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2011
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- San Jose police agrees to a 10% pay cut
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- Finders keepers? No.
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- Seriously, is it time for Vreeland to go?
- Waiting... for Pacifica to wake up....
- Fire Tax/Fee vote counting process - special notation
- !HELP SAVE SHARP PARK: ATTEND APRIL 28 RALLY AND F...
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- Where's Jimmy V?
- Fire Tax goes down 63% - 37%
- Wavelength Season 3
- City Council Annual Budget Study Session Meeting #1
- National news quiz - week of April 3 through 9th
- Spindrift Theater Fundraiser
- City Council meeting agenda for April 11, 2011
- @the corner of fassler/roberts road
- Sunshine Is the Best Disinfectant
- "Fire Tax" - its a City general fund FEE
- Earth Day LTE
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April
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52 comments:
two words: public censure.
let's see which councilperson has the chutzpah to do it.
so vreeland can roll out of bed to shill for the biodiesel plant in san luis obispo, but he has forgotten how to get to council chambers?
2010 pay to vreeland:
Regular pay $7269.26
Car allowance $1755.39
RDA meeting $120.00
Cafeteria cash $11,040.00
$20,184.65 total!
He missed 7 meetings last year. Counting the 2 they cancel, that's 9 he didn't go to, not to mention a ton of budget study sessions, regular study sessions and TA meetings. He's missed 3 council meetings already this year. That's out of only 7 meetings total.
How many of you would still have a job with that record?
Great post Bob. Does anyone know if he's on an official leave from the EPA? That may have bearing and limit what action can be taken by the city. Is recall the only viable public option?
nice to see a young blood like Len Stone Jr do the job for free because he believes in the community while entrenched career politician vreeland just cashes the check and laughs at the voters.
From the article sounds like vreeland can jerk us around ad nauseum by keeping the number of unexcused absences under 4. Has 2 now according to Patch. Makes the recall idea look good. It'd be worth the money to move forward.
We may have to do what the city for unknown reasons hasn't been able to. Or we can keep paying him. Recall.
He's not at the budget meeting that started at 6. Does that count? obviously it should but does it go toward the 4 unexcused absences in 60 days that could get him released from council?
No vreeland, no problem. The fab 4 did their thing at the budget meeting tonight. Appropriately somber and chanting "the public has spoken" or something close. Pete jumped right out with list of suggested cuts. Bold. Len Stone still newish but hung in and got his questions answered and was realistic in his statement on revenue. As in don't expect any additional. Sue stuck in denial, counting on more events??? and "let's work together". Brought up combining police and fire chief roles into a public safety head. Might work but what about JPA? We'd have to pull out. Maryann very somber but kudos big kudos to her and Stone for putting council's cafeteria cash on the chopping block. Chopchop. Not a word from the other 2 on that. It's the principle of the thing not the price tag. She also suggested research into contracting out services. Needs to be looked at. Not a bad start.
One chief for Police and Fire? hahahahahaha. That's the dumbest thing I have heard in my lifetime. Why don't we let the cardiologist perform your spine surgery - they're both doctors what's the difference? Anon at 5:54, please don't give Jimmy any ideas, let's get rid of him once and for all.
Anon 832. You need to get out more. Mingle and meet. You know, make friends outside the department. BTW, Jimmy already knows all the tricks and his employers (Pac and EPA) are required to inform him of his legal rights to various LOAs and available help. Slick doesn't need ideas from Fix Pathetica on scamming the voters. We're the only ones "in the dark" as to his plans.
"nice to see a young blood like Len Stone Jr do the job for free because he believes in the community while entrenched career politician vreeland just cashes the check and laughs at the voters."
I wish Mr. Stone offered an alternative, but one of the first chances he had was the meeting at which the sewer tax increase process was started.
At that meeting, there were only three councilmembers present, a bare quorum. All the votes to pass the tax were three-zip, Mr. Stone assenting. What difference exactly does he represent? Fail one example , for sure. With one vote, he could have stopped the madness.
"One chief for Police and Fire? hahahahahaha. That's the dumbest thing I have heard in my lifetime."
Some cities, like Sunnyvale, do this. The title for the person in charge tends to be something like "Director of Public Safety."
