Shell Game or Development or Redevelopment??

In regards to the Stater's/City/Jacobsen deal.

Lets take out the past history of how things have been done under Schwab.

Schwab had his own agenda. Under Schwab and the city council, turned the citizens against one another. With the hiring of new people, maybe there will be more of a house cleaning.

Maybe the city will be more honest and up front with the citizens of GT.

The City wants more money coming in. What will the City do to get it?

What incentives will the City give to Staters or another developer?
(Didn't work out so well with Jacobsen).

In what extent will the citizens allow the City to lower cost of fees?

Pay for upgrades that normally developers pay? Is the City paying for the environmental document and studies again?

Are the residents of GT going to allow the City to cause more blight, with emptying the existing shopping center? The City has already caused blight with the housing destruction on Barton Road. Loss of Homes, Property Tax, Coustomers (Sales Tax) and Community Members. Fewer Consumers and Bigger Stores is not going to increase Sales Tax Revenue.

What next, the current shopping center that has been there for the residents and Small Businesses of GT is it to be cast aside. Has the City Redevelopment Agency made offers to that owner to stimulate economic development and opprotunities for the property owners and local entrapanueres or businesses?

If the City is cutting a deal and investing with Stater's Bros., shouldn't there be a new RDA agreement for the public to see? Shouldn't there be a public hearing on what the city is investing with Stater's?

There should be a Public Hearing for the public's input and a time line(the City didn't keep to the time line with Jacobsen).

It shouldn't be smoked screened about getting something bigger and newer.

The residents have a right to know how and in what way the City is spending their money.Citizens have the right to know what proposals have been offered. From the newspaper, Stater's will buy the property from Jacobsen. Stater's will build their own store. Stater's and the City will do a give and take. Citizens should be informed on the new RDA agreement, incentives andproposals.

There should be a public hearing. The Public should take an interest in the procedure and give input. One last thought.

Some of the GT residents don't want to shop at our neighboring cities because of the traffic. Grand Terrace is going to have the same problem in a very short time. IF NOT... THERE WILL NOT BE AN INCREASE IN SALES TAX REVENUE to the city. GT Citizens can't or shouldn't spend more than they are already spending. MORE COUSTOMERS and INCOME is required before MORE SALES and Sales Tax is possible.

Also From the Email InBox:

My neighbor is relocating the new restaurant he established here in GT to another location about early summer of 2010. yep. Packing up the now sucessfull restaurant and moving to Riverside, along with two other restaurants the owner has been talking to.

What brought on this move?

A signature for a new lease on the building is when, but why?

Ask the GT Mayor why current businesses are relocationg to other locations?

Could the present City Council be anti-small fry and more into big frys?

Also ask the Mayor, if the full majority of employees for Stater Brothers live in another city and take their paychecks along with them, how does that benefit us again?

I am confused here. Small businesses that provide residents of GT a paycheck IN THE TOWN THEY LIVE and SPEND would be more sustainable than a Mega Staters that will kill several of our local businesses.

GRAMP THINK>

Yep. The city in the past has been more interested in attracting a big name and putting on a big show than providing real value to the community. Examples of this folly continue. Perhaps the New City Manager will hear public input and take this opportunity to address some of these matters that are impacted by the City's Actions.

Businesses who operate in Leased Buildings are always at the risk of having their rents increased upon renewal. I haven't heard of commercial rents going down to be an aid to struggling businesses unless it is in a Government Owned Development or Building some where.

This is a problem on many levels and in the past Rent Controls for housing were used to real in excessive costs for living space. Government has not done the same with commercial space in the USA, but it is coming close to becoming a requirement for some businesses, and communities. The Economic Do Over that is needed for the entire country is hampered by excessive property, energy, and medical care/insurance costs.

How can the city help. Well folks at one time could sell items from carts, or trucks, or on street corners with a permit of course. The street vendor may find he or she has enough business to pay rent for a shop. BUT, there is no lower rung in our economy or society, these days. City Codes and Elitism of we don't want that in our community type thinking has removed the lower rungs of economic innovation.

City Codes restricting the use of your home office or home business causes some to just not try. These areas are where a City Government can stimulate a Freedom that does not exist in other communities.

IF ANY RDA project hurts an existing business, Citizens Pay. I agree the Citizens have paid more than enough for the folly of Schwab/Berry/Ferry and Co. Their efforts do not add to the sustainability of Grand Terrace as a community. Inflated home and commercial property costs will continue to be a burden on a community that does not have jobs that can support the population that lives on the island of Grand Terrace.

We have long lost the ability to even feed our self. Our few real resources are Water, Wilden Pump. Archer Meats (Jerky) and labor we export like a slave workforce that pays the Company Store and never gets ahead.

Look to who likes this system. The Company Store Owners, and the Land Owners. Sorry to say it folks. Property Values, and Zone or Property Use laws need to be pushed back.

All homes in GT should be considered places of business and employment centers of some sort. Make it easy for the citizens to start a home business. The City or Bank could facilitate collection of sale transactions and of course get their sales tax accounted for.

Yes, all property value and rents should continue to drop to a level the productivity of the local economy can support. Remember the old rule 1/4th of your income for housing or rent. If a business could move into and pay 1/4th of their income up to the Market Price, for rent, it may be a way to get new business to try to put roots in GT. Perhaps the City could write an Ordinance that Commercial Property that is Vacant for more than 90 days will fall under a Business Incubator/ rent Control Program with the above requirement, or face fees for the cost of an Unoccupied Commercial Building to the City. Loss of Sales Tax, and job opportunities for the citizens this is the cost to the city of a empty commercial building. It can be calculated.

Some plan needs to be developed to facilitate both land owner and renter. This may be extreme but at least it is a thought. The best plan is to have some of the land owners to enter into this type of benevolent agreement on their own.

BE ON THE LOOK OUT: SEX OFFENDER ALERT

Authorities searching for pair of sex offenders

Sheriff's deputies are searching for two convicted sex offenders who previously lived in Hesperia, but have since moved without telling law enforcement.

Christopher David Beavers, 28, and Jesse James Long Jr., 35, are both required to register as sex offenders with their local law enforcement agency. San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies checked the addresses the men provided and discovered they were no longer living there, officials said Monday.

Beavers is white, 6-feet-2 inches tall and 300 pounds. He has brown hair, blue eyes and several tattoos, including the initials "IE" on his chest and a tattoo of a dragon on his left arm.

Deputies say he frequents San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Grand Terrace and Palm Springs.

Long is white, 6-feet-1 inch tall, 215 pounds and has blond hair and hazel eyes. He has a tattoo on his upper right arm.

Anyone with information on their whereabouts may call sheriff's deputies at the Hesperia station, (760) 947-1500 or WeTip, (800) 78-CRIME.

WHY Are WE Funding Stater's or Jacobsen?

Read the Article: There is a problem here...

Joyce Powers indicated in this article that the Redevelopment Agency is going to pay for the cost of roads, curbs, streets and other improvements needed to aid in the development of the Stater Brothers and or any of the Jacobsen's Development.

What are Development Fees for? Recall a land owner who wanted to make one large lot into 3 or 4 lots so their children could own their own homes on the family lot? The City Said fine but FIRST pay the road improvement Fees for the some time in the future when the city may get around to putting sidewalks and curbs in on that street.

So is Jack Brown and Douglas Jacobsen being given lower than cost fees so the Citizens have to pay for the cost of the Improvements that their development requires? How many years of INCREASED sales tax will be required to pay off that cost?

If anyone on the street was going to make improvements or build didn't they have to pay for their own road improvements sidewalks curbs and any traffic mitigation measures as part of their development or improvements?

Perhaps the Fees Collection and Assessments need to be audited to find out if some folks get waivers and others are charged according to the Code Requirements. Citizens are tired of paying for Favored Developers who have used the City as their Strong Arm Man to acquire property, and then add the traffic mitigation to the burden of the citizen or tax payers is just an added insult.

Did the Redevelopment Agency pay for the Dance Studio's Driveway or Darwin DDS's Driveway curb and sidewalk improvements? This is why NEW Development should be done with PRIVATE FUNDS and not mixed up with the Redevelopment Agency. Failure to foresee the cost of Development of the Infrastructure caused the OAC to Fail in Court.

When is the Planning Department, City Council, and City Attorney going to get a grip that the Costs of Development should be upon the Developer, and the City of Grand Terrace is not in the Development Business. RE Development should be for already existing buildings and infrastructure.

In addition IF Stater's Moves and there is not a Back Fill Occupant for the empty store, or if Stater's holds on to the lease to keep competition out of GT, the cost in sales taxes and blight could go right back to the Citizens and Tax Payers. If they release the property and it goes vacant the owners may charge the RDA for the lost income until a new occupant can be found. Why, well the RDA should not be assisting or competing with EXISTING businesses. The Super Staters will compete with all the Restaurants, Drug Stores, and other Shops in GT. These businesses may also be able to bill the RDA for lost income. So if the RDA pays any of the Development costs including Roads and Sidewalks or such they become liable for the cost of lost income of all the related businesses in GT.

Think about it City Council / RDA Board before you spend a dime that will later cost you a dollar.

The Rest of the Story. And Questions

From Email InBox:

"The new store will have about 130 employees and generate nearly $800,000per year in sales tax revenue, he said. "Is that $800,000 over the amount they pay to the city now?Or is that the same amount?

Paw's Answer: I think that calculation was depending on the Mt. Springs Ranch Development being built out. I doubt that we will eat and drink more than we currently do. I hope not.

Perhaps some of the Deli Business will transfer from the Washington Store but I doubt that we eat that much Deli to make an increase of $800,000 per year. I think that the $800,000 per year is a gross figure and does not represent a total expected increase, that does not seem possible.

Stater's having a Deli in GT will stress already existing resturants in town. Perhaps the City will have to pay existing businesses compensation for the impact the Redevelopment Agency's actions will have upon them. The Redevelopment Agency's involvement in securing the property as a total development may cause this to be a cost to the City RDA. This is yet to be seen.

Looking at the Fresh & Easy add last week, their prices won't attract much business. Let's hope a Cardenas, or Fiesta Market or Superior will open a satellite store in GT we need lower prices on fruits and vegetables.

Many of you wanted the entire article posted here it is:

Grand Terrace Stater Bros. might open next autumn
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/21/2009 10:47:50 PM PST
Updated: 11/21/2009 11:15:04 PM PST

GRAND TERRACE - Stater Bros. Markets has reached a deal to acquire land for a new supermarket in the city.

Jack Brown, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the San Bernardino-based supermarket chain, said his company hopes to open the store by next fall.

"We are ready and able to proceed as quick as the city gives us approval," Brown said.

Brown said Stater Bros. has an agreement to buy about 12 acres from Jacobsen Family Holdings, which owns the land on the south side of Barton Road east of Michigan Avenue.

The Stater Bros. market is planned as the first phase of an approximately 140,000-square-foot shopping center that has been on hold due to the recession.

Mayor Maryetta Ferre called the new Stater Bros. "one of the most important projects in Grand Terrace."

"We have one Stater Bros., and we have one (grocery) store," Ferre said.
"Stater Bros. is Grand Terrace, and Grand Terrace is Stater Bros."

Look at what Mayor Said and ASK ? Did Mayor Ferre Forget all the joy she expressed about the planned Fresh & Easy and the Help to back fill the current Stater's Location? Or is she suggesting that the City of Grand Terrace has a no Competition Agreement with Jack Brown? Is there an agreement for the City to take every possible action to frustrate any other Markets in GT? Her statement Grand Terrace is Stater Bros sugessts such or worse.

The city is in the process of finishing the environmental impact report for the center. The Planning Commission is expected to consider the project in three or four months.

WHY is the City doing the Environmental Impact Report. Who is Paying for it? Jack Brown?

Brown said the new market will replace the company's store that opened in Grand Terrace in 1974.

The new store will have about 130 employees and generate nearly $800,000 per year in sales tax revenue, he said.

GT Crime Arrests Made... Public Notice Delayed

Authorities recover $30,000 worth of stolen Tap Out clothing

By Stacia Glenn
Sun Telegram
Posted: 11/16/2009 05:44:00 PM PST

Authorities on Monday arrested four Riverside men who are believed to have stolen more than $30,000 worth of merchandise from the headquarters of Tap Out, a popular clothing brand.


Sheriff's officials declined to release the identities of the four men, who were arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property.

Detectives were tipped off to the burglary on Friday and served three search warrants in Riverside on Monday. They recovered thousands of dollars worth of Tap Out board shorts, sweatshirts and T-shirts, said sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller.

Tap Out's headquarters on Barton Road in Grand Terrace were burglarized earlier this year, with the suspects cutting holes in the roof to gain entrance.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Detective Mario Juanez at (909) 387-3545.


Gramps Adds:

Why wasn't the public asked for help prior to the arrests? Why wasn't this theft significant enough for the Public to have been informed just after it happened.

The City of Grand Terrace not making timely crime information available to its citizens and business owners is an impediment to the investigator and or detective being able to do their work. In addition others were not advised to protect their property and be alert to the potential of a repeated.

The answer provided in the past by the City Council has been we don't want to have a bad reputation.

Fugitive in Grand Terrace child molestations captured

By Melissa Pinion-Whitt

Inland Valley News
Created: 11/20/2009 09:57:33 AM PST


"Genaro Gonzalez has been on the run from law... (San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department)"

A man who fled to Mexico nearly a year ago after molesting three girls in Grand Terrace has been returned to California, sheriff's officials said today.

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies booked Genaro Gonzalez, 39, into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on suspicion of committing lewd and lascivious acts with children under 14-years-old, sheriff's officials said.

Investigators said Gonzalez violently molested three girls between 1999 and 2008. Someone reported the incidents to the Sheriff's Department on Dec. 12. Gonzalez discovered there was an investigation, so he fled California.

Authorities discovered he was hiding in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico. Authorities obtained an international provisional warrant and Mexican authorities arrested him June 12.

Gonzalez was extradited from Mexico to Texas where a U.S. Marshals task force took custody of him. He was flown to Ontario Airport on Nov. 14, interviewed and booked into jail without bail. Authorities placed an immigration hold on him.

Anyone with information may call sheriff's detectives at (909) 387-3545. People wanting to remain anonymous may call WeTip, (800) 78-CRIME.

Read All About It... Stater Bros. Makes GT Deal

Stater Bros. reaches deal on Grand Terrace store
Redlands Daily Facts - Stephen Wall - ‎4 hours ago‎
GRAND TERRACE - Stater Bros. Markets has reached a deal to acquire land for a new supermarket in the city. Jack Brown, chairman of the board and chief ...

