ATTEMPT TO LOCATE CITY ASSETS CONTINUES
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CAR PURCHASED FOR
THE USE CITY MANAGER?
Dear Gramps,
I sent this to Counciman Miller who is in charge of the Traffic Committee. Gramps you may post with my name.
Dear Councilman Miller,
Dear Councilman Miller,
Just the other day I received an email from Mr. Berry regarding the Traffic ad-hock committee. Albeit Vice Chairman Youngman requested Deputy Eversol to speak we are going to be addressed at the next meeting by Lt. Guerra. Mr. Berry relayed the message from Mr. Schwab that any questions we have for the Lt. must first be submitted to him.
I would guess that would eliminate any questions that might embarrass the City or the Sheriff's Office. I am only presuming that spontaneous questions will not be entertained. So, if I may, since you are over Mr. Schwab I would prefer, if you will, to go directly to the top, only because my efforts of dealing with the bottom produced no results. I might add no results that by law I have a right to.
Here Sir, is my question for the Lt. "Lt. Guerra. Here is the Vehicle Identification Number to a City owned 1996 Ford Crown Victoria 2FALP74W6TX185814. Lt. would you please run this number through DMV and tell me what happened to it. City Hall can't." I requested from the City what happened to this vehicle that was used by Mr. Schwab and then replaced by a Dodge Durango Cherry Red in color, which by the way I have not seen at City Hall. Has it also been replaced or lost. The staff at City Hall informs me that no documents exist regarding the Ford.
Thank You. Bill Hays
Gramps says: I hope there is a full investigation on ALL Cars Purchased by the City. This is interesting that they just vanish every 5 years. What is he driving this year?
THE DOCUMENTS
of the
BLUE MT. SENIOR VILLA CASE
AND SCHWABS STATEMENTS.
City Manager Tom Schwab’s Comments in the July 20th, 2006 edition of the Grand Terrace City News: show a that it is his continued opinion that the conduct of the City’s Planning Department, Planning Commission, and Redevelopment Agency and the Plans and Process used in the approval of the Blue Mt. Senior Villas and other Developments Promoted by City Staff and the Redevelopment Agency are or should be immune from public scrutiny. His comments attempting to vilify the group called Citizens for a Responsible and Open Government and Temecula Attorney Ray Johnson demonstrate his failure to recognize the problems which are endemic with the Management of the City’s Business for which he is responsible, and for which the City Council should be exercising greater oversight. City Manager/RDA Director Tom Schwab and the City Council are responsible for the inconvenience of the Senior Citizens and the Debt caused by their folly.
He is much like the smoker who attempts to blame the doctor for finding a spot of lung cancer on a lung. The Citizens who hire Mr. Johnson to represent their concerns did not write the Plans or run the Process of Approval of the Plans. The Citizens who have brought suit attempted to bring their concerns to the awareness of the City Planning Commission, the City Council and the City’s Planning Department, and the typical response was a non response by each of those entity. Therefore in the exercise of their rights Mr. Schwab attempts to vilify the plaintive, instead of addressing each of the real issues of the developments being challenged.
Abrupt Zone Changes, Plans and Designs not in agreement with General Plans, and Specific Plans, lack of Environmental Studies are just the tip of the iceberg threatening most of the Development Project Supported by the Redevelopment Agency Director Tom Schwab. Below the surface are No Bid Agreements, Debt Financed Development, and Exclusive Development Rights which were awarded without competitive bidding opportunities. Below the surface are land purchases, land leases that are negotiated behind Closed Doors. Below the surface are the contributions to city activities by developers with projects pending the planning approval review process.
In addition, City Manager Tom Schwab attempts to indicate that “A single group”, a “Small Group” of “SELFISH” people are blocking development in Grand Terrace. Yes Mr. Johnson does indeed represent citizen groups on several cases currently filed against the City/RDA. This is a prudent action by the citizens who hire him as they know he is aware of the problems which are endemic in the City of Grand Terrace, and it is a better use of their limited resources. However, there are different memberships to each of the groups for each of the suits the city faces.
Citizens have testified against the Plans approved by the City Staff and City Redevelopment Agency Director include: Manhole Builders, Out Door Adventure Center, Town Center (Lowes), Essco, Water Company Head Quarters and Garage Facility, and the Blue Mt. Senior Villas and Senior Center.
Consistent flaws are the lack of addressing environmental issues, flawed paper work, in one case using the paperwork for a gas station for the application for the Manhole Builders. Failure to abide by existing zoning, or pre-existing general plans or specific plans complicates each proposed development. The Staff at the City’s Planning Department and the City Manager/Redevelopment Agency Director Tom Schwab repeat the promotion of defective plans failing to alert the Council Members of the areas where additional studies or documentation needs to be done in order to be in full compliance with the State and Federal Requirements.
The idea that the laws don’t apply to Projects the City Manager Approves of should be a significant concern to all Citizens of Grand Terrace, and the City Council. It should also be a significant concern that the Attitude of the City Management is that the Citizens, or a Group of Citizens who raise an issue to a Court of Law are acting Selfish and not acting for the public good as well as protecting YES their own interest which is an OPTION we AMERICANS have on occasion.
Of the 108 Senior apartments being built 10 will be offered at market rate. The other 98 will be for Section 8, or VERY VERY LOW INCOME SENIORS. This is not what was represented to the Community. So for those seniors who are looking to live in one of the apartments at the Blue Mt. Senior Villa’s you may find there is no place at the Villa for your income classification.
All citizens have rights in Grand Terrace, not just Seniors. Affordable Housing should be available to All age groups. Senior Housing was Planned in the area near the existing facility known as “The Terrace”, close to the center of town and shopping. AND so forth. No one desires to HARM the seniors. Everyone except Mr. Schwab and Mr. Jacobsen would have been pleased if the Senior Villa’s were to be built ON Barton Road where Planned, using sound competitive bids as a means of determining the contractor and service agreements.
When a Judge Reverses the Approvals of a City, it indicates that the law suit was not frivolous. IT is UNUSUAL that City Hall loses in court. The Judge has decided there is a problem, he has only decided the environmental portion of the case, more decisions will be coming in the future.
How should the City Council Respond to the events and lessons. The City Council should increase its Oversight and Scrutiny of Projects Promoted by the City Manager/RDA Director and Planning Department, so that the Citizens are not subject to legal action, and the Developers are properly informed of the requirements prior to a problem.
Remember the Cancer Patient Example. Well the Cancer is Improperly done development plans, and designs. The doctor making that diagnostic evaluation are the citizens filing bringing the issues to court. The Attorney Ray Johnson is the surgeon. City Manager / Redevelopment Agency Director is the Tobacco Farmer, Distributor, Adviser, and Marketer. A few citizens are saying NO don’t BUY his Product. This is not a selfish act; it is an act worthy of praise and one to be encouraged as good citizenship.
Let's remember who gets paid $150,000.00 per year and is provided a car, full medical and dental insurance and suggests with the satement that the City Manager of Riverside gets paid more... oh that would be the selfless Mr. Schwab.
If you would like PDF files of the cases please email Grandterracenews@yahoo.com and they will be on the way.
If you would like PDF files of the cases please email Grandterracenews@yahoo.com and they will be on the way.
OTHER DOCUMENTS
OF CITY MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS
This is just a sample... of Documents... that add up to un answered questions regarding the quality of government being provided to Grand Terrace.