Anon832. it's actually pretty common in cities under 150k population. Works well enough and can be a big savings. When it's successful you also get more cooperation between the two factions. Could be good.
I thought all Council did good last night and I agree with Pete that deep cuts need to be made now.
Well, last night's budget session was a start. Reality is setting in.
Council's salaries and all benefits have to go. Certainly salary and benefits get cut for anyone who doesn't show up.
Councilman DeJarnett was wrong--this tax had nothing to with the fire dept. The fire dept was window dressing--political cover-- for a tax designed to loosen up $1M in the general fund for the council to spend on anything they liked. Net gain to the fire dept. was zero.
Mr. DeJarnett thinks the voters support cutting the fire dept. in the face of this tax defeat. That is wrong headed as well. As one who voted NO, I support keeping the fire dept intact and cutting elsewhere.
After, what, eight years of structural deficits Vreeland, Digre and DeJarnett tolerated without making the tough decisions, newcomer Len Stone is struggling with an actual balanced budget. Good for him. He can count.
The solution is a council adopted roadmap for a local economy. Not talking about it, an adopted policy. Again, the council 3 tolerated a vacant hole in the ground old sewer plant. Palmetto has not been revitalized into a town center.
The lesson here is dithering at council gets us into a terrible economic black hole.
Yes almost every other calif town and the state are in the same boat, but in large part Pacifica's mess is one that the council has made much worse.
Car allowance $1755.39
There's a smoking gun somewhere here. Vreeland misses 7 meetings, 2 cancelled meetings, most all study sessions, RDA and TA meetings, yet still racks up almost $150 of car expense each and every month. How does he account for that? DeJarnatt, who misses almost as many meetings, attends NO committee meetings outside of Pacifica, and has, perhaps, a 1 mile commute to council chambers, does he get the same? How about some justification!
I thought Council did well too and that Camden did a good job reporting on the meeting. Pete showed courage last night, being prepared and ready to talk real needed changes. Fire and Police are top heavy, at least they were in 2009.
Wonderful moment at last night's budget/fudget meeting when Len Stone and Maryann spoke about doing away with Council's cafeteria cash which is over $1000 month for each of them. Dead silence from Pete and Sue. Council voted this juicy little perk for themselves several years ago. Should note that Len Stone waived all of it when elected. It's in lieu of benies and in addition to their monthly stipend of $750 or so. Yes folks, they doubled their pay. Did you get a thank you card? Oh, that was the fire tax ballot...way to go Pacifica voters!!
Pete showed courage last night, being prepared and ready to talk real needed changes
only took him 4 terms to do that . . . that's my idea of courage . . .
I think Pete was serious and prepared. Agree with him on getting the pain out of the way with effective cuts to big ticket items. I think len also said that. Got the feeling they were ready to get it done and nothing was off limits. Both did well. On the small side, why is the farmer's marketsubsidized by the city? It's not much but when folks are losing jobs we don't need to be subsidizing a business that should be independent.
anon240. Some never get there. If he can get do
what needs to be done, fine. You can always not vote for him next election.
The hand-outs at the city budget workshop meeting probably gave a suggested dollar amount or percentage cut to each department or organization. (I wasn't there for this one, but recall similar suggested information in the past).
If the cash or percentage information was not on the public workshop report, city council may have received such advanced information (they usually do). Remember Councilmember DeJarnatt was reading-off these numbers, elaborating or with some consideration on a few line items. And, do you really believe that Councilmember DeJarnatt did much independent thinking or research on his own? If so, I'll take the bet.
234, the health Cafeteria Plan (which includes a "use it or take the cash" benefit) was voted in by city council in 1996 by Councilmembers Vreeland, DeJarnatt, Lancelle, and Digre. Councilmember Hinton said he did not vote for the "take the cash provision", but once it was a benefit he did take the cash (same as the other councilmembers).
Such a "take the cash" benefit would not occur in the "for profit" private sector, only in government; and possibly even so, rare in the Bay Area. (Lionel may remember a couple of the cities which have such provisions).
Bob 213, thought the city got rid of the car subsidy, guess that was the mileage subsidy.
Over 8-16 years, if city council 3 had demonstrated the will to "save and improve Pacifica", we probably would not be having this conversation.