Stater Bros. reaches deal on Grand Terrace store
San Bernardino Sun - Stephen Wall - ‎4 hours ago‎
GRAND TERRACE - Stater Bros. Markets has reached a deal to acquire land for a new supermarket in the city. Jack Brown, chairman of the board and chief ...


Now will the City Council Approve a Development that is Done Piecemeal, not all at the same time as they once insisted upon?

And

Will the GT City Redevelopment Agency assist in obtaining a back fill tenant in Stater's Soon to Be Old Location?

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE in GT... Come and See..

Grand Terrace Community Players update :

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

Presented by The Grand Terrace Community Players

Dates : December 6th, 12th and 19th

Times : 2pm and 7 pm

Playing at: Lions Club Community Center Location

22164 Barton Road, Grand Terrace

Phone : (909) 783-0437

Price : $ 5.00 (sold at the door only)

Presented by The Grand Terrace Community Players

In this heart-warming, classic story, George Bailey, grows up in the small town of Bedford Falls, dreaming dreams of adventure and travel, but circumstances conspire to keep him from leaving his home town.

Frustrated by his life, and haunted by an impending scandal, George prepares to commit suicide on Christmas Eve. Rescued by his Guardian Angel, George is shown what life in Bedford Falls would have been like had he never been born.

Finally realizing the richness of his life, he returns back to his reality, where he discovers that the residents of Bedford Falls, all of whom he has affected for the better, have banded together to save him from bankruptcy.

Hope to see all of Grand Terrace turn out for these performances, but with only 108 seats at each performance, tickets are limited !!　


Side Note:
GRAMPS Will be there... will you?

Will it happen in GT?

Citywide layoffs may be brinksmanship with unionized employees
Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 11/13/2009
Newspaper report: libraries closed for rest of fiscal year
Library message: libraries closed "until further notice"

No one in offices on a Friday

Unable to gain concessions from unionized city employees, the small city of Colton, CA, sent nearly 60 employees layoff notices and closed the city’s three library facilities indefinitely as of today. Colton which has about 50,000 people, is located less than three miles from San Bernardino; housing values have dropped 40% in a year.)

While the Contra Costa Times reported that the Colton Public Library Services of two libraries and a homework center—would be closed for the rest of the fiscal year (meaning June 30, 2010), the situation may not be that drastic.

Interim City Manager Bob Miller, whose request for a 15 percent pay cut from employee unions had been rebuffed, said the unions could respond with their final offer by November 17, the newspaper reported. While the city has a $5 million deficit, the layoffs and closings would save only $4 million.

Library messageCallers to the library receive the following message: “Due to recent budget cuts, all library facilities have been closed until further notice. Materials may be returned in the return slots located at each facility. We hope to reopen the libraries as soon as possible.”

Given that city offices in Colton operate on a Monday to Thursday work week, no one was available today to answer questions. The California State Library also has furlo days on the first three Fridays of the month.

Happening in Colton... Is GT Next for a WOOOPS?

From the Email InBox:

Friday, November 13, 2009, 7:38 AM
Was a one minute special on television news last night, on how Colton is shutting down certain city funded things due to no dollars in their budget. Mainly I think they are closing all the libraries and laying off employees.

yep that is what I read in the news this morning...

Their Assistant City Debt Creator is getting laid off with a separation package... The others are just likely to get a handshake and a thank you and perhaps not much more...

The union should have come back with a deal that Management that is paid over 100,000.00 per year take a 30 percent pay cut, People between 100,000, and 50,000 and 20 percent pay cut and the others a 10 percent pay cut... and then chunked the numbers. But hey what do I know?

Oh and Yes Fire the Assistant City Manager for Cause and don't pay him a separation bonus... The Cause, failure to keep the city out of financial trouble. Perhaps even worse reasons should apply. .

When the New City Manager gets on the job in Grand Terrace, she will want to know exactly where the City's Financials are so that none of the Prior Actions of the Schwab/Berry/ Harper and League of California Cities/ and the Real Estate Interests in GT have lead the financal status of GT. Expect to hear of "New" problems the "Council did not know about".

More on City Manager Selection.

Below is the Sentinel's Article about the Selection of the New City Manager.

Green is Gramps Added thoughts and opinions. First of all the Sentinel has once again covered MORE of the STORY... Thanks...

San Bernardino County Sentinel
Friday, November 6, 2009

New GT Manager Forwent $230,000 Management Post in Moreno Valley to Take Blue Mountain City’s $185,000 Job

GRAND TERRACE–In a unanimous vote, the Grand Terrace City Council this week select­ed Betsy Adams, one of Moreno Valley’s current assistant city managers, as the Blue Mountain City’s new city manager.

Adams will take over the reins at City Hall from Bernie Simon, Grand Terrace’s acting city manager, effective December 1.

Adams, 51, has served in the capacity of the second highest ranking municipal manager in Moreno Valley, a city of 180,446 population in Riverside County, since 2005. She has worked in Moreno Valley for 19 years. In her first decade and a half with that city, Adams worked in the capacities of executive secretary, emergency services director, risk management supervisor, the director of technolo­gy services, city spokeswoman, assistant personnel director and the director of administrative services.

Though Simon current­ly heads the municipal op­eration in Grand Terrace, his assignment as city manager is only an inter­im one. He was promoted to the temporary city man­ager’s role in August, suc­ceeding Steve Berry, who was given an ignominious send off following a scan­dal relating to allegations of embezzlement, failure to disclose his income from work he did for a developer in neighboring Loma Linda and an effort to close out the city’s child care service.

Like Simon, Berry never held the permanent city manager’s post, but served in an interim or acting capacity beginning in June 2008, when the last full fledged city man­ager in Grand Terrace, Tom Schwab, was felled by a subdural hematoma. The unflattering revela­tions about Berry that led to his exodus from Grand Terrace in some measure stemmed from the rivalry that ensued after Schwab’s recovery led to his effort to regain his position as city manager in the face of what were perceived as Berry’s ruthless efforts to succeed Schwab on a per­manent basis.

Schwab, who had served as city manager in Grand Terrace since 1989 after a five-year stint as finance director, was only the second city manager in the city’s history. He was preceded by Seth Armstead, who was hired as city manager upon the city’s founding in 1978.

Schwab is no longer with the city, having re­tired in June. Simon will remain with the city as finance director after Ad­ams takes up her position, which pays $185,000 in yearly salary along with nearly $30,000 benefits and deferred compensa­tion.

Schwab had earned only $140,000 per year in base pay with Grand Ter­race, which boasts only 12,500 residents. The council was obliged to es­calate Adam’s pay scale to $185,000 because, More­no Valley officials say, she was considered the front running candidate to re­place Moreno Valley City Manager Robert G. Guti­errez in December. That post would have paid Ad­ams upwards of $230,000 per year.

The City Council should have offered not what Schwab was getting, or in this case more in terms of cash. They should have offered her 10 percent above the average income of a household in Grand Terrace. That would be around 80,000.00.

Tom Schwab was over paid getting a New Car and Perks including the Purchase of A HOUSE.. Schwab was party to the Cover Up of the Berry Criminal Investigation and the Cover Up of the Income Berry earned in Political Activity that could have impacted Grand Terrace Policy.

Adams applied for the Grand Terrace job in July, well before Gutierrez an­nounced in September that he would retire in December, after his hand was forced by the filing of criminal charges against him by the San Bernardino County district attorney relating to allegations he had stalked and harassed a former girlfriend.

Adams was one of 36 who applied for the posi­tion. Among those 36 was her colleague in Moreno Valley Rick Hartmann, who also carries the title of assistant city manager. It now appears that Hart­mann will succeed Guti­errez in December.

New GT Manager Forwent $230,000 Management Post in Moreno Valley to Take Blue Mountain City’s $185,000 Job

Efforts to reach Adams at Moreno Valley City Hall this week were un­successful.

She may be a Great City Manager. Her education and past work experience proves hopeful. IF she is, she would be the first to renegotiate a contract that is reasonable for the City and the size of the job. Not what she would be paid in a much larger city. This would show true character which could be respected. Our community is doing without Youth Programs for 13 to 18 year olds. Our community has a troubled job market. Our community needs jobs that will provide sufficient income to live in this community. Having an over paid City Manager has not resolved any of these problems in the past.

There should have been a bidding war with the cost going down not UP... Many of our citizens have had their incomes cut in half, or worse laid off.

More "Retirements" in MoVal... related to GT?

Moreno Valley Finance Director Steve Elam is the latest at MoVal City Hall to resign. Elam is retiring next month after 23 years in local government. Elam joins City Manager Robert Gutierrez and his assistant Betsy Adams to take the exit door.

Do you see a pattern here?

Looks likes Rats are leaving the Good Ship MoVal... Have we hired the Rat or the Exterminator?

Will we read next the Team of Schwab and Berry will replace Gutierrez and Adams?

Grand Terrace Citizen Arrested for DUI

Pursuit ends in Highland
By Charles Roberts
Published: Monday, November 2, 2009 5:40 PM CST

Rialto police chased a suspect into Highland Friday night, Oct. 30, where the suspect car crashed on Nye Street.

Rialto Police Sgt. Richard Royce said the pursuit began when Thai Duang, 37, of Grand Terrace blew a DUI checkpoint at about 8:30 p.m.

Rialto units chased the black Honda through Rialto, Fontana and San Bernardino before the pursuit ended in the 7400 block of Nye Street in Highland.Royce said Duang fled the crash scene on foot, but was captured a short time later.

Duang was booked into West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of felony evading and driving under the influence, among numerous other traffic violations.

Justice Delayed for Jim Miller...

Justice for Jim Miller is being pushed further down the Court Calandar. His term as a City Council Member may well expire befor the case is heard.

This trial also affects the Citizens of Grand Terrace and the Public Trial and that which will be testified to in court could well affect the lives of the Millers and the Political Carears of several other Council Members. The results of the trial may even result in further criminal charges levied against others formerly or currently in City Management.

So it may be acceptable to James Miller the trial date being shoved further and further down the road... It should not be acceptable to the Citizens of Grand Terrace as it delays the needed debreading of the puss filled infection of the past City Management, and yes Council Complanciancy if not Collusion with the actions of Steve Berry and Tom Schwab.

If the DA's Office is the delay of the Miller Trial, Shame on Him for not charging Berry/Schwab for their part in the Miller situation, and the other criminal activity that Berry/Schwab have addmittedt to in the Press relating to the Embezzelment Investigation and Coverup.

Below is the Court Report on Nov 3 Court Date for James Miller:

Case FSB902916 Defendant 3210349 MILLER, JAMES THOMAS

Action: DISPO/RESET
Date: 11/03/2009

Time: 8:30 AM

Division: S21
Hearing Status: DISPOSED
DOUGLAS M ELWELL
CLERK: CS3-CHRISTINE SPENCER
CERTIFIED COURT REPORTER: LJ-LISA JELKE CSR# LJ-10643
BAILIFF K WOODFORD
-
APPEARANCES
DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY J GORITZ PRESENT.
ATTORNEY (RT) RICHARD EWANISZYK PRESENT.
DEFENDANT PRESENT NOT IN CUSTODY.
-
PROCEEDINGS
ACTION COMES ON FOR DISPO/RESET
-
HEARINGS
DISPO/RESET HEARING SET ON 12/17/2009 AT 8:30 IN DEPT S21
DEFENDANT ORDERED TO APPEAR ON HEARING DATE.
-
TIME WAIVERS
DEFENDANT WAIVES HIS/HER RIGHT TO A PRELIMINARY HEARING WITHIN 10 COURT DAYS AND 60 CALENDAR DAYS UNDER PC859B AND 60 DAYS BEYOND 12/17/2009.
DEFENDANT WAIVES TIME FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING TO 02/16/2010.
-
CUSTODY STATUS
CURRENT BAIL BOND CONTINUED.
CASE CUSTODY - BAIL BOND
============= MINUTE ORDER END ================
TIME RUNS ON 02/16/2010.

More on the New City Manager and How the Council Works?

This will be a review in article..
THE PRESS MISSES THE POINTS AGAIN.

Grand Terrace hires new city manager
01:25 AM PST on Wednesday, November 4, 2009
By DARRELL R. SANTSCHI
The Press-Enterprise

The Grand Terrace City Council on Tuesday ended its three-month search for a city manager, hiring Moreno Valley's assistant city manager on a four-year contract.

"This is the most important decision we have ever made," Grand Terrace Mayor Maryetta Ferre said after the council voted 5-0 to hire Betsy M. Adams, 51, who lives in Redlands.

The Mayor and Council should had the same level of "Importance" to each time they continued Tom Schwab's contract without looking for a replacement. Their continued employment of Steve Berry for 1 day after his Criminal Investigation and Coverup was brought to the attention of the Council. MONTHS PRIOR TO IT HITTING THE PRESS.. These Decisions were Important and they clearly Decided WRONG. The Decision to go against Public Interest and Desires and placing the Senior Center and Housing, in a remote location rather than Down Town is a Big Decision... Mayor Ferre suggest untill the #()@! hit the fan the Council hasn't been taking their jobs serriously.

City Attorney John Harper told council members that the 37 applicants for the post represented "a lot of terrific candidates and a lot of terrific interviews."

Adams will be paid $185,000 a year to start, and will receive a $500-a-month car allowance, a $15,000 life insurance policy, group health insurance and two weeks of annual administrative leave. She will be eligible for city-paid retirement contributions, vacation and sick leave.

Adams has said she will be looking into the budget. Perhaps her first move will be to reduce her own income and use those funds to hire a cook for the Child Care Center. Or perhaps provide Medical Insurance for Part Time Employees.

Her contract includes a clause that requires the city to pay her six months' salary if she is terminated without cause. She starts work Dec. 1.

This is a standard clause. She has little to fear. This city had plenty of Cause to Fire both Tom Schwab and Steve Berry but their reviews were always possitive and their employment continued with increased cost to the city. However, if some Council Member doesn't like what she is doing she may find the DA's Office After Her...

Adams replaces Tom Schwab, who retired June 30 after a year-long medical leave. Finance Director Bernie Simon has been acting city manager since July 28.

Tom Schwab: Retired after it was clear he had covered up a criminal investigation of Steve Berry and that the release of that information in the press did not help his own job prospects with the city or elswhere.

Adams has worked for the city of Moreno Valley 19 years, including two years as administrative services director and the last five years as assistant city manager.

Grand Terrace council members noted her long service to the Riverside County city.

