repair,” and they don’t have the money to do it. Really? But they had the money to raise Efseaf’s salary by $20,000? And pay all but 4% of his pension? 

 

Efseaf lists some specific projects in his e-mail below, and makes vague references to more repairs. No cost estimates? What the hell does this guy do all day? Any workman could give you a cost estimate, come on Mr. $93,000 a year! Hey, I got an idea – why don’t they contact the contractors and other public volunteer organizations who did the Nico Project, who re-built the Crooked House from the foundation up, who rebuilt the tree house slide, etc. Local contractors like the Ritchie Brothers. I’m wondering if those people, given past experience, would work with city staff again. 

 

Dealing with our city staff is like dealing with a Repo Man – you have to be alert, all eyes and ears, and quick on the grab. “What’s right” doesn’t have anything to do with it – you have to be persistent, and you can’t ever be rude or the slightest bit belligerent, no matter how they treat you,  or they’ll use it as an excuse to cut you off.  It’s not a game for them, it’s a matter of money. They’re pretty damned ruthless, don’t forget who you’re dealing with. Egg stealers.

 

The entire park is a disaster. They’re trying to squeeze us, and they’ll do anything. They say they don’t have the staff to open the gates for us, but yesterday a giant garbage truck was trolling through the park. This used to be done by a guy or two guys in a city truck – you have to walk in and manually remove the bag. There’s no use to have a big garbage truck in there, and Nakamura himself has said these truck damage city streets, so what’s he doing sending them in there, with the park closed four days out of seven, to collect garbage sacks? 

 

This is mismanagement, pure and simple. And taking a salary for NOT doing your job is embezzlement as far as I’m concerned. 

 

Park manager Dan Efseaf’s e-mail answers to my questions posted below:

Ms. Sumner,

My contact information is below.  Here are some brief answers to your questions, let me know if you need anything else:
1)  What is that fund number?
I believe the fund number is 050-000-46001/xxxxx-000-3990, where the x’s represent the cost centers (one for Caper Acres, Park Improvements, Infrastructure, intern, trails and vegetation management).  This is also our 7th year participating in the Annie B’s Community Drive and they will accept donations on the City’s behalf at http://nvcf.org/index.php?q=donate&list=c31. Each donation will receive a partial match.
2) …specific “infrastructural needs” and “projects” at Caper Acres, and I would like to know exactly what infrastructural projects he’s talking about, and I wonder if I could get a cost estimate on those projects/repairs.
Caper Acres has many infrastructure needs (the roof to the restroom leaks, the wood footings to Locksley castle are rotting (or have been removed), Bunker Hill requires considerable maintenance to meet playground standards, fencing, irrigation, etc.). 
We do not have a cost estimate right now; however, the Caper Acres Master Management Plan that I mentioned will kick off this fall.  After obtaining input from the community the plan will assess and prioritize needs.  The plan will provide a cost estimate for each feature or repair.  The plan will be completed in 2014, but input will start this late fall (probably with one of the Committees).
 

Sincerely,

Daniel Efseaff | Park and Natural Resource Manager

Public Works Department | City of Chico

 

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Koyaanisqatsi! The Meagher has turned on the Mayor!

4 Sep

Did you happen to see our mayor, Scott Gruendl, on tv last night? Gruendl actually called a press conference before last night’s council meeting, to complain about how people have been complaining!  Seems the heat is getting too hot for Gruendl, he’s getting a little hysterical.

On the Channel 7 news website, Gruendl claims there’s been violent threats made toward Brian Nakamura, and insinuates others. Randall Stone jumps in with a story that does not include time, place, or names of those who supposedly wanted him “punched in the face.”

Gruendl also says people are trying to “paralyze” our local government – with requests for minutes? Well, at a meeting I attended recently, they said the minutes were months behind. Debbie Presson’s staff has been cut down to Dani, who isn’t worth the rubber foam in those crutches we’re paying for. They aren’t covering all the meetings, and when they do, they don’t transcribe the minutes for months. They offer instead ONE TAPE of the meeting, that you have to go Downtown to get, for 24 hours? – when I tried to use these, the local news reporters already had them, I’ve had to wait for them for a week only to have to take them back the next day. This is no way to keep the public informed, and those people requesting those minutes are not doing anything out of line. Didn’t I tell you all, a few months ago, there’s a trend in cities all over California right now, telling citizens they’re taking too much staff time with their requests for public information.  I knew Gruendl would jump on this wagon. 

Gruendl is out of line here, and so are the other five councilors supporting him in the news conference.  That’s right, FIVE. Schwab is conspicuously absent here. Looks like Ann is walking out on The Gang.  And guess what she’s taking with her – a little bag of money name o’ Kelly!

By the way Scott, you look like Hell! Is it okay to say that, because I’m just being honest. You look like a plate of Death lately. Take a vacation somewhere sunny, would you? You look like a ghoul.

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