BTW, I thought Mayor Mary Ann Nihart did was highly effective getting through the necessary budget review and without the drama of some past Mayors. Done within 1 hour may be a record for these meetings. Next and probably the final budget workshop meeting (2 of 2) is Wednesday, April 27, 6pm, city council chambers.
Kathy, me thinks the cafeteria perk was voted in 2006. That was a plum Ritzma threw on the table for god knows what reason. We were broke then, too. Oh wait, in 2008 DeJarnatt said we had a 7 million reserve! He's so much smarter now.
"...the cafeteria perk was voted in 2006."
Bob, you are right: 2006. I've been dealing with health insurance clients today (various dates and ages), so call it a typo which may be the only thing I'm really good at.
Thanks for reminding us of the $7 million reserve-- where did it go? Oh it really never was: $5.5 million 7 year lawsuit return, net city loss something like $1.5 million = $7 million. 2 years back at city councilmember DeJarnatt thanked Cecilia Quick, and called that "our city savings account". (Kind of looks like the "hit" many of us took on our stock accounts at that time).
Some folk say Ritzma got the combo HR/Finance job after she found that cafeteria cash plum for council. Maybe just a rumor by the many city employees who do not care for her or could be a fact but it is very interesting. Wasn't it about 2006 that the job was created? It's a perk that private industry mostly avoided because it's so costly. Government employers, city, county, state and fed realized the error of their ways and dumped it or limited the cash to say $100.
It's Pacifica's dirty little secret and contributes to the bloated total compensation and since it's considered regular taxable income it probably goes towards pension calc, too. Must be nice being able to vote yourself a raise that more than doubles your salary as a city council member. Outrageous.
more like Maureen Lennon got the axe for exposing cecilia's little shell game to pad the pockets of the lawyers in her rolodex. and your man jimmy v was neck deep in that as well.
I need to update this story about the cafeteria cash soon, apparently: http://pacifica.patch.com/articles/city-council-members-continue-to-cash-out-benefits
Shut your mouth. Jimmy v is no man of mine. I've heard about Cecelia's hand in Maureen's departure before. Further to your post.. It seems much of Cecilia's department costs were not being charged to her department and Maureen being a very good and very ethical finance director attempted to correct that problem. All hell broke loose. Apparently the wrath of an exposed city attorney is a fearsome thing. And of course Council wouldn't want us to know just how much the city attorney costs us. And there was Ritzma all ready to step up. Apparently she actively wooed Maureen's dept. And as said earlier it was right about then that cafeteria cash option (which was already available to all FT city emps and costs the city a FORTUNE) miraculously became available to councilmembers. What a deal. They voted to take it of course and more than doubled their pay. Presto chango your city council in action. All of them except Stone take the cash but at least Nihartt and Stone spoke up at the budget meeting saying it was time to end that. I'm sure Jimmy v was up to his neck in all the CecilaiMaureen Ritzma drama but he wasn't alone. Anyhow that's the story that's been out there for a while. Another of Pacifica's dirty little secrets is what has happened to the $70,000 a year that coastside paid the city for many years for remediation at Frontierland Park? It was meant for park use and yet I bet it went straight into the GF for council to squander. Just wondering.
Patch. Why don't you ask how much the cafeteria cash, ie, cash-in-lieu of benefits
costs the city each year? We know the council number but the option is I think available to all FT emps. The city has attempted to rachet it back in recent negotiations but not much of a dent. The data is there but good luck getting a straight answer. Pacifica is virtually alone in the richness of this particular "benefit". Figures.
That's a good idea, Anonymous. Speaking of Anonymous, this thread makes my head swim...so many Anonymouses addressing Anonymouses. How do you all know when you're being spoken to?
yeah, kinda crazy. guess you have to be comfy with chaos. and the randomness of it all.
Like basket ball with two hoops but seven teams.
We picked teams? Oh crap!
Seriously where is Vreeland?
He's on our payroll and he's a no show.
That's grounds for termination.
What's everyone waiting for?