"It's wonderful that you have all those years in Moreno Valley," Councilwoman Bea Cortes told her at the meeting. "I hope you will have even more years in Grand Terrace."

Bea Cortez's idea that the council should select a City Manager that is corrinated King or Queen for 20 years is wrong thinking. City Managers are contracted for 4 years and each time there should be a real evaluation of that City Manager and Other Applicants for the Job. Including reduction of cost to the city for the services required.

Adams said she decided to leave Moreno Valley because "Grand Terrace is going to give me the opportunity to become a city manager."

What is it about her that Moreno Valley doesn't like? Her City Manager is about to retire... She is not being selected as the replacement. There may be nothing... However this would be a question to ask. Kind of like why Steve Berry was looking for a job with the city just months after joining the PE's Internet Services?

She said she considers Grand Terrace "a very special community" where residents are quick to volunteer.

Reach Darrell R. Santschi at 951-368-9484 or dsantschi@PE.com


Grand Terrace hires city manager
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/03/2009 05:44:41 PM PST

GRAND TERRACE - Ushering in a new era, the City Council on Tuesday unanimously selected Betsy M. Adams as the new city manager.


Adams, a 51-year-old Redlands resident, was chosen to help bring a fresh perspective to the city of 12,500 residents that was rocked by a scandal that brought down former acting City Manager Steve Berry. AND City Manager Tom Schwab.

"She has that demeanor, that style, that will promote healing," said Councilman Walt Stanckiewitz.

Let's hope she is all business, tells the truth, and stops going nuts with RDA Actions and Micro Management of Citizens Lives.

Adams becomes only the third city manager in Grand Terrace's 31-year history.

"This is a very historic time within the city of Grand Terrace," Mayor Maryetta Ferre said before introducing Adams.

It is Historic: They actually had full application and selection process. They hired a woman who we may presume would not be subject to flirtations. They hired some one with experience other that the way things work in Grand Terrace.

Adams has worked for the city of Moreno Valley for 19 years, the last four as assistant city manager. She begins her new job Dec. 1.

"That you selected me is truly the honor of my career," she told the council.

Q: Why wans't MV going to give her the job of City Manager? Did she apply or was the commute shorter? Pay better? Less work? We are a small town, and should pay less than MV..

Council members said Adams' administrative experience set her apart from the 36 other applicants who sought the position.

"I think you bring a lot of education and skills that we really need here so we can have a new beginning," said Councilman Jim Miller.

Ya Think? Why did it take so long to understand this. Every 4 year contract the council renewed or extended was a lost opportunity to get a better City Manager..

Adams' four-year contract will pay her $185,000 a year, plus a $500 monthly auto allowance, as well as health insurance and other benefits.

Quite a heavy budget item... Lets see if her budget cuts start with her own income first.

After the meeting, Adams said her first order of business is to meet with each employee "to get an opportunity to understand the organization."

Adams' hiring comes about three months after the council removed Berry from the job after allegations surfaced of the cover-up of possible crimes involving Berry and a work-release inmate in 2002.

The Cover-up involved actions of Tom Schwab, a couple of Sheriff Detectives and Investigators, and possibly all or some of the City Council and City Staff. The DA's Office has yet to file charges on this even after being spoon feed the case against Jim Miller by Steve Berry supported by Bea Cortez.

stephen.wall@inlandnewspapers.com, (909) 386-3916

Why MV City Manager is Leaveing?
Case MWV903677
Defendant 3216834

GUTIERREZ, ROBERT GREGORY - Actions and Minutes
11/16/2009 8:30 AM DEPT. R20

July 22, 2009
Rob Gutierrez

San Bernardino County prosecutors charged Moreno Valley's city manager, Robert Gutierrez, with seven misdemeanors on Tuesday.

The charges contend that he harassed and spied on his ex-girlfriend. Reportedly, San Bernardino County Supervising District Attorney David Hidalgo stated that Gutierrez was charged with three counts of making harassing phone calls, two counts of unlawful computer access and fraud and two counts of identity theft related to accessing phone records.

Assistant City Manager Betsy Adams had no comment on the charges and said that her and other city officials they will continue with “work as usual.”

When asked if either her office or the city as a whole had any formal comment on the issue, Adams stated that they did not.

It is uncertain if the city has certain legal protocol for situations such as this with city employees. After several attempts to reach City Attorney Robert Herrick, he did not immediately respond.

In an interview with the The Press-Enterprise, Moreno Valley Mayor Richard Stewart said Gutierrez will continue his duties as city manager. Stewart told the newspaper, “The bottom line is, like everyone, Mr. Gutierrez is innocent until proven guilty.

This entire incident revolved around a lady that is an employee with the city of Upland. As I understand, there's a lot more of it than has been made public. When it comes out we'll get a different take on it.

" Gutierrez has served as city manager for Moreno Valley for three-and-a-half years.

Gutierrez will appear in court for a September eighth arraignment in Rancho Cucamonga and could face six months in county jail on each of the harassment charges. Furthermore, he could potentially see up to a year on each of the other charges, although sentences for some of the charges could be served at the same time.

Gutierrez was unavailable for comment.

Andrew Carico can be reached at
acarico@publicceo.com

High Speed Rail Email Report..

To Paww...

Went to the SB area confirence on the proposed High Speed Rail proposal from San Diego to Los Angeles that was held at SB downtown library on afternoon of third.

The confirence was only a very preliminary one. The folks were there with their stand up billboards and video to discuss and make sure to contain elements of concern in to a new document then about to be prepared.

I found that zero estimates of cost had been made up, but glowing terms were freely being used. - - Their main point was that if approved today, the document would take the team until about 2013 to complete and get approved. A long time away.

We will have new governor and new rules by then. The current governor announced last week on television a 4.8 billion dollar appropriation of the Los Angeles to San Francisco route along the established coast route. Taxes can thus be added to certain taxpayers along the route each year to fund this, as it overall benefits them more than others statewide. (see a trend in this?)

Zero has been appropriated as for constructon to an inland empire route between San Diego and Los Angeles. But, seems since posting the material at this blog site a week or two ago, things have changed. Not everyone got a card in the mail, but Corona with all of it's population is now going to be on a branch line.

The talk of stopping off in Murrietta, Pomona, Ontario, or Moreno Valley etc. have been eliminated, and now talk is of stopping off in downtown Riverside only on the route from San Diego to Los Angeles. The stop off in San Bernardino is in doubt.

The intermediate stations en route have all been eliminated for they expect that traveling the route will be done in less than one hour.

They have no technology (like the Condorde had some time ago) but the tracks (the mag-lev idea was a pipe dream due to grades) will have overhead electric wires and the train will run on conventional rails. They will be regenerated and fed via power plants up and down the area from San Diego to Los Angeles.

Cost of project is not in billions, but closer to a zillion dollars (minus the environmental report). First trains in about 2040 provided the legislature, the governor and the voters approve it and the new power plants. But as mentioned only a couple of stops en route ought to make the trains fly through GT easily.

Watch out for that turn at Oceanside.... Call in from S.D that a train is en route ought to stop all traffic at grade crossings for 100 miles while we wait for the San Diegans to pass by going to Los Angeles. Question being is what happened to the idea of running trains to Las Vegas?

PAW Suggests:

Perhaps a study on Electric or Hydrogen Powered Bus Services and Free Ridership for 10 years... to encourage Public use of Public Transportation... would be less expencive.

Suspected Drug House in Grand Terrace Busted..

Man busted for running drug house in Grand Terrace

By Stacia Glenn
Posted: 11/02/2009 04:34:55 PM PST

A Grand Terrace man believed to be operating a drug house was taken into custody today, officials said.

Sheriff's deputies served a search warrant at the home of Lance Avery after several people reported that methamphetamine was being sold in the Pascal Avenue home.

Drug paraphernalia was discovered inside the house, deputies said.

Avery, 47, was booked at Central Detention Center in San Bernardino on suspicion of operating a drug house and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

Anyone with information on drugs being sold out of Avery's home is asked to call deputies at (909) 387-3545.


Gramps Adds:

Good work folks and deputies. It is important to remove this type of business from GT. Perhaps the city should file charges against him for not having a home business license and paying city taxes. If the house was a rental then the landloard should be charged a fine for a Code Violation of Rental of a Home to a Business perhaps... This is a case where maximum code enforcement should be used.

From Sun Telegram and Press Ent.

Moreno Valley administrator accepts Grand Terrace job

10:00 PM PST on Monday, November 2, 2009
By ERIN WALDNER and DARRELL R. SANTSCHI

The Press-Enterprise Moreno Valley's assistant city manager is the new city manager in Grand Terrace, pending approval.The Grand Terrace City Council is scheduled to vote on Betsy M. Adams' appointment at 4 p.m. today.

She has accepted the position, according to a news release from Moreno Valley.

The council has been interviewing finalists from 37 applicants for the job. Adams would replace Tom Schwab, who retired June 30 after a yearlong medical leave. Finance Director Bernie Simon has been acting city managersince July 28.

Adams' last day in Moreno Valley is Nov. 30. Her departure will precedethat of Moreno Valley City Manager Robert G. Gutierrez, who announced in September that he is retiring by Dec. 26.

Adams' initial contract with Grand Terrace is for four years. She will receive an annual salary of $185,000, according to the agreement.

She has worked for Moreno Valley for 19 years, the past five as assistant city manager, the news release stated. The Grand Terrace council will meet in its chambers at 22795 Barton Road.

Note Added: No mention of Steve Berry and his removal, or the Tom Schwab connection to the Criminal Investigation Cover Up an issue that ended both of their jobs. The Press has always glossed over GT News and shown particular favor to Steve Berry a former employee of the PE in it's Online Services Division..

Grand Terrace to name city manager

Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/02/2009 04:11:16 PM PST

GRAND TERRACE - The City Council is expected to appoint a new city manager at a special meeting today. Betsy M. Adams, Moreno Valley's assistant city manager, is set to become the city's chief executive.

The council is likely to ratify Adams' contract at the 4 p.m. meeting. She is scheduled to start her new job Dec. 1.

Adams said she is looking forward to the move from Moreno Valley to Grand Terrace. Moreno Valley is Riverside County's second most populous city with 186,000 residents, while Grand Terrace is the third smallest city in San Bernardino County with 12,500 residents.

"I think Grand Terrace is a wonderful community," Adams, a 51-year-old Redlands resident, said Monday. "It's a smaller town. You've got residents who are engaged in the community, a real sense of people that volunteer and great community pride."

Adams' proposed four-year contract calls for a $185,000 annual salary, plus a $500 per month auto allowance, as well as health insurance and other benefits.

Adams has worked for Moreno Valley for 19 years, the last four as assistant city manager. She previously served as administrative services director, along with stints in human resources, media and communications, technology services, volunteer/disaster services and risk management.

"What I've been focused on the most in Moreno Valley is the budget, which is a challenge for many cities," Adams said. "That's an area I plan to look at closely when I get to Grand Terrace."

If confirmed, Adams would be only the third city manager in Grand Terrace's 31-year history. Seth Armstead and Tom Schwab were the two previous city managers.

"I've made a commitment to Grand Terrace," Adams said. "I plan to be there a long time."
Adams was one of 37 applicants for the position, which has been held on an interim basis by Finance Director Bernie Simon. The council narrowed the list to six finalists who were interviewed for the post.

Simon replaced former acting City Manager Steve Berry, who lost his job in July following the disclosure of a cover-up of possible crimes involving Berry and a county work release inmate several years ago.

According to sheriff's reports, Berry was suspected of having the inmate, John Carranza, and employees from his window tinting business tint the windows of city buildings and Berry's personal vehicle in 2002 for profit when Carranza was supposed to be performing community service.

While Berry was never charged with a crime or disciplined, the outcry that erupted when the incident became public this year ultimately led to his dismissal.

Berry took over the job from Schwab, who retired in June, one year after suffering a brain injury and going on medical leave.

stephen.wall@inlandnewspapers.com, (909) 386-3916

Added Note: Tom Schwab was also party to the Criminal Investigation Cover-up.

From Inland Valley News:

MoVal official to become Grand Terrace City Manager

MORENO VALLEY – Assistant City Manager Betsy Adams is leaving City Hall. She has accepted the job of city manager in Grand Terrace and will leave at the end of the month. The City Council will formally make the appointment Tuesday. Ms. Adams will precede the exit of MoVal City Manager Robert Gutierrez who retires December 25th. Ms. Adams began her career in Moreno Valley in 1990 and worked as Gutierrez assistant for the past five years. (INT)

Story Date: November 2, 2009

More interesting Info on New City Manager...

Also Note: Moreno Valley City Manager Robert G. Gutierrez has announced his retirement from Moreno Valley after a 4 year term....


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 15, 2006
CONTACT: Media and Communications951.413.3053
Assistant City Manager appointed

Moreno Valley City Manager Robert G. Gutierrez has appointed Betsy M. Adams as Assistant City Manager. Adams has served in the position in an interim capacity for over a year. As Adams assumes the permanent appointment, she will continue to assist the City Manager in several key areas, including overseeing day-to-day operations, policy development and administration, employee and labor relations, legislative advocacy, public safety contract administration, budget review and facilities coordination. Adams may also serve as Acting City Manager in Gutierrez’s absence.

“The depth and range of Betsy’s experience and the skill with which she executes her duties make her an excellent choice for this position,” Gutierrez said. “She demonstrates a keen understanding of the complexities of local government and is an effective, knowledgeable leader. We are fortunate to have her on our team,” he said.

Adams began her career with the City of Moreno Valley nearly 16 years ago in the Finance Department’s Purchasing Division. Over the years, she has worked in several areas of the organization, including Human Resources, Media and Communications, Technology Services, Volunteer/Disaster Services and Risk Management.

Prior to her appointment, Adams served as Administrative Services Director.In addition to her duties at City Hall, Adams is on the Board of Directors of Visterra Credit Union and a member of the Legislative Action Committee of the Moreno Valley Chamber of Commerce. Adams has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a Masters of Business Administration, both from Cal Poly Pomona.

From the Email InBox:

Betsy M. Adams to be new GT City Manager for 185,000 and $500 car allowance plus benefits.

She comes from Moreno Valley where she was Assistant City Manager.

I cannot believe how much they pay the City Manager.

We are such a small city

Q: Where does the money come from?


A: The money comes from the good old tax payer. That would be you.. It comes from the "General Funds" and from Money Skimmed off of RDA FUNDS "AKA DEBT LOANS" and Real Estate Speculations by the City's RDA. as a portion of the cost for the City Manager is for the function of the RDA Director/Manager.

Where is the City on Health Care for Part Time Employees?

