Monday, July 28, 2014

Reminder City Council Meeting, tonight, July 28, 2014


Attend in person, 2212 Beach Boulevard, 2nd floor.  Or, view on local television or live feed Pacificcoast.TV, (formerly pct26.com).  If you miss civic meetings, view on  PCT 26 You Tube!  The city council meeting begins at 7 p.m., or shortly there following.  City council updates and archives are available on the City website.  
 
City Council Agenda, 7/28/14.      
Fix Pacifica Agenda, 7/28/14, article.

Posted by Kathy Meeh

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

John Keener has been walking around putting fliers on door knobs. He seems like a smart guy but he is another PHD mad scientist. I don't think he has any political experiences. So pretty much he is just another Karen.

Spano has been starting walking around. Spano knows the ins and outs of city hall. He worked for the city of Pacifica and Daly City for over 20 years.

Please no more dolts with zero experience on any political level.

Anonymous said...

In a comment on Riptide Tom Clifford has just called for - "It is time to end the Council of Two by removing Len in this next election"

If you've lost Tom Clifford, you've lost Pacifica. Are you listening Len?

Anonymous said...

Spano is a career bureaucrat well schooled in the kissing and covering of ass. Even he, with that resume, would find there's a lot of ass to kiss and cover on this city council.

Anonymous said...

The council of two doesn't listen. It's impossible when your egos are plugging your ears.

Anonymous said...

Spano sounds peachy. Never held an elected office but spent his life as a public employee among politicians and their lackeys. Him, we don't need.

Anonymous said...

623 What political experience you looking for? Held elected office before being elected to the city council? That's Karen and Mike alone among the current council.

Anonymous said...

When did Spano work for the city of Pacifica? What was his position?

Anonymous said...

623 you say Spano has been a city hall insider in Pac and DC for 20 years. Ask him about the 4 million bucks and how the 'reveal' finally came about. I'd vote for the truth.

Anonymous said...

1045 Spoken like someone who's gone 10 rounds with their kid's school. School board and planning commission
have long been incubators for council members.

Kathy Meeh said...

1051, See Victor Spano Candidate for City Council 2014/about. Victor's occupational background is in city government, economic development. His campaign motto is "Let's Go Pacifica!", which includes the promise: Economic growth, public safety, support for our schools. Sounds like my kind of guy, how about you?

Anonymous said...

At least he's not promising anything new and different.

Anonymous said...

I will vote for Victor Spano.He has plenty political experience and would spice up the council.John Keener does not want higher taxes by tricks.I will vote for him also.I need one more candidate to choose.Draft Tom Clifford,a voice of reason.

Hutch said...

Victor Spano is a good man that really cares. He will shake things up and do the righty thing.

Voting for Keener would be a major mistake. His website says nothing about improving our economy because that is not his priority. His priority is stopping the highway fix. His friends were big proponents of measure V. Great, just what we need, an anti economy council person who will be taking orders from Loeb, Bohner and the rest of the gang of no.

Anonymous said...

1215 Recently? Lancelle and Gonzalves come to mind. There are many more. It's usually one or two on each council. An even bigger group ran and lost... Clifford, Hotchkiss, Leon, Campbell, all recent from the PC. Service on a commission, especially a planning commission, or a school board is a common path to city councils everywhere. The county goes so far as to recommend it in the leadership and gov't classes they hold for residents each year or so. Gets ya that name recognition as well as practical experience.

Anonymous said...

Was Spano for or against V? Will he say he is for widening the highway? Not the wishy washy I favor improving it, but a clear and specific statement of support for widening. Where has he said that?

Tom Clifford said...

While I was watched tonight's meeting I heard MaryAnn say that they were looking at collecting the sewer fee on the water bill instead of on the property tax. How this is structured could adversely effect our sewer fee cost.

1. if they use each water billing cycles water consumption to figure the sewer fee we will wind up losing the current benefit of our sewer fee being based on the two wettest months. this will mean a higher total sewer fee over the course of the year.

2. renters who pay their own water bills will find they are now paying into the sewer fee too. ( I doubt the landlords will cut their rent.)

3. Just the act of changing the collection system leaves a lot of room for mischief to happen.

Anonymous said...

Wow. Was that the public notice being served? Wouldn't such a change put that money in council's hands much quicker than when we send it along with our property taxes to the county? A steady flow of cash and who knew it was there all the time? Indeed. Will it be easier to borrow against it? Oh I think Pacifica is entering an era of real enlightenment with wonders to behold. God help us.

Hutch said...

9:34, Victor Spano was one of, if not THE hardest working people in the fight against measure V. Victor passed out more flyers door to door than probably anyone.

Anonymous said...

At last night council meeting Therese Dyer brought up Prop 218 violation by Pacifica in providing free lateral replacement for a select neighborhood,while the rest pay for it themselves.All must be treated equal in cost distribution according to Prop 218.This is a matter of fairness.

Anonymous said...

Hutch, good to know. And highway widening? He has some development background. Does he have an opinion?

Anonymous said...

Annoying, but small, potatoes 1025 and I think the city had some latitude with those specific funds. I'm more worried about this development with how sewer fees are collected. Cities add sewer fees to the property tax rolls because it's an efficient and convenient way to collect them. Seems like a change would be made only if it were more convenient and efficient. How's that? What's going on here? What is it that becomes easier? Suspicious mind? With cause.