Mr. Bell. So much vitriol sounds personal not political. I despise Vreeland's politics and actions a whole lot but I'm not willing to kick a person when they're down and I don't like mobs. You can be right about the facts and wrong about the course at the same time. Just speculating but maybe he's on a medical leave and therefore protected or his unexcused absences from regular council meetings haven't met the legal standard for dismissal. I think it takes 4 unexcused in a 60 day period and then any resident can stand at a council meeting and call for dismissal. You're on it, right? Nothing makes attorneys more nervous than personnel matters which may explain the lack of info coming out of the city on this thing. In any event someone with your zeal should be able to get the facts. It's too bad that someone with vreeland's best interests at heart cannot prevail upon him to step down for his own good, his family and this struggling city. We cannot afford to be held up in what needs to be done by tie votes on council.
as an education tool read Ca Civil Codes 44/45/46, they define defamation, libel and slander. Perhaps Steve or Kathy can run a short piece ion them and we can all join in the usual back and forth here. The codes specify the intent must be to harm. Steve, Kathy, feel like taking a run at it?
Vree has missed 4 mettings in a row. 2 council and 2 noticed, formal, budget sessions. I nominate Clifford to formally call for his resignation.
Dear Chief Justice Warren, Thanks for throwing me under the bus. With a title like Chief Justice maybe you should be the one to make the formal complaint.
I wonder now. Is he serving time in jail?????
"Ca Civil Codes 44/45/46, they define defamation, libel and slander...we can all join in the usual back and forth here."
Todd 152, from my view you're welcome to knock yourself out with such an article, if you wish.
I don't know what Steve Sinai (Blogmaster) might say, but Fix Pacifica is an is "open forum" public blog, which primarily engages in exchange of ideas and information. Steve has included some guidelines under "Submission and comment policy". Serious, known personal attacks on or among comment posters are discouraged.
Such public blogs powered by Google, Yahoo and other providers exist throughout the United States, and the rest of the world where "free speech" exists for that matter.
In any event, apparently most libel and slander defamation is not actionable. And, there is the expense to a plaintiff in "proving harm", including the potential of a counter suit. Without much further research, here is a brief, easy-to-read interpretation from an attorney found on the web: Vondran Law.
Tom, didn't you courageously already "throw yourself under the bus"?
Chief Justice Warren already died 37 years ago (1974). Guess that's why he declined action himself. Citizen opinion is out there, but its up to the city (and Vreeland) to determine whether Councilmember Vreeland should step aside.
Kathy; I did what needed doing, now I hope Mr. Veerland and the City Council will do the right thing. If he is sick and will be back soon O.K. but if he is unable or unwilling to serve he should step down. I have heard several different way that the missed meetings are counted and the bottom line is that it is very hard to force someone off Council.
We owe you Tom for being reasonable and rational and constructive in your appearance before council on our MIA councilman. City has leeway in interpreting the absences and they are not going to be aggressive. Looks like they only count the regular Monday nite mtgs and who knows how they determine excused or unexcused. Maybe as simple as just calling in beforehand? And the issue of a possible medical leave complicates. Not so easy to dislodge an elected official. Maybe the city is a better listener following April 11th? Growing numbers of persistent reasonable civil voices could make a difference here. Maybe.
Tom and Kathy, it's Earth Day. You should step away from the computer and go out and pick up some trash.
I think you are looking for this:
CALIFORNIA CODES
GOVERNMENT CODE
SECTION 36501-36525
Scotty, actually Earth Day isn't until the 22nd. I'll be picking up garbage then.
"...go out and pick up some trash."
Scotty, that's exactly what I have been doing today.
oh yeah? anybody we know?
"oh yeah? anybody we know?"
Picked up weeds and links for 2 trash article posts on Fix Pacific, but I'm done for today. Your turn.
This Earth Day is probably a Pacifica conspiracy to avoid hiring people. (Disclaimer: this flip statement may or may not be a joke, yours to decide).
Kathy, You're out there... and I mean that in a good way. But while you were out on this holiest of days of the green calendar did you see any local green legends? Hint..they'd be near the camera. Spot any rarely-seen Pacifica councilmembers? Woman, did ya' see Vreeland?
Anyone else notice that the quickest person to bring up "defamation, libel and slander" is also the most belligerent person in the community since Simons left?
Council meeting tomorrow night. Plovers and restrictions to public use of Linda Mar Beach are on.
Place your bets right here right now on Vreeland. Show or no show??
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