CITY’S CONTRADICTIONS & MISPLACED PRIORITIES

• As stated in Ordinance No. 96, adopted in June 1929, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea is “hereby determined to be primarily, a residential City wherein business and commerce have in the past, are now, and are proposed to be in the future subordinated to its residential character;” Yet City Council actions have contravened the spirit of that Ordinance by making residential concerns subordinate to “business and commerce.”

• The City has a proposed Fiscal Year 2006/07 General Fund budget of $11,649,860 and has nearly $10 million in Reserve Funds. Yet the City Council refuses to adopt a policy of using Reserve Funds for deferred maintenance projects to augment General Fund budgeted amounts in order to get Carmel-by-the-Sea’s finances more in line with convention; that is, no more than 20% of a city’s annual budget in reserve funds. Otherwise, there is an imbalance between the General Fund for essential city services, Reserve Funds for emergency provisions and long-term projects and deferred maintenance which continues to accumulate and increase in cost the longer deferred maintenance projects are not financed and completed.

• The City Council has chosen to subsidy Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. (SCC) to manage the Sunset Center for $700,000 plus - $900,000 plus annually. Yet the City Council refuses to fund maintenance and infrastructure improvements to the city’s other historical and cultural assets, namely the Scout House, Forest Theatre and Flanders Mansion, for a fraction of the SCC subsidy expenditure.

• The City Council authorized an expenditure of approximately $15,000 for a Library Operations Study. Yet the city fails to implement the already approved $35,000 expenditure for the restoration of library hours to Harrison Memorial Library and the Park Branch as requested by the Library Board and the public.

• The mayor authorized the installation of approximately 50 lights in the Ocean Avenue medians without public hearings and in violation of the city’s municipal code. Yet she fails to install one light for the purpose of illuminating her residential American flag at night.

• The city authorized the posting of “No Bicycle” signs in Mission Trail Nature Preserve without public hearings and without a California Coastal Commission permit, as required. Yet the city does not adequately maintain the Preserve, particularly the trail system, as required annually by the city’s Local Coastal Program.

• The City Council authorized over $200,000 a year for tourism marketing and advertising. Yet the City Council fails to provide for the increased number of tourists by refusing to fund a permanent restroom facility at Scenic Road and Santa Lucia Avenue, for example.