ABSTRACT: A thesis of wrong policy preference priorities by the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea as symbolic of Mayor Sue McCloud’s 8-year reign as mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea is illustrated with examples involving entertainment vs. infrastructure, studies vs. action, consultants vs. full-time employees and police vs. all other departments. Comments and Questions are presented, including a Final Comment and Question regarding the potential of a continuation of unilateral and wrongheaded decisions made by the mayor regarding taxpayer monies.
In 2007, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea’s wrong policy preference priorities are symbolic of Mayor Sue McCloud’s 8-Year Reign as Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
ENTERTAINMENT OVER INFRASTRUCTURE:
Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. vs. Capital Improvements, as follows:
Sunset Cultural Center, Inc.:
FY 2007/08 Community and Cultural $ 750,000 (Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. Operating Subsidy)
And Capital Outlays for Sunset Cultural Center FY 2007/08:
Sunset Ctr Walkway Lights-E. Side $ 5,250
Sunset Ctr Theater Monitor Syst Speakers $ 18,000
Sunset Ctr Theater Fall Arrest System $ 18,000
Sunset Ctr Theater Sound Syst & Exhaust (for film events) $ 42,035
Total: $833,285 FY 2007/08.
Capital Improvements:
4th Avenue Riparian Habitat Project (City's portion) $196,000
Repave Mission between 3rd & 4th $150,000
Repave 5th Avenue betwn S. Carlos & Dolores $27,000
Parking Lot Across from Post Office, repaving $20,000
City Hall Carpeting - (Chambers in FY 07-08, $10,000)
Del Mar Restrooms (Assumption is that proj is not completed in FY 06-07) $55,200
Forest Study Implementation $50,000
Total: $508,200 FY 2007/08
COMMENTS:
• For FY 2007/08, budget totals of $833,285 and $508,200 for Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. and Capital Improvements, respectively.
• Given the magnitude of deferred maintenance, a larger comparative share of taxpayer monies expended for “entertainment,” rather than expended for capital improvement projects raises questions about the competence and priorities of the City Administrator and Mayor.
QUESTION:
• Should “entertainment” have a greater share of the budget than capital improvements, especially given the fact that of all the tickets sold for Sunset Center events, only 14% are purchases by Carmelites, whereas 100% of all Carmelites benefit from capital improvements to Carmel-by-the-Sea?
STUDIES OVER ACTION:
Organization Study of Library Operations Study & Forest Studies & Pavement Study vs. Implementation of Findings and Recommendations
I. Organization Study of Library Operations:
City Council Agenda
Regular Meeting
February 6, 2007
Review the Organization Study of Library Operations from John Goss of Ralph Andersen & Associates and provide policy direction.
COMMENT:
• While the Study has been completed, the City Council has not informed the public about decisions regarding the implementation of any of the recommendations.
II. Forest Studies by Barrie D. Coate, Consulting Arborist:
City Council Agenda
Regular Meeting
December 4, 2007
XI. Orders of Council
A. Receive recommendations by the City Forester on suggestions presented by consulting arborist Barrie Coate and provide policy direction.
Forest, Parks & Beach
Reforestation 7/1/07 6/30/08 $ 56,650 Contract for Carmel forest study, $6,650 + $50,000 estimated to implement forest study recommendations.
NOTE: Forest Study Implementation $50,000 (Capital Improvement)
COMMENT:
• At their December 4, 2007 meeting, the City Council approved Forest Study Implementation of $50,000; however, as Barrie Coate stated in his report, the City Council must fund a comprehensive Forest Plan long-term for the Plan to be successful. Given the state of our neglected forest, $50,000 is a minimal amount relative the needs of Carmel-by-the-Sea’s forest.
III. Pavement Management System & Truck Impact Fee Study:
City Council Agenda
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Consideration of a Resolution entering into an agreement with Nichols Consulting Engineers for a 2007 Pavement Management and Truck Impact Fee study in an amount not to exceed $60,300.
Public Works
Pavement Management System & Truck Impact Fee study 5/1/07 9/30/07 $ 45,500
Nichols Engineering has been contracted to perform updated pavement management system and truck impact fee study.
City Council Agenda
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Consideration of a Resolution awarding the bid for three street projects at the Post Office, Mission Street – 3rd to 4th, and Ocean Ave. Crosswalks to Pavex Construction in the amount of $237,844 and authorize a contingency cost of $23,784 for a total project cost of $261,628.
COMMENT:
• At the March 13, 2007 meeting, the City Council approved a Resolution entering into an agreement for a 2007 Pavement Management and Truck Impact Fee study in an amount not to exceed $60,300. Not only have the findings and recommendations of this Study not been placed on a City Council agenda, the City Council went ahead with a contract for three street paving projects for a total cost of $261,628.without a public discussion about the 2007 Pavement Management and Truck Impact Fee Study.
