• With regard to fire protection services, City Administrator Rich Guillen stated that the cities of Seaside, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Del Rey Oaks and Sand City may well form an "inner ring" of a regional fire department, with Carmel, the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Pebble Beach Community Services District and Cypress Fire District forming an "outer ring," yet he also stated that the concept of a JPA “makes a lot of sense.”
• The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea is a signatory party on the Draft JPA Agreement, yet the City publicly tells Carmelites it is exploring all options, "including contracting with another agency like Cal Fire to run the department, and maintaining it as an independent department."
• Some Carmelites decry the loss of local control and autonomy, but advocate for a fire protection services contract with Cal Fire as opposed to forming a partnership with the cities of Monterey, Pacific Grove and Seaside in a regional Joint Powers Authority (JPA).
• Some Carmelites decry the installation of mail boxes in the public right-of-way because of their impact on the character and aesthetics of Carmel-by-the-Sea, yet advocate for the installation of paid paying kiosks throughout the commercial district of downtown.
• Most Carmelites honor Carmel’s heritage, yet a majority of voters voted to authorize the City Council to sell the Flanders Mansion Property, and even some advocate for the selling of the Scout House.
• Carmel’s forest is an “urbanized” Monterey pine forest, yet many Carmelites refer to Carmel’s forest as an “urban” forest. As stated in the City’s General Plan/Coastal Land Use Plan, as follows: “Urban” forests are planted after development and typically consist of single species, regularly spaced trees planted in a row between the sidewalk and the street. An “urbanized” forest exists before development and is characterized by its diversity in species, age and randomness in tree location resulting in meandering streets of varying width. (LUP)
• While most Carmelites view the “urbanized” forest as the character-defining feature that makes Carmel-by-the-Sea unique, and arguably the forest is the City’s largest and most visible natural resource, along with the beach and ocean, many Carmelites residing along Scenic Road and San Antonio Avenue vehemently oppose the planting of Monterey Cypress trees along the Carmel Beach Bluff Pathway because they feel they are entitled to an “ocean view.”
• The City expends hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for tourist promotion and marketing for the purpose of attracting more and more tourists and visitors, yet the City fails to expend sufficient dollars towards tourist and visitor amenities, such as two additional permanent restrooms along Scenic Road between Eighth Avenue and Santa Lucia Avenue at Carmel Beach.
• Some Carmelites decry the “constant drain” on expenditures from the Flanders Mansion Property (amounting to maintenance and upkeep costs of not more than tens of thousands of dollars annually), but do not mention or challenge the “constant drain” of approximately $1.5 million annually for the Sunset Center, an entertainment facility, including $700,000 annually to Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. for the management of the Sunset Center.
• To balance the proposed FY 2010/2011 $14 million budget, the city estimates it requires $810,000 and the city administrator stated that the fiscal situation may require the City to lay off employees, but a reduction in the $680,000 subsidy to Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. (SCC), the managers of the Sunset Center, is not seriously considered (or the selling of the Sunset Center).
• Many Carmelites blame the Flanders Foundation for expenditures related to the City Council's selling of the Flanders Mansion Property without acknowledging the fact that if the mayor had negotiated in good faith with representatives of the Flanders Foundation for the purpose of determining a lease use for the Mansion, then none of the EIR consultant costs and legal costs now totaling $1 million would have been expended.
• Carmelites supported a petition in support of John Hanson against the City’s egregious actions with regard to reneging on promised pay differential and family health care benefits, yet cannot circulate a petition in support of on-leave Human Resource Manager Jane Miller by calling for the City Council to place City Administrator Rich Guillen on administrative leave pending a complete and independent investigation into Jane Miller’s corroborated claims against the City Administrator, Mayor and City Council Members.
• The Mayor and three City Council Members negotiated and approved settlements or knew about settlements made without financial justification with at least four city employees who had claims similar to Human Resources Manager Jane Miller, namely hostile workplace environment and being forced into early retirement, yet the Mayor and City Council Members did not even acknowledge written correspondence from Jane Miller or her attorney Michael Stamp in 2008.
7 comments:
How about this one?
Jason Burnett gets swept into office after promising the citizens of Carmel open government, yet presides over a questionable public/private partnership in Pacific Grove (the P.G. Natural History Museum)that squelches any oversight or dissent and whose board holds secret meetings with no public accountability.
To clear up the misconception that non-profits have to hold public meetings, they do not. Sunset Cultural Center, Inc. (SCC) board that governs the operations of the center do not hold their board meetings in public, nor does any other non-profit organization.
Through its contract with the city of Carmel, SCC is committed to hold one public meeting a year. That annual meeting is coming up June 26, 2010, 10:00 AM at the Sunset Center lobby.
There are many public/private partnerships in existence. That is how the Sunset Center renovation was accomplished--through a p/p partnership. That is how it is run also. The Carmel Public Library Foundation is another example of a p/p partnership. They support and collaborate with the library board of trustees and the city to see that our library is well funded. And the CPLF does not hold its board meetings in public.
The person that continues to criticize Jason Burnett's leadership does not understand the non-profit world. Thank goodness for people like Jason Burnett who to give back to their communities and have the ability, skills and expertise to do so.
On another note, the sour grapes in Pacific Grove over the operation of their Museum was caused in part by a city council that did not disband the Museum advisory board before it partnered with a non-profit organization to run the Museum. Their advisory board struggles with their irrelevance and the city has yet to clear up that mess by dissolving the advisory board.