From the Email In Box:

Gramps, the City Council Members get Health Care Coverage and they work part time.

My question is are the City's Part Time Employees covered by Medical / Health Care Insurance at the same level?


Answer:

I don't know all the facts however, I have read job announcements that indicate that some Part Time Employees are not covered, and some have a larger contribution for the insurance if they opt in to a insurance plan the city only covers a portion of the coverage.

Is this fair.. No... it is an example of a elitist attitude that the Management Deserves better health than the workers. I can not think of a time where the opposite is more true. The people who work as crossing guards, child care and other "Part Time" Exempt jobs in the city, are more exposed to flu and colds and other medical risks in their jobs than the Council Members. They should be covered long before the City Council Members.

Reminders

Holloween Haunt Oct 30

Council Member Jim Miller returns to Court Nov 3, to face Conflict of Interest Charges in the San Bernardino County Superior Court in front of Judge Douglas Elwell.

Woman's Club Hamburger Cookout and GT City's Country Fair Nov 7th.

It is not know yet if Steve Berry or Tom Schwab will face criminal charges for their part in the coverup of a criminal investagation, fraud and possible other crimes.

City will Sell off Future I1 Funds as Debt Bonds.

On the City Council Agenda Tonight...

This idea to get Bonded Debts for Future Receipts is not a sound practice and it does not come at zero cost. The cost or premium for getting the money now will be paid in a fee or interest. Fees to pay some one to sell the bonds, interest to the holders, and a premium if the I1 funds are over estimated by the City in the First Place.

There should be extraordinary reasons for borrowing or in this case Selling our Right to Future Funds. I do not find sufficient justification for such financial trickery. In addition the City Attorney should not be the agent selling the bonds or be compensated in anyway with regards to this transaction.

Other things in the agenda specifically the check register still needs clarification.

First of all a normal family check register has records of Deposits from where the contributions to the pool of funds come from. No such accountability is made visible to the citizens or the City Council in their Council Packets.

Second: CalPERS is being paid for Council Members however there is no Charge to Department 110 for Retirement. Citizens should know the Benefits and Stipends paid to each Council Seat. It looks as if a council member receives $600.00 only. How much should be added for Medical Insurance and Retirement Fund that the city is paying for? If this amount is known perhaps a wider pool of candidates would run for the council in the future.

Third: The Senior Centers Kitchen. Who is responsible is important when an 80,000.00 fix is required.

The Corp for Better Housing. "Professionals" submitted designs and a contract that the City Council Approved. Was the kitchen they built the same as in the approved designs and contracts?

If it was, then they are not responsible.

If the Planning Department, and City Council Approved the design and contract then the Fault is within City Hall and the "Professionals" there in. Perhaps their incomes for the next 20 years could be reduced by 10 percent to repay the error.

IF the Builder got a Change order that did not comply with contract change requirements for approvals then the Builder and the Persons making the changes should be held financially responsible for the Contractual Breaches and Transgression of Authority. Such actions may even cross over into an issue of Fraud. Any Authorization to build less than contracted for is a theft of a sort. The person approving that theft or fraud should be held in account.

This is a PUBLIC ISSUE and what is known should be On The Record and dealt with in the courts if needed. That is a big chunk of boo boo to fix up and sweep under the rug. $ 80,000.00 do over funds could have gone a long way for other uses. This money may be available, but think of what is not being done because the kitchen needs to be re done. Some thing is being neglected because of the types of Professional Management the City of Grand Terrace has allowed to provide the oversight to the building of the Senior Center and Senior Housing.

In conclusion.

The Traffic Flow on Grand Terrace Road, and putting no parking on the North Side of the Street across from the Park is further evidence that the Park is not for Public Use. The Development Fees and Plans should have provided for making the road wider or put in parking turn out where the Orange Trees Were Planted... The "Professionals" in City Hall fought the public concerns over traffic, ignored the concerns of the court, and went right on with the cheep construction plan. Red Curbs and No Parking Signs do not indicate a Friendly City. Visitors and Residents are offended by all the RED Curbs... covering poor traffic and park use planning.

Arrests of Interest

19-year-old in custody for Riverside graffiti vandalism

Special to the Valley News
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009. Issue 43, Volume 9.

RIVERSIDE - A 19-year-old suspected of repeated acts of graffiti vandalism in and around Riverside, causing thousands of dollars in damage, was in custody today.


Alex Villa, of Riverside, was arrested Sunday during a tagging investigation in the area of Chicago Avenue and Massachusetts Street in Riverside, authorities said.

Passers-by spotted two men spray-painting a wall along Interstate 215 and called police, said Riverside police Sgt. Mark Rossi. Responding officers stopped Villa and an associate, who was not identified, walking away from the scene, according to Rossi.


A search of Villa uncovered graffiti implements which Rossi said tied the suspect to "graffiti found on advertising signs, railroad crossing arms and city-owned electrical boxes" in Riverside, Grand Terrace and Highgrove, as well as all over the 60/91/215 Interchange.

"It is estimated that Alex Villa caused approximately $8,000 in damages to the local freeways, $4,000 to railroad property, $5,000 to local billboard advertisers and $3,000 to the city of Riverside and some local businesses," said Rossi.


Villa was booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on multiple allegations of felony and misdemeanor vandalism. He is being held in lieu of $5,000 bail.


latimes.com

52 children rescued in nationwide sex-trafficking raid

Federal officials arrest almost 700, including 60 pimps, in a three-day crackdown on child prostitution. The youngest victim was 10, authorities say. Two children are rescued in Riverside.

By Joe Markman


This is a report about Riverside Arrests however these arrests only scratch the surface of the Child Prostitution Problem in the USA. Yes it could happen right here in Grand Terrace. Please be alert to this problem where ever you are. Gramps..

From the Sentinel: In the NEWS...

San Bernardino County Sentinel
Friday, October 23, 2009

GT to Name New CM as Early as October 27

GRAND TERRACE— Neither of the two appli­cants for the Grand Ter­race city manager’s post who are currently em­ployed by the city will get the job, the Sentinel has learned.

Rather, one of the thirty-five others who sought the job will get the nod, perhaps as early as October 27.

Both Bernie Simon, who is Grand Terrace’s finance director, and Joyce Powers, the city’s community and econom­ic development director, turned in applications.

They are not among the six finalists who have been interviewed by the city council since Octo­ber 3.

The original 37 can­didates were winnowed down to 12 by Septem­ber. As of the middle of this month, that number had been cut in half.

The final choice will assume the permanent city manager’s position last officially held by Tom Schwab, who was forced out of the employ of the city in June. He had been beset by a medical con­dition in June 2008, and was succeeded by Steve Berry, the assistant city manager, who served in the capacity of act­ing city man­ager until July. Berry was terminated by the city council in July af­ter a series of revela­tions pertaining to his involvement in several questionable activities over the years.

Bernie Simon, the city’s finance director, was designated to serve as acting city manager following Berry’s de­parture. He applied for the permanent city manager’s appointment, but, according to city attorney John Harper, neither Simon nor Pow­ers was selected to join the final candidates now being considered by the city council. It is antici­pated that both Simon and Powers will remain in their roles as finance director and director of community and eco­nomic development, respectively, when the new city manager as­sumes the city’s helm.

Several of the candi­dates under consider­ation for city manager have experience in mu­nicipalities much larger than Grand Terrace, which boasts fewer than 13,000 residents currently. One of the candidates previously worked as city manag­er in a city of 500,000 population.

Also in the Sentinel:
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High Speed Rail in the Snail Mail / Email Again...

Gramps:

Back about end of September I got in the mail an invite to complain about new High Speed Rail running through GT.

Received another one today in the mail.

Speaking with my neighbors, they say they are all for it.

However when you tell then it will buzz by w/o stopping, then the tune changes. How can they then?

They thought we were on the route and going to get a depot?

Then they ask how much is this going to cost me?

Gramp notes: High Speed Rail is an interesting technology. Some are less noise than the current trains chugging by your house. Design and type of equipment is a question that needs to be asked. In addition pedestrian and auto traffic should be an issue. Most plans either have the tracks elevated over crossings. It is quite a splat when these trains bump into something or go off the rail path. Again a good question as to design and safety.

High Speed Rail is not Metro Link. However, there being a stop near by or not is also a good question due to the real fact that most households in Grand Terrace and Highgrove send at least one member out onto the freeway commute to work every day. Improved Public Transportation is needed. There are some less costly ways and than others.

You bet I support the Metro Link Stop in Highgrove or some where closer than Riverside or San Bernardino. It stops in Clairmont and Montclair just minutes apart on the Sbdno/LA run... so why the bad service to Orange County? Having a stop in Highgrove or even Colton would save time and relieve parking at the other station stops.

Now the real reason for the High Speed train is to load Californians and their money up and take them to Nevada to Las Vegas to empty their pockets there rather than in California. This train is designed to suck money and taxes right out of California. It is not intended for daily commuter use. It will be too costly to ride on a daily basis.

I think Local Jobs, are better than long commutes. Move products not employees and you gain in sustainability of a community and improve the environment. I think improving current systems Metro Link should trump High Speed Rail. We move fast enough now... Slow down and enjoy California.

Grand Terrace close to naming new city manager
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 10/18/2009 07:07:04 AM PDT


GRAND TERRACE - The city is nearing the finish line in its search for a new chief executive.
The City Council has had three closed-door meetings in the past two weeks to interview a half-dozen finalists for the position.

Thirty-seven people turned in applications for the job. Council members received a list of about a dozen candidates who met the minimum qualifications and graded them. Those who got the best scores were called in for interviews.

City Attorney John Harper said the council is scheduled to discuss the issue again in closed session Oct. 27 and could make a decision "in the next few weeks."

"They are all excellent, top-notch people," Harper said. "I think the council and the community will be very happy with whoever is selected."

The council is seeking to find a replacement for former City Manager Tom Schwab, who retired this summer. Schwab suffered a traumatic brain injury in June 2008 and went on medical leave.
Steve Berry became acting city manager in Schwab's absence, but the council fired him in July after news reports revealed a cover-up of possible crimes several years ago.

Added Note: Berry was let go after his Assistant City Manager Job was eliminated due to budget cuts. Or so the City Council Said. He was eliminated only after he was instrumental in the public arrest of the Council Member not supporting his promotion to City Manager, Jim Miller's trial is still pending. No one has heard of Steve Berry or his potential criminal charges being advanced.

Berry was suspected of embezzling city funds and filing false records in connection with a window-tinting scandal involving a county work release inmate in 2002, according to sheriff's reports. Berry was assistant city manager at the time.

Berry was never disciplined or charged with a crime, but the disclosure of the incident sparked a public outcry.

Finance Director Bernie Simon was named acting city manager following Berry's dismissal.

The council is only considering people who don't work for the city as candidates for the permanent position.

Councilman Walt Stanckiewitz said he is pleased with how the selection process is going.
"The candidates that we have interviewed are way beyond what I thought we would see," he said. "I've been very impressed with the people we've talked to."

When "Good Press" Hurts.

We received the following email:

Read story on front page of GT News that the Lions Club breakfast was sort of a huge success, or "Something to Remember".

Before I saw it, and talked to three residents and all said attendance was down. Previous years it was taking a slide, so owners gave the usual Sunday date to another group. If I read this article correctly, it makes it appear as to if the attendance was BIG. Not smaller than any previous years.

For now, one Lions club member said that next year may be the last one. They did not loose any money, but sure did not make up what they thought was to be gained.

Why then, maybe if they charged $1000 per meal all they got to do is sell one to make a profit. As similar to the GT days event at the park once reported upon, the city is not looking in to obtaining a whole bunch of folks, but just the few biggie ones. The GT reporter is not telling all of the truth, but is not lying either.

Ifn' you aim the camera thissa way and crop the picture thatta way, it looks like you got a whole bunch of people present, then the readers missed out on something special, and....

Much thought was given prior to posting this email: Here is the thinking it triggered.

The Press or News coverage does not help when it glosses over the levels of participation. A reader may conclude that there was a big bunch of people and that the next event doesn't need their participation.

The Lions Pancake Breakfast is not only a money earner for their charity work it is also a community social event intended to bind relationships and bring neighbors together. The email writers suggestion of charging more per plate may be a funny math on fund raising economics. However, the gathering of neighbors and friends for a community meal is priceless.

So to the Press: Tell about the event AHEAD of the EVENT... and Encourage Participation. After the Event.... Please tell it like it was. More people could have enjoyed the breakfast, come on down for the next event... Put it on your family calendars. The Grand Terrace City News / Margie Miller was offering a 2/1 ticket if you visited the office. The Press and the Sun Telegram reported? How about a Pre Event Picture of a Full Plate and a price tag... saying this meal if for YOU...

So to the Lions: Keep the ticket price down, and have a tip jar for those of us who would contribute more to your efforts.

So to the Citizens of Grand Terrace: Bring your family, or make a commitment for your block to all meet at one time and bring the kids, and have a meal all together and the Lions do the cooking and clean up... Make a family day of it after eating head out to the park and walk off the breakfast or perhaps have a litter walk home... picking up trash on the way home.

Finally:

The press coverage in Grand Terrace has consistently been cast behind a set of Rosy glasses for one reason or another. It is OK to report the news as it IS... and identify where improvements can be made. Ask the Hard Questions. Stop painting over termite infested wood.

Fact is that the Citizens of Grand Terrace are hurting from the Economic Down Turn. Houses are empty or in foreclosure. Employment has dropped, and people finding replacement jobs are taking large income cuts. The Clubs and City Government should all respect and plan on these factors in their event planning.

Is there support for future pancake breakfasts. Perhaps so... but not all activities should be bunched together in the fall. GT' Days, Fireman's PanCake Breakfast, Lions Breakfast, and Halloween Haunt, Country Fair and Woman's Club Hamburger Grill. One could suggest that some of these activities be spread out on the calendar a bit. Perhaps there could be a tie in activity that would increase participation. For example, a pancake breakfast served to people waiting in the dump day line... Deliver pancake meals at the bus stop... a flap jack drive up.

Some of the overload was caused by the GT Days being held in fall rather than spring. Events are good... Collaboration between groups can help improve every events success and participation rates.

Hang in there Lions, and Women's Club, and the GT Days Group, and the GT Community Players, and the Youth Sports Teams... and all other public community groups out there... Your work is needed in the communities you serve. Let people know there is more room at the table, you may be pleased with who may show up. Reporting that there was a full house keeps participants away.

