Submitted to the Pacifica Tribune as a Letter to the Editor for their 11/14/12 publication, published 11/20/12.
"Police outsourcing" by Bob Hutchinson
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I too want our Police to stay in house. But if the numbers are big enough we have to consider outsourcing. And it may save officer jobs as well.
The problem is that the numbers are still being kept secret from us on the false premise that it is tied to union negotiations.
Council is wrong in thinking outsourcing must be tied to a union contract and negotiations. They need to look into whether Millbrae and other cities outsourcing had anything to do with their union contract negotiations timing. Sure you can include the unions but you don't have to renegotiate every contract to allow outsourcing our police to the Sheriff.
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| Millbrae police car with San Mateo County Sheriff's star |
Our attorney is greatly complicating matters by thinking she must negotiate with each union before outsourcing. She is keeping data from the public and holding secret meetings. I think she should be replaced immediately.
Now I believe council thinks they must wait 2 or 3 years until the contracts are up for negotiation again until we can revisit outsourcing. By then it will be too late and the Sheriff's deal will be off the table.
| Official San Mateo County Sheriff's star |
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Related Fix Pacifica article - "Sheriff takes over Millbrae policing effective 3/5/12.
Posted by Kathy Meeh
10 comments:
Hutch, I think too much blame is going on our city attorney and not our Finance director/HR person Ritzma. She is obviously way over her head in dealing with these unions. I think Pacifica has 9 different unions.
Every city worker except Ritzma and Rhodes are union. But if you look at the closed session on the agenda its always Ritzma talking for the city.
This started before Michelle, took over for Cecilia.
I agree Ritzma is way over her head Anon. But it is the city attorney that is saying the consultants report can not be released and I believe she says it's because it involves union negotiations. It is the city attorney that is saying outsourcing must be negotiated with each union.
At any rate, from talking to some council, they believe the only way to proceed with outsourcing is in conjunction with new contract negotiations which are almost completed. So we would have to wait a couple of years for the contracts to expire.
This is a wrong assumption. We don't have to negotiate outsourcing into contracts. Millbrae didn't do it so why should we have to?
As long as wages and benefits are as good or better the unions will go along with it.
This is a wrong assumption. We don't have to negotiate outsourcing into contracts. Millbrae didn't do it so why should we have to?
Hutch? How long have you lived here? Nothing in Pacifica, makes any sense. Everyone in San Mateo knows they can not govern themselves.
Notice how the people who question city hall, end up fired. Look at the lawsuits vs the city of pacifica.
Question the way permits and signs offs are done, get fired and have to sue, Mention that this isn't the right way to do things get fired.
To quote the joker in batman. This town needs an enemia!
Now, now, when Ritzma was hired as HR Dir and then quickly promoted to the new Finance/HR Admin Director spot she was the answer to the prayers of anyone on council who had tired of hearing the unsugarcoated truth about city finances from the previous Finance Director. Bet on it. Out with the old, and in with the new, and call it a job consolidation/money-saver to sell the idea to those not following the action closely. She had an HR background and minimal financial experience. Her predecessor was a finance professional and highly skilled. Ritzma's early tenure was marked by the purchase of some expensive HR office technology, generous union contracts, inclusion of council in the cafeteria benefits plan. All of these required council approval.
Fast forward a couple years and we have Ritzma and her rudimentary financial skills and the worst economic turndown since the Great Depression. It's the Perfect Storm and poor, dumb Pacifica sailed right into it. Over her head? You betcha! But no more so than the rest of the crew. Ervin and O'Neill better be able to walk on water.
I find it very curious that the consultants for the police outsourcing were hired by the city attorney thus creating an attorney/client privilege issue for the consultant's report. The city council has hired dozens of consultants in the past several years and yet they didn't hire this particular one. I think that shows amazing foresight on their part because that report was bound to be the focus of public curiousity and heated discussion. It seems that this kind of foresight has not been unheard of in other cities when there's something to be hidden from the public. The use of attorney/client privilege by a city council to conceal information from the public seems very suspicious, doesn't it? Sort of goes against that whole tranparency in government thing that this bunch postures about. You can blame senior staff, but it's Council that is really hiding behind the attorney's skirts on this one. Very sneaky.
We do not call him Sneaky Pete and the Sneaky City Council for not.
Email Eric Acha of the SM DA's office if you think this whole thing stinks EAcha@smcgov.org
I would email David Wozniak of the San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff's Association at president@mydsa.com.
He has been through this with San Carlos, Half Moon Bay and Millbrae. He could write a book on what happens, specifically in San Mateo County. I met him a year ago and he is very about this subject and is not under pressure from any city to tell it how it is.
What good would that do? What council did isn't illegal. Not yet anyway. It's just sneaky. We'd be smart to remember how they are. It's amazing the public even knows about it. I think we have some Patch reporter to thank.
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