The idea of shared services makes sense in light of the new economy we find ourselves in. The JPA draft document being offered is not the solution though. It needs major work so that Monterey does not benefit more than other member cities that may sign on. The document has been formed in only a few months and is being pushed through. Pacific Grove has approved a draft document that has since been changed. The document is evolving.
In spite of what the media and other cities say, Carmel is committed to considering other options. Everyone else makes it sound like a "done deal" and assumes Carmel with join in. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is not a done deal for Carmel. You have heard nothing from Carmel yet most likely because Carmel doesn't like what it sees in the JPA draft document either (its the "big give away") and they are still compiling information to present in late summer or fall on all the options. And you can expect to see some town hall meetings or public workshops on the subject before a decision is made.
The subject is too critical to not get the details right. The JPA is not there yet. Such a partnership could sink all of the member cities because of the future PERS costs of a more expensive regional fire department. There may be some cost savings the first year or two, but no one is projecting out what the costs will be once the JPA takes on all the firemen as employees. That is when the costs will skyrocket as all firemen move into Monterey's higher salary pay and benefits increase proportionally.
in other cities (i.e., Seaside) residents also decry the loss of control over their fire department. And if you are paying attention, so do the Seaside firefighters. They are opposed to the JPA as it is currently written and for good reason. Check out their site at www.seasidefirefighters.org
PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES FOR NONPROFIT EXCELLENCE
(See 10 below regarding public meetings)
Transparency and Accountability
Nonprofits have an ethical obligation to their constituents and the public to conduct their activities with accountability and transparency. Nonprofits should regularly and openly convey information to the public about their mission, activities, accomplishments and decision-making processes. Information from a nonprofit organization should be easily accessible to the public and should create external visibility, public understanding and trust in the organization.
Accountability
1) A nonprofit must comply with all legally required reporting procedures.
2) A nonprofit has an obligation to responsibly use its resources toward its mission and to benefit the community. The organization’s board should approve its financial audits, while the executive director and principal financial manager should attest to the audits.
3) A nonprofit has a responsibility to establish and regularly determine clear performance measurements and to share those results with the public.
4) Each nonprofit has a responsibility to adhere to the established industry standards that apply to its particular activity area.
Accessibility
5) Boards of directors should provide information to the public that describes their decisions and decision-making processes. They should make meeting agendas and descriptions of significant decisions available to those who request them.
6) A nonprofit should provide its constituents with ongoing opportunities to interact with the board and management regarding its activities.
Public Information
7) A nonprofit should produce an annual report (either printed or Web-based) that contains information on its activities and performance. The annual report should include:
• An explanation of the organization’s mission, activities and results;
• An explanation of how individuals can access its programs and services;
• Overall financial information, including income and expense statement, balance sheet and functional expense allocation; and
• A list of board members, management staff and contributors.
8) Each nonprofit organization must also make certain data available to the public, including:
• IRS Form 990 for the previous three years, including clear statements of program service accomplishments in Part III; and
• IRS Form 1023, Application for Recognition of Exemption.
9) A nonprofit should provide multiple means for contacting the organization to request information or provide input.
Solicitation of Community Input
10) Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to hold public meetings to gather and distribute information about their approaches, goals and effectiveness in carrying out their missions.
11) Nonprofits should openly gather and exchange information on lessons learned and best practices with other nonprofits to promote overall effectiveness and accountability within the sector.
12) Nonprofits should actively work with other organizations to avoid duplication of services
Using SCC as an example: Prior to the installation of SCC, many people requested from SCC that SCC open their board meetings to the public. SCC did not comply with this request.
In addition, the interim director of Sunset Center prior to the installation of SCC stated in an interview with The Carmel Pine Cone that his first and most important task was to determine if there was a public consensus in support of a nonprofit to manage the Sunset Center. Unfortunately, for some reason, he did not embark on this task. Arguably, the effect of that is that many people who voiced opposition to a nonprofit and then witnessed SCC installed over their objections have not been very supportive of SCC or Sunset Center.
Bottom Line: To succeed, nonprofit organizations need community support. And an excellent way to cultivate support in the community is to hold public meetings.
RE: in other cities (i.e., Seaside) residents also decry the loss of control over their fire department. And if you are paying attention, so do the Seaside firefighters. They are opposed to the JPA as it is currently written and for good reason. Check out their site at www.seasidefirefighters.org
Recommendation: Take time to talk to the Carmel Firefighters. Our nine firefighters support the JPA. Listen to them and their reasons.
RE: You have heard nothing from Carmel yet most likely because Carmel doesn't like what it sees in the JPA draft document either (its the "big give away") and they are still compiling information to present in late summer or fall on all the options. And you can expect to see some town hall meetings or public workshops on the subject before a decision is made.
Comment: If Carmel is still compiling information on all the optionsc 3 years after the Citygate Study, then Carmel should not be a signatory party to the current evolving Draft JPA. It is disingenuous of the City to act as if the City is a party to the JPA when the City is considering other options for fire services. The City should present all options, solicit public input and make a final decision.
It takes real chutzpah to put the concerns of Seaside firefighters ahead of Carmel firefighters and may speak to a hidden agenda of sabotaging the JPA. Look, if 100% total control of the fire department is a priority, then budget for the high cost of a stand alone department, but do not act as if the JPA is a sudden development when it has been a known concept for years and years.
P.S. If should not take the city until late summer or fall to assemble information about all viable fire protection services options. What has the city administrator been doing all this time anyway when there should be no higher priority than the future of the fire department?
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