More on the High Speed Rail... and Grand Terrace

Public hearings to discuss high-speed rail in Riverside County
Desert Sun Wire services • October 12, 2009

http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091012/NEWS01/91012002

Public hearings will be held in Riverside County this month as state officials take comments on proposed routes for the southernmost leg of California's proposed $40 billion high-speed train network.

The state plans to route 220 mile-per-hour trains from Los Angeles through the Inland Empire to San Diego, with proposed stations in the eastern San Gabriel Valley near Diamond Bar, at Ontario International Airport, in downtown Riverside near the UC Riverside campus, and near the 15/215 split in the Temecula Valley city of Murrieta.

But several alternative plans are pencilled in for the Inland Empire, with one plan bypassing Riverside entirely by instead going directly south down Interstate 15 from Ontario to Murrieta. Another plan would loop the tracks all the way northeast into a proposed station in downtown San Bernardino.Several plans are also up in the air for bringing the tracks from alongside the San Bernardino (10) Freeway at Colton into Riverside near the UC campus.

The 220-mph trains through the Inland Empire would bypass the crowded Amtrak and Coaster tracks along the beaches of Orange and San Diego counties, and would place Riverside County as an important link in a proposed rail network stretching on through Los Angeles, Lancaster and the San Joaquin Valley to San Francisco and Sacramento.One tentative map for the Inland Empire shows the tracks would be at grade level from Ontario Airport east along the 10 Freeway past Colton, then curve southward on elevated tracks to Grand Terrace.Under that plan, the tracks would either be at grade level or elevated along Interstate 215 through Riverside, then cross Moreno Valley, Perris and the Temecula Valley.

Most of that route would be at grade level along or in the middle of the freeway, although some sections would be elevated, the state's tentative map shows.Three alternatives exist for crossing the San Gabriel Valley and approaching Los Angeles Union Station: either next to, above or in the middle of the San Bernardino (10) or Pomona (60) freeways, or along the existing Union Pacific tracks through Industry, Pico Rivera, MontebelloTo the south, the tracks would head south above Interstate 15 to Escondido, zigzag west to the La Jolla and end at downtown San Diego. At the request of San Diego officials, a major transportation interchange point at near-capacity Lindbergh Field may be added.

The hearings start in San Diego County this week, and will take public testimony on the proposed routes, as the state hears evidence on what issues and alternative routes must be studied during the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement.All of the hearings are from 3-7 p.m., and are set for: -- Oct. 19 at the Murrieta Public Library, 24700 Adams Ave., Murrieta. The second hearing will be from 3-7 p.m. Oct. 20 at Corona Public Library, 650 S. Main St., Corona.The final Riverside County hearing will be Oct. 22 at Cesar Chavez Community Center, 2060 University Avenue, Riverside.

A hearing will be held Oct. 29 at the Pomona First Baptist Church, 569 N. Main St., Pomona.The first leg of the California network will be funded with $9.95 billion in bond funds approved by voters, and a sizeable chunk of the $8 billion that Congress has allocated for nationwide high-speed rail seed money as a part of President Barack Obama's commitment to high speed rail. Congress is expected to add another $1.5 billion in economic stimulus moneys as well.

The federal government has identified eight city-pairs and corridors across the country as likely recipients of the federal money, but other states are seeking to get a piece of the federal pie. The President has said California is at the head of the line because of the commitment of local moneyand advanced state of planning, as well as the fact that California is the only state proposing travel speeds of 220 miles an hour.

Nevada officials are proposing a privately-funded high speed track between Las Vegas and the outskirts of San Bernardino, and are investigating the possibility of bringing it across the mountains to plug into the California network.Arizona and several other states are setting up planning efforts to investigate building high-speed rail lines between Southern California and Phoenix and Tucson.

Hidden in a BIG FILE hard to Download.

Download of tonights Agenda and Council Packet is on line. Problem 1 is that the file is duplicated making it nearly 300 pages. Don't panic it is two sets of the same document. I read it all.

Posting it this way may have been a boo boo however it causes the file to download very slowly and may even give you a file damaged error an not down load at all.

So what's in it?

Rail Road Bridge Graffiti
Agreement with the CJUSD on Land Use
Purchase of Right of Way along Barton Rd.

Also interesting what is not on it... this includes the Selection of the City Manager. Remember when a Meeting in Closed Session is held, the results or decisions should be announced immediately to the public on the public record. Perhaps, Grand Terrace some how is above this law, or section of the Brown Act.

Cal Trans had a camera at Iowa on the 215 that showed the Rail Crossing. This Camera could be watched 24/7 for the "Artists" to show up. Make them pay for the repainting. The City could ask that the Cal Trans Camera be available on line 24/7 not on a loup with other cameras along the 215. Then the City of Grand Terrace, Cal Trans, CHP and the Colton PD and Rail Road Security phone numbers could be available to call when "Artists" or "Others" are on the Rail Crossing.

Looking at the cost of the Senior Gardens... I have to then ask what other group in Grand Terrace has the right to come in and ask for 4,000.00 of funding for a project that will have less than 100 participants? Vote no on this. Let the Seniors provide their own tools. Water and Land is being provided.

Someone should ask the City Council for a summary of their individual benefits on a monthly basis. They get 200.00 for Transportation Cost, even if they don't use it, and money for each meeting they attend, and Medical Care and Medical Insurance. It may inspire others to run for the City Council if folks knew that there is about 1000.00 of benefit for the 2 meetings a month, except for November and December and possibly January. (Do they get half medical coverage those months? ) ADD to that we are paying for lunch when they go to a Chamber of Commerce Meeting? The Chamber of Commerce is a Political Action Group and the City should not be funding any lunches at any PAC including the Chamber of Commerce or the California Cities Organizations. Those activities and costs should be the burden on the Council Member not the Tax Payer, if they chose to attend a PAC Meeting or Event.

Council Member Miller needs to abstain from voting on the Check Vouchers again. The City is buying Margie Miller a Uniform for her participation in the COPs Program. (Citizens on Patrol) We wouldn't want him to have a conflict of interest. By the way, this is a proper city expense, where the Senior Garden Tools is not.

GT Community Players NEEDS YOU....

Auditions
It's A Wonderful Life: Grand Terrace Community Players will hold auditions for the stage production of Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life." Begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, Grand Terrace Community Center, 22795 Barton Road, Grand Terrace. Free. Information: http://www.gtcommunityplayers.com/.

What is most needed is a place for this group to hold its shows in Grand Terrace. Perhaps a local business would allow them to set up an outdoor stage and coco stand in your parking lot ??? Let's use some innovative, small town logic and support this group's efforts.

How about at the Fire House Christmas tree lot, Coco theater in the round? Pancakes for dinner theater? Just thinking out loud...

Go to their web site and see how YOU CAN HELP... and BE A PART of this FUN Bunch of People..

What Will a New City Manager Find In GT..

Below is an article about Colton, however expect the exact same things to happen right here in Grand Terrace. For years now the City Council of Grand Terrace has been told to say they have a large reserve, when in fact that reserve represents Committed Redevelopment Funds that are acquired by DEBT Financing. For years now there has been an effort to find who is GrandpaTerrace or infiltrate the Blog.

Even though a few members of the City Staff have contributed to the blog, and most of the Blog is a repeat of statements made by NAMED individuals IN City Council Meetings, the need to know who makes this data available has hounded some to the point of trying to bribe individuals with a "Reward" for the identity of Grand Pa Terrace, and the alleged hiring of an attorney to take some sort of Legal action upon discovery of Gramps ID.

Individuals who have taken active rolls in the election of, and employment of City Council Members their business with the City should be included in the Public Discussion. Particularly when some of the negotiations for that business has been done behind closed doors and on non competitive bid arrangements. This individual has contacted several of the folks who have been outspoken in the Council Meetings to try to find out who is Grand Pa Terrace with intent to disrupt the availability of the information on the blog.

Now this particular individual and None of the Current City Council Members or the Mayor have emailed the blog for a retraction or correction on any of the posts on this blog. Their apparent angst is that the information is out and not hidden in an obscure City Record. The City Council Members Email is blocked from receiving Email from the Blog, so they are not informed and do not respond to questions. However, information has come from within City Hall to their great frustration.

We hope the NEW City Manager will have Ethics similar to the temporary City Manager of Colton. Citizens and yes even Council Members should have in hand the truth and all the information available. Rather than playing the Who is Grand Pa Terrace, the question should be why is there a Grand Pa Terrace and work on removing the Need for such a Blog in Grand Terrace.

The threats of legal action, the hunt for Grand Pa Terrace, is demonstrative of the type of climate that exemplifies the proof of the intimidation efforts of the City Council, City Staff, and Former City Managers, and their supporters. Council Member Miller is and example of the natural or un-natural progression of the intimidation efforts and threats that have been employed.

Grand Pa Terrace wants to thank the contributors to this blog for all the homework they have done and continue to do for the citizens of Grand Terrace.

Perhaps, just perhaps the City Council will hire a City Manager with Ethics this time around, WE however, expect more of the same... as in some cases they have a vested interest in not having Grand Terrace clean house. In some cases there is pressures from former Council Members and Staff to continue on with the past style of conduct, and management.

Gramps..


Nasty Surprises Left in Colton
http://www.pe.com/columns/cassiemacduff/stories/PE_News_Local_N_ncass07.4835a60.html
10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday,
October 6, 2009
Cassie MacDuff
The Press-Enterprise

When Colton City Manager Daryl Parrish unexpectedly announced in May that he had accepted the city manager post in Covina, no one knew just what was in the bag that he left the city holding. Interim City Manager Bob Miller started poking around and discovered Parrish had overspent on two consulting contracts by $56,000. And the $5 million-plus reserve fund the council relied on to avoid layoffs? It doesn't exist.

But there's more. Parrish recruited away the city's finance and human resources directors, and has refused to make good on a $652.31-a-month lease on the Lexus he insisted on driving. Parrish didn't return calls seeking comment on Tuesday.

The city was supposed to pay $500 a month toward his car allowance and Parrish was to make up the difference. The city can't unload the Lexus because it would cost more to end the lease early than to keep paying it. City officials hoped Parrish would take the car with him or Covina would take over the lease. That didn't happen. Admirably, Miller brought that and the overspending on the contracts for psychologist Bill Mathis and public relations consultant CV Strategies to the council's attention. And he took responsibility.

Miller, who has the energy and build of a football coach, believes in taking the bull by the horns. If the city stubs its toe, he says, it should admit it publicly. "I'm not just the city manager, I'm the police chief. I have a standard I have to uphold," he told me in an interview in his office on Tuesday morning.

What's this? Ethics in Colton government? How refreshing.

The council brought him in to get more control and oversight of the bureaucracy, and to instill confidence in city government, he said. That will take a culture change. He's ousting the bunker mentality and directing department heads to meet with community groups -- even Colton First, the perpetual thorn in Parrish's and Mayor Kelly Chastain's sides. That's a good approach for problems he inherited.

He also took that approach on the nonexistent reserve fund, which is actually money owed to the general fund by the electric utility. (The utility is solvent and will pay, Miller said.) Miller himself met with five members of Colton First on Monday morning. I met with them a short time later, and they seemed open to giving Miller a chance. That's a good sign in a city where every council meeting seems to descend into acrimony between audience, council and staff.

However, Colton First (which does its homework) was disturbed to learn CV Strategies apparently had been tasked to infiltrate it. "Research Colton First group. Obtain membership form and submit," said a CV progress report. Colton is a small town. An outsider trying to go undercover would probably stand out like a sore thumb. Still, there's something Nixonian about the episode.

CV Strategies President Erin Gilhuly said her policy is not to discuss work she does for clients; it's for them to disseminate. Parrish managed CV's and Mathis' contracts, so his assistant couldn't elucidate either. Miller said the city doesn't do counter-intelligence on community groups.

Council members weren't happy about the overspending. On Sept. 22, they voted 4-3 against paying CV and Mathis for the extra work. Meanwhile, Miller has found a new finance director: former Redlands CFO Bonnie Johnson. Community Services Director Bill Smith will add HR to his duties, becoming a deputy city manager. Miller is a breath of fresh air in Colton. Too bad he doesn't want the job permanently. Then I'd be more confident the changes he's bringing in would stay.

Cassie MacDuff can be reached at 951-368-9470 or
http://us.mc331.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=cmacduff@PE.com

Political Scab Picked by Berry & Cortes Hides Infection?

From the Email INBox..

The Miller Trial for Conflict on Interest may have began by the political maneuvering of Steve Berry and Bea Cortes. They were collaborators in having the DA scratch the scab of the politics and practices of Grand Terrace, and the grand public and news event of Miller's arrest. As the trial continues we should ask how many of the Court Viewers "Supporting" Jim Miller have issues of their own just under that scab.

If Jim Miller is the itch... what lays under the scab may be the infection that needs to be uncovered and aired out. Gene Carlstrom himself said that he was on the City Council and voted for things that affected City Council Member's, employees, family members and friends... Did he just admit to past actions that could be criminal conflict of interest charges IF the DA's Office is tenacious enough to look back into the history of actions of the Grand Terrace City Government? One wonders.

Has the DA's Office begun an investigation of Bea Cortes and Terra Loma Real Estate and has there been an accounting of all funds that have been paid to Terra Loma by the City and money paid by Terra Loma to Bea Cortes? What is she getting paid for if she has not sold houses? Where is her income comming from? Has the DA's Office investigated the connections with Terra Loma and past Planning Commissioners?

The outcome of the Miller Case may or may not be reason to be relieved from the stress of these questions. Miller may be found not guilty. But, because Berry and Cortes picked the scab the festering infection under the scab may be sufficient for criminal prosecutions. DA's don't like to lose, and there may be other GT Investigations where criminal charges can stick. Jim Miller may well be found not guilty of criminal actions, and fined for some lessor transgression. However, the executioner's ax has been sharpened and those posing as "Supporters" may just be worried about their own necks.

Miller's should know their friends were friends prior to the arrest, and be careful of those who all of the sudden are "Friends" and advisers, as they may have an agenda that is not real support for Jim Miller.

The Former Staff Members and City Council Members should all be thinking their history of actions may be under closer investigation by the DA's Office. Thanks, to Steve Berry and Bea Cortes trying to manipulate support for Berry's Promotion to City Manager, they may just be the cause of the clean up of GT City Hall after all.

Note Added By Gramps:

Perhaps the DA could start with the case of the Embezzlement Investigation hidden or covered up by Tom Schawb protecting Steve Berry. Which then acted as a part of the itch that resulted in the Miller Charges.

Special Meeting... Angers Citizens.