Anonymous said...

1237 City needs immediate access to sewer funds to make sure they can cover operations while tapping reserves.The rates just approved might not be soon enough.

Anonymous said...

Eric Ruchames was one of the main backers of measure v and as police union president it's understandable he would want to tax us more.

He is also one of the main backers of the taj mahal library scheme. Again spending our money.

He is just as bad as Keener.

Anonymous said...

301 That's certainly one of my suspicions. They've been turned loose in the candy store. It's a whole lot easier and less politically dangerous than economic development on any scale. Meanwhile, we applaud them for being better than what?

Anonymous said...

212 Everyone is "for economic development". This current council are all for economic development. Means shit. Ruchames and Spano both have lifetime passes on the public employee gravy train that is bankrupting cities. How can either be objective on issues of city pay and pensions?

Anonymous said...

Keener is out knocking on doors with Dan Underhill.

Now I ask again, who is worst?

Anonymous said...

336 Are they riding a little gravy choochoo? Ask all you want. I don't make decisions on that basis. When you do, you very often end up defending your abysmal choice with waaa waaa at least they're not as bad as ebola. A lot of very specific questions need to be asked of these candidates point blank before I'd choose. They haven't been yet. Even on here.

Anonymous said...

Only skill needed is a strong toe to kick those cans down the road. Socks off, you candidates for city council! Points for polish.

Anonymous said...

331 No they are not all for economic development. Keener has no mention of it. Lest we forget just 2 short years ago our council was controlled by nimby hippy not in my back yard enviro nuts. We've come a long way but it takes time to change bad habits. Get rid of Digre and as O'Niel and Spano get more seniority things will change more.

Or elect Keener and go backwards.

Anonymous said...

Keener and Digre are clearly opposed to the highway 1 widening. The other candidates have not made a clear statement one way or the other.

Anonymous said...

Mike ONeill has voted to move forward on widening and to throw out Loeb's complaint. He can't say but I think we can see where he stands.

Likewise with Len Stone, Mary Ann and Karen.

Sue Digre has voted contrary to widening.

John Keener's platform is anti widening. Period.

Eric Ruchames has not given an answer on widening that I can find.

Victor Spano indicates on his website he's in favor of widening with protections of Vallemar Station and a few other non issues. http://vspano311.moonfruit.com/issues/4584798964

Anonymous said...

641 Yeah, I've noticed that. Due to political considerations (that was a soft 99%) or they are genuinely undecided?

Anonymous said...

Who's the Karen Ervin of this election? The council annointed favorite? Looks like Ruchames would be the one. Supported V, supports a new library, plays well with others, friends in the enviro and growth camps, one of the city's own and not likely to go rogue.

Anonymous said...

On his campaign website Mr. Spano says he supports improvement of highway one. He does not use the word "widening". He does express concern for businesses along that corridor. I won't fault him for being a good politician on the issue.

Anonymous said...

Digre, Keener and possibly Ruchames could, if all were elected could create a majority against the caltrans project aka "widening", and could possibly reverse any vote the current council takes, right or wrong?

Anonymous said...

that will never happen 933. But hypothetically they would start stalling Caltrans, hold public meetings, study the issue to death and fail to request the measure a money.

Anonymous said...

The incumbents aren't going anywhere. The last time that happened was when Tod Schlesinger accidentally bumped off Cal Hinton by overloading the field. Ruchames against widening? I thought cops and fire were all for a 'safety widening'. Ruchames is a retired PPD officer. He'd seem to be the sure yes vote on that issue and he has wide, well-organized support. Probably the council brain trust fav since he supported Measure V, supports a new library, and has those city employee roots.

Anonymous said...

What did Cal Hinton do? Besides sleep during city council meetings.

The only thing I know he did in all his years on city council was vote no against whole energy's little science project/

Kathy Meeh said...

1020, true Tod Schlesinger would have shook-up city council apathy and hidden agendas plenty had he been elected. (My view of that is he didn't have the time to put into his campaign, otherwise he might have been elected. Unfortunately, as you say, the vote was split and both pro-economy candidates lost).

705, Cal Hinton supported quarry development twice, among multiple other "reasonable" city decisions. And his vote against the flaky WWTP biodiesel "experiment" was also best for the WWTP, and city safety.

But after 2002, Cal Hinton was a minority vote on city council, whereas 3-5 city councilmembers set city policy, and have the capacity to change the direction of this city. And they did. How'd that turn out with the NIMBIES in charge?

Want a better city, vote ONLY for pro-economy candidates. (And don't overload the candidate field).

Anonymous said...

History. Cal Hinton had been aligned on council with Barbara Carr and Maxine Gonzalves--all pro-growth. Nothing grew. Carr and Gonzalves got dumped with Measure E (Trammell Crow in the quarry)in 2002. Cal was passed over once or twice for mayor, but held onto his seat until 11/2006. In that election the two seats went to Nihart and Dejarnatt. Cal came in third with about 450 votes less than Pete. Also-rans were Jeff Simons and Tod Schlesinger. Two years earlier Tod was one of 4 growth candidates, Moore, Tod, Nava, Blackman) who ran unsuccessfully for the seats held by Vree, Lancelle and Digre.