CONSULTANTS OVER FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES:
Case in Point:
City Council Agenda
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Consideration of a Resolution authorizing the City Administrator to execute a Consultant Services Agreement with the firm of RBF Consulting in an amount not to exceed $166,488 for the General Plan Update project.
City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
FY 2007-2008
COMMUNITY PLANNING & BUILDING:
DIRECTOR
Building Inspector
Planning Services Mgr.
Senior Planner
Assistant Planner
NOTE: Although a DIRECTOR & Assistant Planner are on the City’s Organizational Chart, presently these positions are vacant.
COMMENTS:
• With a fully staffed Community Planning & Building Department of competent and experienced planners, staff members could update the General Plan. Moreover, staff members with institutional memory are in the best position to update the General Plan, not consultants.
• Due to the City having the Community Planning & Building Department Director position vacant for over 4 years and an understaffed department, the City has had to rely on too many consultants.
POLICE OVER ALL OTHER DEPARTMENTS:
EXPENDITURE SUMMARY
2007/08 Budget Summary
Top 9 Expenditure Categories (Salaries/Benefits and Materials / Services Totals), as follows:
Police $ 2,673,132
Fire $ 1,678,154 (according to the Citygate Fire Department Consolidation Feasibility Study for the Cities of Carmel, Monterey, and Pacific Grove, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea is currently underfunding the Fire Department by $400,000)
Public Works $ 1,028,340
Harrison Memorial Library $ 879,465
Administration $ 815,105
Administrative Services $ 762,914
Community and Cultural $ 750,000
Community Planning and Building $ 721,001
Forest, Parks and Beach $ 457,661
TOTAL: $ 13,094,894
COMMENTS:
• Of the total FY 2007/08 budget of $ 13,094,894, the Police Department garners the greatest taxpayer monies at $ 2,673,132/FY 2007/08, whereas the Fire Department has a budget of $1,678,154/FY 2007/08.
• Of the total 66 full-time city employees, 28 are dedicated to public safety (Police & Fire); 22 full-time police department employees, including Public Safety Director/Police Chief, 4 Sergeants, 1 Corporal, 8 Officers, 6 PSOs/CSOs and 2 CSOs vs. 6 full-time fire department employees, including 3 Captains and 3 Engineers.
• Given the nature and magnitude of “crime” in the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea from the weekly published Police Log in The Carmel Pine Cone, questions should be asked about the appropriate size of the Police Department budget and the number of Police Department employees. Moreover, Public Safety Director /Police Chief George Rawson should be made to justify the Police Department’s budget and City Administrator Rich Guillen should justify the Police Department’s budget in relation to the other city departments.
• According to the recent Citygate Fire Department Consolidation Feasibility Study for the Cities of Carmel, Monterey, and Pacific Grove, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea is currently underfunding the Fire Department by $400,000. In terms of public safety, it could be argued that the City’s Police Department is overfunded at
$2,673,132/FY 2007/08 while the Fire Department is underfunded at $1,678,154/FY 2007/08.
• With regard to the Police Department, there have been too many instances where the Police have acted in the interests of the mayor and not in the interests of the citizens the police are sworn to protect and serve. Just recently, the Police authorized the posting of “No Parking” signs on the Forest Theatre grapestake fence along the west side of Guadalupe Street. Even though the Police were notified about a superseding resolution making the signs illegal, apparently the Police issued parking citations to car owners parked there. Another example involved the removal of opposition campaign signs which were legal.
FINAL COMMENT & QUESTION:• Given Sue McCloud’s 8-year mayoral record of wrong policy preference priorities, if re-elected for a fifth term, the denizens of the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea will continue to see unilateral and wrongheaded decisions made regarding taxpayer monies. Don’t the denizens of Carmel-by-the-Sea and the City itself deserve better?
4 comments:
This is a great summary of many things that have gone wrong in Carmel over the last eight years. Too bad that everyone in Carmel won't have a chance to see it.
These comparisons are truly devastating. Only a closed minded person or someone who doesn’t have the best interests of Carmel at heart could support Sue for mayor. I think one of the worst acts on her part was the hiring of Rich Guillen. He was unqualified when he came in 2000 from Seaside. His incessant pleas for policy direction, as this blog shows, tell me Sue is the mayor/city administrator. If he was competent, he would never allow this to occur. Back to Sue, Sue puts SCC ahead of everything. Her priorities are certainly not in the best interests of the residents and the city. After reading this expose, who in their right mind would support Sue for a fifth term? They must not be looking out for the best interests of Carmelites.
How in Sam Hill did this woman get reelected and reelected and reelected? Maybe you people in Carmel deserve her.
I urge the blogger and others who read and comment on this blog to get this summary of "things gone wrong" before the eyes of Carmelites before the April 2008 election. If Carmelites really were aware of all that is wrong and the certainty that all things wrong will continue to go wrong with Sue in charge, there might be a chance to change the status quo. Heavens know, Carmelites cannot count on the Pine Cone or the Herald to look out for us. We must do it ourselves. We must try to do it now.
Post a Comment