The Blog has received emails expressing outrage with the City Council's "Special Meeting" to be held in the Conference Room on the 2nd Floor. The time and place designed to keep the citizens out of the process of selection of a City Manager. This after the City Council and city Attorney had done so well with the Schwab/Berry Administration. This after years of bad legal advise from the City Attorney.

This is a summary of their concerns.. the citizens have not even had the show of an opportunity to voice their comments as to what they desire in a City Manager... after having been abused all these years... at a minimum the public should have an opportunity,,, a REAL Opportunity to participate in the selection process or at minimum the criteria for hiring. Including often mentioned in email a limit to the number of years a City Manager can work in the city, and a limit on the income, and benefits paid to the city manager. In general we don't want a King, or Pope or Dictator, that has been done and it wasn't productive.

The Citizens want to return to a bare bones City that pays for Trash, Water, Fire, and Police Protection. The Citizens want the RDA to END... in a quick but orderly wind down. The Citizens want an OPEN GOVERNMENT...

The Citizens should be informed that the individuals being considered have had a complete criminal back ground check, and education checked, and Googled for their online information and posts.

The Citizens do not trust this Council not to repeat the Schwab/Berry Years by their selection of a similar person.

What We Know About the City Manager Applicants.

San Bernardino County Sentinel
Friday, August 28, 2009

Dozen Under Consideration in Grand Terrace
Twelve city manage­rial candidates, all of whom boast impressive credentials in the area of municipal operations, are now under consider­ation by the Grand Ter­race city council.
There were a to­tal of 37 applicants for the position, which has been unfilled since Tom Schwab, Grand Terrace’s city manager from 1989 until last year, was felled by a subdural hematoma in June 2008. Schwab was only the second city manager in Grand Ter­race’s 31 year history, having been preceded by Seth Armstead.
In Schwab’s medi­cal absence, the city’s managerial duties were assumed by then-assis­tant city manager Steve Berry, who served in the capacity of interim city manager until he was terminated in July. The city council has elevated Bernie Simon, the city’s finance director, to the post of interim city man­ager. It is anticipated that he will remain in that ca­pacity until a final candi­date is selected.
Simon is one of the thirteen candidates for the post. Simon, in some quarters at least, is con­sidered to be a lead­ing candidate for the position in that he has previous experience in Grand Terrace as finance director and possesses tremendous in­stitutional memory with regard to city operations and developments going back over a decade, as well as an unparalleled understanding of the city’s current and future financial prospects.
Another candidate, whose identity can be divulged is Grand Ter­race’s economic and community development director Joyce Powers. Like Simon, Powers is intimately familiar with operations at Grand Ter­race City Hall and em­bodies the advantage of having already acclimat­ed herself to the commu­nity and city operations.
“Joyce is a very quali­fied candidate, I would say,” Simon said. “That’s just my opinion.”
Regretfully, the Sen­tinel is not currently at liberty to disclose the names of the remain­ing ten candidates under consideration.
Simon, while noting that no legal obstruction existed to prevent the dis­closure of the identities of those vying for the po­sition, stated that some of the candidates had sub­mitted their applications with an implicit expecta­tion of confidentiality.
“This is a personnel issue,” Simon said. “We don’t like to talk about current applicants for several reasons, one of which is that an appli­cant’s current employer might not know that the employee has applied and if it were to be di­vulged who has applied that might cause him or her some trouble. The other reason is only one of these people will be selected ultimately and we don’t want that deci­sion to be viewed as a negative reflection on the other candidates.”
Simon did acknowl­edge that disclosure of those under consider­ation would have the practical effect of in­creasing the amount of information about the candidates under con­sideration being brought out and intensifying the scrutiny to which the po­tential employee will be subjected. Nevertheless, Simon said, the meth­od of allowing the city council to do its work in private, as it were, does not necessarily mean the candidates will not be carefully analyzed.
“If it comes out in the future that there was some problem with the council’s choice, that would show we have not done a good job investi­gating the background of those people who have been selected,” he said. “Hopefully, though, we’ll do a thorough job inves­tigating these people. We will make sure each person’s background is reviewed and any issues brought forward. The council is not going to make a snap judgment.”
The Sentinel has, through multiple sources including interviews with several of the applicants and/or their colleagues, learned and confirmed the identities of the ten outside candidates now being considered by the city council.

The candidates in­clude municipal employ­ees who have formerly worked, or are currently working, in the capaci­ties of city manager, city administrator, assistant city manager, deputy city manager, finance direc­tor, redevelopment direc­tor, economic develop­ment director, director of public works, communi­ty development director, human resources director and assistant to the city manager.

The candidates have worked in dozens of cit­ies up and down the state, including ones in San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Ma­teo, San Joaquin, Stan­islaus, Ventura and Napa counties. The size of the cities for which these candidates worked range from one with a popula­tion of over 500,000 to a town of less than 5,200 inhabitants.

At least one candidate has municipal managerial experience outside the state of Cali­fornia. One has taught municipal government and financial courses at the college level. One of the candidates is a certi­fied public accountant.

One of those candi­dates, at the age of 31, is among the youngest of individuals to have served in the post of city manag­er in Southern California in the last decade.

Steve Berry Continues to ...

http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=23767990

Grand Terrace
1212 Valencia Drive Colton, California 92324United States
Website:
www.cityofgrandterrace.org
Phone:
(909) 876-4227

Steve Berry: ZoomInfo Business People Information
Grand Terrace saw a 17.19 percent increase in sales tax revenue over the last year .... Steve BerryAssistant City Managersberry@cityofgrandterrace.org ...www.zoominfo.com/people/Berry_Steve_1153797757.aspx
Steve Berry: ZoomInfo Business People Information
Steve BerryAssistant City Managersberry@cityofgrandterrace.org.

Steve Berry former Acting City Manager continues to represent that he is currently the Acting City Manager of Grand Terrace.

The City Council and City Attorney should get a restraining order to force the misrepresentation to be retracted or corrected on web sites controlled by Steve Berry including zoom info.

Why is this a big deal... Well given the past actions of Steve Berry the City of Grand Terrace could be at risk as a result of his misrepresentation of his current title and status.. a big FORMER or more correctly Removed with Cause... should be in front of his work history title Acting City Manager and Assistant City Manager.

Any and all references suggesting a current association with the City of Grand Terrace should be corrected and removed from all sources.

What we don't need is for Steve Berry to take on the roll of a Rouge Agent of Grand Terrace. If the City Does nothing to correct his misrepresentations of the association a third party may hold the City Liable for any liability resulting in Berry's Misrepresentation(s).

There is reason to not trust Steve Berry to do the right thing. Action MUST be taken...

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/steve-berry/16/22/75a

Here he at least says PAST Work History...

Steve Berry
Government Administration Professional
Greater Los Angeles Area
Contact Steve Berry
Add Steve Berry to your network
Past
Acting City Manager at City of Grand Terrace
Assistant City Manager at City of Grand Terrace
VP Sales and Marketing at Swiftcomm
Executive Director at City of Riverside, Riverside Community On-Line, Office of the Mayor
Municipal Contracts Manager at Browning-Ferris Industries BFI
see less...
2 more...
Education
California State University-Sacramento
Miami Dade Community College
Connections
68 connections
Industry
Government Administration
Steve Berry’s Experience

Acting City Manager
City of Grand Terrace
(Government Administration industry)
June 2008 — July 2009 (1 year 2 months)
As Acting City Manager for over one year and Assistant City Manager for seven years, I oversaw the $5.3M General Fund Operating Budget including San Bernardino County Sheriff and County Fire contracts. Other duties included oversight of all contract services and all city employees including Community Services, the Child Care Center, the Senior Center, Maintenance and Operations, Community and Economic Development, Building and Safety, Parks and Recreation, Code Enforcement, and Information Systems.

Assistant City Manager
City of Grand Terrace
(Government Administration industry)
September 2001 — July 2008 (6 years 11 months)
During his seven year term as Assistant City Manager the City blossomed with hundreds of trees planted, new parks, revenue enhancement programs and the city was voted "Top 100 American Towns" by Money Magazine.

VP Sales and Marketing
Swiftcomm
(Government Administration industry)
June 2001 — September 2001 (4 months)
Bringing wireless broadband to the Inland Empire!

Executive Director
City of Riverside, Riverside Community On-Line, Office of the Mayor
(Government Administration industry)
September 1999 — July 2001 (1 year 11 months)
RCOL was the foundation for SmartRiverside. Bridging the Digital Divide through the innovative Riverside Computer Investment Program - made it the most successful in-home computer/Internet access program in the U.S.!

Municipal Contracts Manager
Browning-Ferris Industries BFI
(Government Administration industry)
January 1987 — July 1999 (12 years 7 months)
In "The Wizard of Waste" cover article from Sell!ing Magazine, Steve was noted as a top innovator in the Solid Waste and Recycling Industry. Starting in sales, then sales management, national accounts, district vice-president and municipal contracts manager, Steve has had a 12-year career in the corporate environment.
Steve Berry’s Education
California State University-Sacramento
B.S. , Business Administration , 1984 — 1987
Activities and Societies:
Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity
Miami Dade Community College
A.A. , Business Data Processing , 1980 — 1982
Additional Information
Steve Berry’s Groups:
Riverside Educational Enrichment Foundation (REEF)

Berrysberry@cityofgrandterrace.org

SBerry@cityofgrandterrace.org

and one Email on AOL account known to Gramps and others ... indicate a man who compartmentalized communications as if trying to hide contacts.... What was done when he and the computer tech was locked in City Hall...?

Trusting the Council to Pick a City Manager

This Council... picking a City Manager behind closed doors.

Hmm. They Picked Tom Schwab who covered up a Embezzlement Investigation, and more...

Hmm. They approved the hire of Steve Berry... and appointed him as Acting City Manager even after they apparently knew of his traits...

Hmm. They selected the Planning Commission and Planning Department that approved the Non Commercial Kitchen at the Senior Center. They even signed off on the plans...

Hmm.. They purchased a house for Tom Schwab and increased his income to way past the average income of Grand Terrace Residents.

Should we trust the selection process? When the field of applicants was narrowed by the City Attorney who was Hand Picked by Tom Schwab, and approved by the City Council... The Same City Attorney who has allowed all the situations that ended GT in Court, and City Council Members Charged with Crimes that just got by him because no one asked him a direct question. What does he do to earn 15,000 per month?

It is reasonable that there is concern about the results of the selection process.

The people being considered should talk to the Press and let the community know who they are before they are hired. Perhaps the City Council could at least Google Search the Applicants... and get a criminal background check on them. In addition the job should not pay more than the average income in the City of Grand Terrace. If the New City Manager has to live in the Highlands on Section 8 so be it... but Please no more Kings of Grand Terrace. The Peasants have have enough of the Dictatorship and Cronyism Practiced in the past.

NOTICE OS SPECIAL MEETING GT CC

Thanks...
I'll post. The problem with holding this in public is that some of the applicants may not want their current employee rs know they are looking for work. However this could be dealt with by calling each applicant by a Letter A B C D... and having them behind a Partition but in the room like a Applicant Protection system.---

On Fri, 10/2/09, :
From:
FW: Notice of Special Meeting - Grand Terrace City Council
To: "Grand PaTerrace" grandterracenews@yahoo.com
Date: Friday, October 2, 2009, 8:30 AM

This is an example of the blatant arrogance our City Council led by Mayor Ferre exhibit on a continuous basis. The citizens of Grand Terrace have been railroaded and misled for years. Finally, because of the courageous people who spoke out against Steve Berry, we are free of a corrupt City Manager. Now they want to go behind closed doors to interview potential candidates for his job. Why should we trust them, they have failed time and time again. When they interviewed the candidates for the Planning Commission, it was not behind closed doors. I personally feel every aspect of the hiring should be done above board. I also feel that that candidates should be people of Grand Terrace, who have the public in mind. Didn’t Ferre make it a requirement when Schwab was in office and to support him sold him an RDA purchased by the City then Sold to Tom Schwab as part of his compensation package. Oh no, I say everything is of public record, including the hiring of the City Manager

From: City Clerk [mailto:listserv@civicplus.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2009 4:45 PM
To: :

Notice of Special Meeting -

Grand Terrace City Council

This complimentary message is being sent to opt-in subscribers who might be interested in its content. If you do not wish to continue receiving these messages, please accept our apologies, and unsubscribe by following the instructions at the bottom of this message.* * * * * * *

CITY OF GRAND TERRACE
NOTICE AND CALL OF
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL


TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND TERRACE AND TO THE CITY CLERK:


NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of Grand Terrace is hereby called to be held on Monday, October 5, 2009 at 3:45 p.m. and Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 3:45 p.m., in the 2nd Floor Conference Room, located in the Grand Terrace Civic Center, 22795 Barton Road, Grand Terrace, California.

Said Special Meeting shall be for:

Council will meet in Closed Session to interview applicants for the position of City Manager.

Dated: October 1, 2009

MARYETTA FERRÉ, MAYOR

The Best Court Coverage in the SBCS

Friday, October 2, 2009
San Bernardino County Sentinel

Miller Pleads Not Guilty

Grand Terrace City Councilman Jim Miller pleaded not guilty to a felony conflict-of-interest charge at his arraignment on September 30.

The district attorney’s office arrested Miller on July 15 and charged him with felony conflict of interest, based upon Government Code Sec­tion 1090, which prohibits an elected official from participating in a vote in which he or she has a per­sonal financial interest. Between 2006 and 2008, Miller made several votes on the city of Grand Ter­race’s consent calendar which approved payments totaling about $18,000 to his wife Margaret’s news­paper, The Grand Terrace City News, for printing the city’s legal advertise­ments.

The consent calendar is a collection of routine items considered to be non-controversial which are bundled together and approved on a single yea or nay vote by the city council.

The prosecution, led by district attorney John Goritz, was not forth­coming with any further documentation relating to the case against Mill­er, who has been on the council since 2004. San Bernardino County Supe­rior Court Judge Douglas Elwell gave the prosecu­tion until November 3 to present that information, a date which corresponds to Miller’s next scheduled hearing.

On September 30, Miller’s attorney, Rick Ewaniszyk, said that the prosecution has not mar­shaled evidence to sub­stantiate the felony con­flict-of-interest charge.

“We entered a plea of not guilty to the com­plaint, which alleges he violated 1090 of the Cali­fornia Government Code by making a contract that he was financially interested in. However, the prosecution has pro­duced no such contract in discovery and as far as I know there was no such contract approved in his official capacity. It ap­pears as a matter of law the Grand Terrace City Council must publish notices of special meet­ings and ordinances in the newspaper of general circulation for the city of Grand Terrace and that paper would be the paper owned by his wife.”

