In Fullerton Our Public Servants Too Often Do Not Act Like Their Name Implies…To Provide Public Service. BY BARRY LEVINSON
I was looking forward to our next regularly scheduled Park and Recreation meeting to be held on Monday December 14, 2015.
At our last meeting I asked when would the Summit House lease extension issue come before us for a vote as so directed by Mayor Sebourn when he was informed by me that this Park and Recreation related item had bypassed our committee for still unknown and maybe even suspicious reasons.
WERE THE RUBBER STAMPS OUT OF INK?
Instead, I receive an email form Director Curiel that the December meeting scheduled to be held 3 days later has now been cancelled. This was troubling because it was the second meeting in the last three months that have been cancelled based solely on the Director’s wishes with the approval of only one commission member, Wayne Carvalho, the current Chair. I quickly responded by email that I wanted to know the status of that presentation and when will it finally be put on our agenda? I stated that I was not aware of any reason why this has now been delayed for two months after it was brought to council. It was only then that Director Curiel stated that the owner of the Summit House was withdrawing his request to add 2 ten-year extensions to the current lease, which would have extended it under the exact same terms through the year 2061.
I was also hoping to get an update on the fix for Laguna Lake at the now cancelled December meeting. I was very concerned to learn from Director Hoppe at the last council meeting (only disclosed after I asked the question) that the work will not start until next April. Last spring when we the commission first learned of the water loss problem, the city wanted to completely shut off the water due to how much water loss we were experiencing. Now I learn that nothing will be done until next April, a year later. What happened to the urgency to save the excessive water loss? We the people of Fullerton are supposed to take measures to reduce our water usage up to 50% or potentially face large fines.
‘TWAS ONCE A NICE PLACE TO DWELL
Finally, until recently all commissioners were always asked by Director Curiel to give their opinion on any suggestion of a cancellation of any regularly scheduled monthly meetings. In other words, no decision to cancel a meeting was made until every committee member had the chance to give his/her opinion. Now for the second time in three months, I am told after the fact that a meeting has been cancelled. This is a big step in the wrong direction. Why suddenly are these decisions now decided prior to even contacting all but one of the seven-committee members?
I am disappointed that our current Chairperson now has gone along twice in three months with these regressive changes. I think both Director Curiel and Chairperson Wayne Carvalho owe the other commissioners including me an explanation. The October cancellation also coincided with Director Curiel’s decision to not bring forward the Summit House lease extension request before our committee and bring it straight to council for a vote. Could it be that the city is making these ill-advised decisions to forgo examination and discussion of Park and Recreation business? Is it because I properly vet these issues? Are they trying to bring forth business under the radar in the hope that many people will be unaware of their decisions?
I report, you decide.
BARRY LEVINSON
#1 by Barry Levinson on January 28, 2016 - 11:25 am
Well the Summit House saga, has come to an end, at least for now. You see it was supposed to finally come before the Park and Recreation Committee in January after the city circumvented us by going directly to the council in October.
In fact, the October council agenda stated that this Summit House request had been approved by the Park and Recreation Department. When I told Director Curiel about this, his response was that the Park and Recreation Department does not approve any items to go before the council. I wonder who then put that erroneous statement into the council agenda. I do not know the answer for sure. However, I do know that the City Manager’s office does regularly publish the city’s agendas.
When I learned that it was not part of the January agenda, I contacted Director Curiel who told me that the owner of Summit House decided to rescind his request for the two 10-year lease extensions.
Why Fullertonians would the owner of Summit House abruptly change course?
I report, you decide.