Grand Terrace city at­torney John Harper said that Ewaniszyk is likely correct when he asserted there was not a contract between the city and Mrs. Miller’s newspaper and, as such, Jim Miller could not have approved its issuance. “I don’t know whether there is a contract or not, but if I was going to speculate I would say that I would be surprised if there is one, although I suppose it is theoretically possible.”

If there is a contract, Harper said, it would al­most assuredly have been entered into and signed by a city staff member in the city manager’s office or the city clerk’s office and would not have in­volved the city council.

The fact that the city was required to run the ads in the Grand Terrace City News is not the only leg of Miller’s defense, Ewaniszyk said.

“It is also true that Mr. and Mrs. Miller had a prenuptial agreement whereby they maintained their exclusive rights to their separate property and agreed they would keep separate the prop­erty each acquired dur­ing their marriage,” ac­cording to Ewaniszyk. “Therefore it does not appear he was financially interested in the contract and the rule of necessity would require legal no­tices to be published in the Grand Terrace City News.”

Miller’s votes to ap­prove the payments or legal advertising which ran from October 26, 2006 through August 12, 2008, after staff placed advertisements in Mrs. Miller’s newspaper did not constitute a violation of Government Code Section 1090, Ewaniszyk said.

Bernard Sandoval, a Grand Terrace resident who attended the hearing with roughly 40 others, most of whom appeared to be Miller’s supporters, said he believed Miller to be innocent of the charg­es, as well.

Sandoval noted that a major portion of the case assembled against Miller had been drawn from statements made by for­mer assistant city manag­er Steve Berry, who had been working at the city when the contract for le­gal ads had been extend­ed to the Grand Terrace City News. He pointed out that Miller had tak­en the lead in opposing Berry’s promotion to city manager, a circumstance which he said appeared to have created an illegiti­mate motive for the in­vestigation into Miller’s votes.

“I don’t believe the district attorney was made fully aware of the political backdrop to this whole thing,” Sandoval said. “There was a city official who was manipu­lating the rule of law to enrich himself and that official was not Jim Mill­er. Jim Miller was cruci­fied in the press. The real facts behind this case have not been discussed. There needs to be a clear investigation into the for­mer assistant city man­ager, Steve Berry, to un­derstand his role in this. It appears he was one of the ones who made the recommendation that the city advertise in Mrs. Miller’s newspaper. It was only when Jim Mill­er begin to openly op­pose and criticize Steve Berry’s promotion to city manager that Steve Berry took this to the DA’s pub­lic integrity unit. And the district attorney, who was under pressure to de­liver on public corruption types of cases, arrested him.”

Sandoval said, “It was common knowledge his wife owned the newspa­per. Everyone was aware when he voted on it. His vote wasn’t the deciding factor. There was no ill intention. I honestly be­lieve it was the responsi­bility of the city attorney to let him know there was a possible conflict of interest. To be suddenly accused of having bro­ken the law at the same time he is opposing the promotion of Steve Berry to city manager, people have to ask ‘What is go­ing on here?’”
And, Sandoval said, the others involved in the vote were equally knowl­edgeable about the cir­cumstance.

“You could as easily arrest the city attorney who did not inform him or anyone else about the potential conflict,” San­doval said. “You could arrest the entire city council, who knew his wife owned the newspa­per. Nothing was hidden.

“I think I have a pretty good read on the charac­ter of people,” Sandoval said. “The Millers are good, solid people. Lo­cal government is bro­ken. Individuals who have money or power or political connections can use the rule of law to get what they need to make more money or get or retain power. It is disap­pointing. My hope is the DA will be able to look at the whole picture and see what is really going on. If Jim Miller had been properly counseled he simply would not have voted. The whole truth needs to be communicat­ed to the public so it can make an informed opin­ion. All they are hear­ing now is that he voted and enriched himself by thousands of dollars. When he heard of how it could be a conflict, he stopped voting. Anyone who wants to give back to the community could find himself in this situ­ation.”


Sandoval was echoed by another member of the Grand Terrace communi­ty, Gene Carlstrom, who was also in attendance at Miller’s arraignment. Carlstrom was formerly a member of the Grand Terrace City Council. He said participating in gov­ernance in small towns like Grand Terrace, which has a population of slightly over 12,000, is fraught with potential conflicts.
“I have believed all along that Jim will be vin­dicated,” Carlstrom said. “The consent calendar is an ambiguous thing. When I was on the coun­cil, similar things came up. All the bills had to be paid. We never heard anything about votes be­ing a conflict, even when someone we knew or worked with got paid. It’s just something that occurs. Now they’ve sin­gled him out as one who was in violation. This is more than I can figure. It occurred many times in the past with others who were not aware of the im­plication of the 1090 law.”

Former city manager Tom Schwab like San­doval said he considered the prosecution of Jim Miller to be an outgrowth of Berry’s effort to move into the permanent city manager’s position.
“Steve or some agent of his turned Jim into the DA’s office to discredit or marginalize him because he was openly critical of Steve’s management of the city,” Schwab said. “This was essentially a political set-up. Steve is saying that the minute he got appointed acting city manager he quit adver­tising in the City News because he thought there was a potential conflict of interest. But if that is the case, why did he go along with it before? Why did he arrange to buy the ads from Marge when he was working under me? Why didn’t he let everyone know that there was a po­tential conflict of interest? That would have saved us all from this problem. He was using it as leverage. He was threatening Jim with the exposure of the 1090 violation, basically telling Jim he would turn them into the DA’s office if Jim didn’t support him in becoming city man­ager.”

Schwab said of Jim Miller he was confident “there was never any in­tent to do anything ille­gal.”
In reference to the contract between the city and the newspaper which Ewaniszyk had in­dicated would be crucial to establishing Miller’s guilt, Schwab said, “The district attorney’s office won’t be able to produce that because it doesn’t exist. They are implying Jim approved a contract but we never had a con­tract with the Grand Ter­race City News. Nor did we have a contract with the Sun or the Press En­terprise. We advertised with them, as well.”

Efforts to reach Berry for comment were unsuc­cessful.

Goritz, was not pres­ent in court, and could not be reached for com­ment on the case.


Some Added Notes:

Carlstrom has admitted to activity simular to the Miller situation. If Miller is found guilty then the past dealings of the Council may come under a microscope investigation.

Steve Berry said in the DA's Investigation Report that he informed Tom Schwab of the Conflict of Interest and Tom Schwab took no action other than to suggest to Steve to shut up that is how you get fired. Now Tom Schwab is saying that he was not so informed by Steve Berry, and Steve Berry's continued use of the Millers Paper for local advertizing for special events he had control over the advertizing expenditure indicates Tom's Threat either worked or Steve Berry never voiced or had a concern of a potential conflict until Jim Miller had the courage to verbalize public disatisfaction with Steve Berry's Job Performance and was against his promotion and retention.

In a Panic to Cover up the Embezellement Investigation involving Steve Berry. Steve Berry put into action a threat he could not hold the reigns on once the horse was out of the barn.

Connecting the Lack of a Contract... to A Contract...

and you get a "Conflict"? Remember this..........

The city of Grand Terrace is taking steps to eliminate its contractual arrangement with Terra Loma Real Estate (Owned by Gene Carlstrom) for property management services..........

Bea Cortes may still have to answer Conflict Charges of her own. She approved payments to the Real Estate Agency where she is a Realtor, benefiting from the Office Overhead and Services provided to her there. She has also advertised as Mayor Protem and Terra Loma Real Estate Adds linking the two.

In this situation there are contracts negotiated and voted on, in addition to payments made on the consent calendar. Bea Cortes's past active cheerleader like support of Steve Berry, may well be a future challenge much more serious than those faced by Jim Miller.

Perhaps the practices of Past Council Members, City Staff and Planning Commissioners and other service providers will come under a Microscopic Audit of their own. We can only hope...

Has anyone interviewed Steve Berry to get his "Official Opinion" on the Miller Trial? Just wondering if Mr. Annon has something to add to the discussion.

More On Miller Trial...

Grand Terrace councilman pleads not guilty to conflict-of-interest charge

Mike Cruz, Staff Writer
Posted: 09/30/2009 05:08:21 PM PDT


A Grand Terrace councilman entered a not-guilty plea Wednesday to felony charges that he voted to send city advertising contracts to his wife's newspaper.

Jim Miller was arrested in July and charged with a conflict of interest. County investigators said they found that he voted to give $18,000 worth of city advertising to a weekly newspaper owned by his wife, Margie Miller.

On Wednesday, the councilman and his lawyer Richard M. Ewaniszyk, stood before Judge Douglas Elwell and entered a not-guilty plea at his arraignment in San Bernardino Superior Court.

If convicted, Miller could face up to three years in state prison.

He is to return to court Nov. 3.

Miller supporters, wearing small red, white and blue ribbons, lined the hallway outside the courtroom during his proceedings.

Afterward, Ewaniszyk confidently defended his client and said the charges against Miller "might be a misunderstanding."

State Government Code requires a contract for advertising between the city and the newspaper, Ewaniszyk said, and prosecutors have not produced any contract as part of their discovery.

"They have yet to produce the contract because there is no contract," Ewaniszyk said in a courthouse hallway.

Deputy District Attorney John Goritz, who was not present in court, later said he would not comment about evidence in the case.

The defense lawyer also said the city must publish its legal advertising in a general circulation newspaper adjudicated in Grand Terrace. The Grand Terrace City News, bought by Margie Miller in 2006, is the only such newspaper, he said.
Therefore, "the rule of necessity" required the city to advertise in the City News, said Ewaniszyk.

Jim Miller wouldn't talk about the case, but he said he was pleased with the "positive vibes" from his supporters.

Former City Manager Tom Schwab, who started advertising in the City News in 2006, said on Wednesday that the issue should not be in the courts.

The city manager, staff and city attorney recommended using Margie Miller's newspaper, he said.

Former Assistant City Manager Steve Berry became acting city manager when Schwab became ill. One of Berry's first actions, he told county investigators, was to cancel the contract with the newspaper because of what he believed was a conflict of interest, according to investigative reports.

Miller, who has been a real-estate services manager for San Bernardino County since April 2000, returned to work Aug. 18.

mike.cruz@inlandnewspapers.com
(909) 386-3880

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Not guilty, Grand Terrace councilman says of conflict of interest charge

10:47 PM PDT on Wednesday, September 30, 2009
By DARRELL R. SANTSCHIThe Press-Enterprise

Grand Terrace City Councilman Jim Miller pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a felony conflict-of-interest charge.


San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Douglas Elwell entered the plea for Miller at an arraignment that lasted less than two minutes. He ordered Miller, who briefly responded to the judge's questions, to return to court Nov. 3.

Miller, 61, faces up to three years in prison if convicted of the felony charge stemming from his votes on routine items on the council's consent calendar that authorized payments to his wife's weekly newspaper, the Grand Terrace City News, for legal advertising from Oct. 26, 2006 through Aug. 12, 2008.


But Miller's attorney, Richard M. Ewaniszyk, said outside the courtroom that he doesn't believe the county district attorney can prove the case because the code governing conflicts of interest, Government Code Section 1090, prohibits public officials from entering a contract with the city or agency they represent.

Ewaniszyk said prosecutors have not yet produced a contract between the city and the Grand Terrace City News.

Deputy District Attorney John Goritz, who is prosecuting the case, declined to comment on the existence of a formal contract, adding that he would not discuss the evidence or facts of the case outside of the courtroom.

Goritz said Ewaniszyk's statement that the prosecution could not prove its case under Government Code Section 1090 "doesn't change our outlook on the case."

Grand Terrace City Attorney John Harper said by phone Wednesday that he does not know whether a formal contract with the newspaper was ever signed. He said it would not be necessary to have a contract to publish legal ads.

Harper said he believes the district attorney's office, among others, has "mushed together facts" related to a Government Code case and a separate law, the Fair Political Practices Act, which prohibits council members from discussing or voting on matters that would financially benefit them.

Violation of the Fair Political Practices Act could lead to a fine and an amendment to financial declaration forms, Harper said.

Goritz said he couldn't comment on Harper's belief that his office "mushed together" government code and the separate Fair Political Practices Act.

Miller has said the newspaper was purchased by his wife in 2006 and is her sole and separate property. If she is the sole owner and Miller has no financial interest in the paper, the councilman did not violate the Fair Political Practices Act by voting to approve the payments, Harper said.

Margie Miller has said the paper was running legal ads for the city before she bought it and that she stopped accepting ads after her husband received a letter from former acting Grand Terrace

City Manager Steve Berry in September 2008, stating he considered the practice a conflict of interest.

As she mingled with more than three-dozen supporters in the hallway outside the courtroom Wednesday -- most of them wearing red, white and blue ribbons --

Margie Miller voiced optimism.
"I'm looking forward to a positive conclusion," she said.

Other supporters offered more fervent comments.

Gene Carlstrom, a former Grand Terrace councilman who campaigned for Miller's election, described the accused elected official as "a pillar of the community.

"It's just a bad deal," Carlstrom said of the charge.

Thelma Beach said the prosecution "is ridiculous.
"You can see that the community is behind him," she said of Miller. "It is quite evident that the whole community feels the same way."

Staff writer Melanie C. Johnson contributed to this report.
Reach Darrell R. Santschi at 951-368-9484 or dsantschi@PE.com


Added Note: Well Council Watchers more details have been added and the City Attorney has sort of well kind of offered an "Opinion" once again. Did he offer this "Opinion" at the time he became aware of the "Possible Problem". NO... again, it is clear above all else it is time that Tom Schwab's hand picked Lawyer Friend needs to be replaced. Tom Schwab also hand picked and protected Steve Berry all those years.

More on Conflict of Interest Issues in GT.

Miller Defence to the charges he did not negotiate or sign or approve the contract is an interesting point of argument. The Judge may rule on this issue before the trial advances, and may dismiss the case all together for lack of sufficient evidence to proceed.

IF the Judge proceeds then, Mayor Ferry and Council Member Bea Cortes are or should be subject to the same charges as they approve payments to businesses or services where they are either employed, or their spouse is a member of the Board of Directors. There may be charges against other Council Members and Planning Commissioners and Staff if this is the standard of practice that is going to be upheld.

The Grand Terrace City Attorney said that the Mayor's Relationship to the Water Company is not a conflict as she was not party to rate or services negotiations, she just votes to pay the bill. So according to Harpers Opinion there is no Conflict for the Mayor. However, in a letter crafted to Jim Miller his opinion was there "May" be a conflict.

One thing is clear at a minimum. The City Attorney needs to be replaced. His "Opinions" have not protected the Citizens Interest or even the Council's. He has been a toady for Steve Berry and prior to that Tom Schwab. He perhaps should be subject to Professional Discipline within the Bar Association. For a fee of 15,000 per month he has not served us well.

From the Press Enterpise ... Jim Miller Case

02:29 PM PDT on Wednesday, September 30, 2009
By DARRELL R. SANTSCHI
The Press-Enterprise

Grand Terrace City Councilman Jim Miller pleaded not guilty this morning to a felony conflict-of-interest charge.

San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Douglas Elwell entered the plea on Miller's behalf and set Nov. 3 as his next court appearance. Miller is accused of voting to approve payments totaling about $18,000 to his wife Margie's newspaper, The Grand Terrace City News, for the city's legal advertisements.

After the brief hearing in a San Bernardino courtroom, Miller's attorney said that prosecutors haven't proven the felony conflict-of-interest charge against his client.

Miller's attorney, Richard Ewaniszyk, of Victorville, said outside the courtroom that Margie Miller's publication is the only newspaper authorized to publish legal notices for the city. He said that, in order for Miller to have a legal conflict of interest, the councilman would have had to vote to approve a contract to pay the newspaper. Prosecutors have not produced such a contract, Ewaniszyk said.

He praised the San Bernardino County District Attorney's desire to handle accusations of public malfeasance, but he believes the charge against Miller "is a misunderstanding."

The deputy district attorney handling the case could not be reached for comment.

Reach Darrell R. Santschi at 951-368-9484 or dsantschi@PE.com

Isn't it time to down size Halloween Haunt Too?

The extra cost of having the Stunt and the possible negative impact on children trying to copy such acts is not needed for a GT Size Event for children...

The haunt was intended to be a safe place to have kids gather candy on Halloween. It was not intended to be a Political Market Night, Church Recruitment Event or a Loud Band and Stunts.

How did it go so wrong? Oh yeah... the super party planner blew up the budget and noise and changed the focus of Children, Candy and Costumes and games. Steve Berry is gone... do you think the Noise and Show should be focused back to the CCC's and the Woman's Club Hot dog Dinner for Kids and Parents?...

Stop the Political Booths, and Church Booths get back to just focus on the CCC's... and Games. People should help just for the FUN of it... not for new church members or votes...

Jim Miller's Day in Court...

Today in the San Bernardino County Superior Court, Grand Terrace City Councilman Jim Miller pleaded not guilty to a felony conflict of interest charge.
Miller appeared in is scheduled to return for a status hearing Nov. 3.
He was arrested in July on suspicion of voting to pay for thousands of dollars in advertising with his wife's newspaper during the past two years. He had no part of the Staff Negotiations with the newspaper's owner his wife. He voted to approve the check register that contained payments for services contracted by Staff of the City for services that were rendered at a competitive price. Is that a Conflict, that is the legal question.

A status hearing is where the Attorneys of both sides and the court affirm they are ready for trial and that defence has been given all records of DA's Office. Including possibly the identity of the Anonymous Accuser speculated to be Steve Berry with the aid of Bea Cortes. Then there will be a calendar discussion so that everyone is in court. Jury Selection may also be included in the process. So Jim Miller's case can be drawn out for a significant amount of time. It may also draw into the court City Documents that may be problematic to other City Council Members and City Staff.

So stay tune Citizens... It isn't about if the adds were purchased but if his approving the check register equals a conflict of interest. The intent of the law and the letter of the law is the issue in this case. So it will be interesting for folks out of Grand Terrace City Limits as well. If the City Council is to be held to the Letter of the Law others on the GT City Council also should be expecting equal treatment from the DA's Office... or Jim Miller can consider himself a politically motivated prosecution a Political Prisoner of Grand Terrace.

Planning Meeting OFF again..

October 1 Planning Commission Meeting has been STOPPED AGAIN.

Next Planning Meeting is on the Calendar for October 15th...

SO what is on the AGENDA? The Mar Ventures Plan?

So what is up with all the missing meetings?


Mar Ventures is biggie in Riverside area, particularly in County areas around such city. They had developments in Temecula and lower desert areas back when.

"Official" reason for delay at last PC meeting was something else cited. But if Mar wanted on agenda they could not vote upon anything, just talk about it. It never officially got onto the PC agenda. I think they were ill prepared or just pushing their luck and influence, trying to get in with the PC in a good way. There was no "Official" meeting, so there is no way to know who they spoke to or what was said, if there was a meeting with Staff or PC Members Individually.

Look for something oddball on their development. The PC will argue for hours about some 10 cent item, and forget that the main objection in the audience was the millions NOT spent upon some item like Roads, Sidewalks, Water and Noise and other real Quality of Life Issues for existing residents, and businesses.

ADD This Email...


At the past PC and CC meetings, I think the majority of persons in audience heard the City (of GT) staff mention about 1-2 years ago during one of the meetings (after the initial OAC one) that "naturally" any development of the OAC property would involve the realignment of streets... including that little parcel on East side of Michigan where present auto parts business is located.

That, or the whole project would not fly. I think something was mentioned via staff that the realignment had something to do with a need for stacking space on Barton Road near the freeway bridge. If the alignment was put off until later, the developer (the RDC) had to budget this in. It was not.

Being as the public had their two minutes each already, there was near zero conversation on such. I think they were trying to defer costs off on to that of the City of GT redevelopment of Town Square.

But, but, but, what about the strip along the freeway then? Ripe for 60 feet high billboards? You know, the 30 foot wide strip right between the man made lake and the freeway (does not take approval via CALTRANS or via anyone other than the CC).

The representatives were flat mad that this was brought up. I think PC member Tom mentioned ... Yes, what of this?

And the realignment of Michigan was soon forgotten.

Approved.... to Post....

Add: That some one in the Staff has the Elimination of Grand Terrace Elementary School and a conversion of that area to Retail Zoning... No Doubt this is how pushing all the cars near to the School's intersection was OK with the Planning Commission...

It should be a FULL DO OVER and MAR VENTURES should not be the Developer of Choice.

New Feature...Video Now OK

100 mb Video Clips can be posted to the Blog... If you have a GT Related YouTube Video Link you want posted we can do that... I am not sure about email a clip if that will work... However, Gramps can download and post from YouTube if you send a link... and it is Grand Terrace Specific...

No One Knows?

Reader Reports the above article was of interest so there was an attempt to check the "Plans" and the result was...

The attached article was in the Sun newspaper on Sunday.
Checked with the City. No one knew who put the article in the paper.
No one in the City admitted to talking with the Mar Ventures Inc. developer.
The City said they would as the Sun to retract the article.

Gramp adds the following to ponder:

The Planning Commission Meeting last Wednesday was Canceled an this was in the Sun.

Was there a meeting behind closed doors with the City Staff or some of the Planning Commission and Redevelopment Agency?

Did Mar Ventures do a press release with the information above and then the meeting was not held for some reason?

Note ot Citizens. A portion of this property is owned by the Redevelopment Agency of Grand Terrace. Mar Ventures like the other Contractors and Developers of the past have not had to submit competitive plans or bids to get their status of Developer of Redevelopment Agency Property. They were in part party to the folly of Outdoor Adventure Center that failed to have a realistic cash flow or comprehension of the nature of the property to be developed.

In addition until the 215 freeway is planned and fixed there should be no planned use of the property along the freeway. Final Note. There must be full disclosure of the EIR and TRAFFIC STUDY as part of the PLAN... to even have a PLAN pre Study or EIR and TRAFFIC Infrastructure improvements as a known factor there is reason to be suspect. This is in part PUBLIC OWNED LAND and the PUBLIC SHOULD BE MORE INVOLVED IN THE PLAN...

THIS IS NEW DEVELOPMENT not RE DEVELOPMENT and it should be questioned in great detail as how the NEW DEVELOPMENT will have an impact on already existing homes, and businesses. Including all the Realtors who own bits and pieces or manage the Redevelopment Agency Owned Property.

Green Jobs and a Green Development Great... but more of the same no thank you and empty field is better than an empty building some where else in the existing developments.

High Speed Train and Grand Terrace??

There are meetings on the Topic of a High Speed Train that MAY pass through Grand Terrace and "May" have a stop in Highgrove. OR NOT...


Putting in a rail line on an existing rail right of way makes sense at the first look. However, a High Speed Train and the old Electric Line Right of way have conflicting design requirements. A significant amount work would be required to make the route safe for a high speed train to run at high speed.


So how much of that will impact GT. Who Knows? If the past AES Power Plant is an example of how the GT City will be represented in the discussion we the citizens must be come informed and share that information with each other as the City Council and Mayor and City Managers of the Past have demonstrated a non interest in such important issues. They have demonstrated a collective impotence on such matters of the 215 / AES Power Plant and even a Commercial Kitchen at the Senior Center. These type of "Complicated" issues are left to State or County Officials and they don't even get informed or offer a public opinion on such important plans.

From the Email INBOX... PAWWW
So here are the Meeting Notices... If you attend please submit your reports and pros and cons..

By now many G.T. residents ought to have received by mail an invitation to complain about an environmental report circulating, which has talks scheduled for October and November in Riverside and San Bernardino areas. This is item number two on agenda and concerns a new proposed High-speed railroad route from San Diego to Los Angeles via the Inland empire. Item one on agenda was a funding for a new route UP Cajon pass for gamblers going to Las Vegas from Los Angeles areas (This has been written up since the dawn of the diesel age).

The original route for connecting San Diego to Los Angeles via the coast (just because it has been used for 100 years) is not of concern here.

Via another web site have found out recently that some group from San Bernardino spoke up and claims to represent "all" cities and persons to south of that big city (listen to us for we know what is going on here). The new inland route scheduled is to connect San Diego to Los Angeles via a divide about at Murrietta, approximating the older routes of the California Southern RR and the newer Santa Fe. One route goes north via Corona and the other via Colton.

This group is fighting to get the line extended via San Bernardino while the original concept was found more economical via Corona, and the Corona way is the favored route right now by the state of California. The situation is that the group in San Bernardino contends the right-of-way is already bought, via the old Pacific Electric route through Grand Terrace and Southern Highgrove.

Now RCTC owns and manages this route since the 1990's. Was a big stink that somehow Highgrove got left off the future list of depots for a stop by Metrolink as reported at the blog and via the newspaper. They are scheduled to be left off the stop-over list again. Now, if anyone has driven parallel to the old Pacific Electric route (of 1926) through G.T. and Highgrove they will find it goes up and down steep hills, around sharp corners, and and also hits Colton on ninth street at a bad location and in Riverside at the row of junkyards. Don't matter, it only takes money to correct this.

The original California Southern RR route via Highgrove as used today was not considered as due to the grades involved in an alignment in Box Springs area and the too closeness to RCR (too many protesters). It was mentioned to be too expensive via the State Commission. Too big of hills, too tight radaii, too little space for passing tracks, too few locations for a depot. And downtown Riverside was too far away.

As I understand the group in San Bernardino says NO to any stops in the whole of Riverside County area except for one "Possibly" in downtown Riverside and one near Murrietta.

There is no dollars for either route at this time, people can mention such at the upcoming meetings, but they may get shouted down and ignored. As the one route via G.T. is under consideration, it is not viewed too favorable by the State due to the concerns mentioned here, but the nearness to Moreno Valley is a good point. Hemet is mad as they are being left off the scheduled route now too. But then, they were not in running for any depot as per the San Bernardino group. Do not expect a decision to come out at the meeting, for I find the panel leaders often do not live near here, nor know much about the terrain. Looks good on paper..

Bike Lane - Traffic Safety and Politics..

Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 09/29/2009 03:56:02 PM PDT
Updated: 09/29/2009 04:02:30 PM PDT

GRAND TERRACE - There's the Redlands Bicycle Classic and the Tour de France.
Grand Terrace used to have its own bicycle race called the Tour de Terrace about 20 years ago.
Even though the event was canceled because of budget cuts, the city is still a popular route for cycling enthusiasts.

Last week, the city became even more bike friendly.

Workers completed a new bike lane and street improvements along a section of Mount Vernon Avenue.

"Grand Terrace is a main thoroughfare for bike riders," said Richard Shields, the city's public works director. "All day long you see bike riders going down both sides of Mount Vernon. They head down Barton Road into Redlands. It's a popular route."

As part of the project, the intersection of Mount Vernon and Pico Street was widened, along with construction of a new disabled access ramp on the northeast corner. New curbs, gutters and sidewalks were also added.

"I think it will benefit the residents by providing an easier traffic flow," said Councilwoman Bea Cortes. "It will also give the residents another opportunity to exercise."

The city moved two Southern California Edison transmission poles that were in front of two properties where right-of-way was purchased to widen the street.

With a push from Cortes, the city received a $100,000 grant from San Bernardino Associated Governments, the county's transportation planning agency, to pay for half the project. The rest of the money came from city capital improvement funds.

Shields said the wider intersection will give the city more room to add a traffic signal in the future.

Traffic is expected to increase through the area if the 4,000-home Spring Mountain Ranch housing development south of Grand Terrace is built. The project has been on hold because of the downturn in the housing market.

"If people need to get to the 215 Freeway, they're going to filter down Mount Vernon to the 215," Shields said. "We're trying to widen as much of Mount Vernon as possible to facilitate that and to facilitate bicycle and pedestrian travel as well."

Gramps has to add a note:

Bicycle Lanes and use of Alternative Transportation such as Neighborhood Electric Vehicles would be enhanced if there was a city wide Maximum Speed Limit of 35mph including Mt. Vernon and Barton Roads.

The added traffic when the high school opens will be sufficient need for added traffic signals and a wider road. People from Mt. Springs Ranch can get on the freeway at the Iowa On ramp rather than drive through GT in a zig zag of lights and housing.

The traffic would be from those not getting on the 215 that use GT as the Freeway Bypass. These folks along with our residents speed through town during rush hours. A 35 mph speed limit would hold speeds not to what is "Traveled" but what is safe and should be traveled in a city retail area and homes, and schools, and bike lanes... Stop catering to speeders by using the excuse that the speed limits are set at an average of rate of speed of a sample of drivers on sampling day. This does not mean that the speed practiced is a save speed.

Final Note: Bea Cortes is trying to build a new resume after her long collaboration with Steve Berry and Tom Schwab. Giving her press coverage only aids in that attempt when she should be enjoying the same or similar situation that Jim Miller is now facing. She is a woman with connections and who knows how to run a news worthy event like Miller's Arrest and Booking, when a simple court order could have been issued. Think about it every time she speaks, or is covered in the Press of any kind.