Doug Jacobsen will be presenting plans that have been significantly revised to the City Council in attempt to get them approved without sufficient time for public, comment, review and yes, possible legal action if necessary.
The use of the "Workshop" hour precludes the attendance of many of our citizens who must rely on jobs in Los Angeles and Orange County for employment. They will be effectively shut out from the consultation on this PUBLIC/Private venture. Yes this includes RDA FUNDS and DEBT in addition to Street Improvements, Stop Lights, Block Walls, Site Elevation and more.
Doug Jacobsen's recent presentation to the Planning Commission included drawings with missing information, and poor spelling. In addition the major "revision" was to build and put in improvements in a piece meal way. This will cause or could cause the City to have to pick up the financial burden of making some of the infrastructure improvements at City or RDA Cost.
If this was a non RDA funded project the issue of strict conformity with procedure and codes and building plans or general plans would be different. If the Government in this case the City of Grand Terrace and their hand picked Developer can not build in full compliance with the code and building plan and General Plan and Specific Plan, then these plans need to be revised for all property and business owners in Grand Terrace.
The City Council approved a plan that was One Single Build. For Doug Jacobsen to chop it up now should require him to re submit from step one in the building approval process.
IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH JACOBSEN'S PLAN YOU MUST BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OR YOU MAY NOT HAVE CAUSE IN A COURT OF LAW.
Existing buildings are required to upgrade their sidwalks during remodels and construction projects. What makes Jacobsen and the RDA think the rules should be bent for them and not others?
Grand Terrace council to take up contract with sheriff
10:00 PM PDT on Monday, July 26, 2010
The Grand Terrace City Council will be asked tonight to renew its contract for law enforcement services with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
Renewal for the next year would cost the city $2,003,917, an increase of $126,231 from the fiscal year that ended June 30. The increase is because of labor concessions negotiated by the county with its deputies.
The council meets at 6 p.m. in its chambers at 22795 Barton Road in Grand Terrace.
--Darrell R. Santschi
Gramp Thinks:
Perhaps it is time to say no to an increase charged by the County. Our law enforcement officer is often not in GT. That time should be billed to the County or to Loma Linda, or even Colton where they are often seen eating their lunch.
City Officials Highly Paid?
10:00 PM PDT on Monday, July 26, 2010
With the scandal over exorbitant pay for Bell officials, Inland residents may wonder if their city governments, too, have approved extravagant salaries unbeknownst to them.
A 2007 Press-Enterprise survey showed Inland city manager salaries doubled between 1996 and 2006. Some now top $200,000.
But they're nowhere near the $787,637 a year Bell's city manager was making.
On Monday, a spot check of cities in Riverside and San Bernardino counties showed some managers have taken pay cuts along with rank-and-file employees.
Grand Terrace City Manager Betsy M. Adams, for example, took a 10 percent salary cut, reducing her base pay from $175,000 a year to $166,500. Grand Terrace has no assistant city manager position or police chief (a sheriff's lieutenant supervises a few deputies).
Dave Mora, West Coast director of the International City/County Management Association, said most city managers are forgoing salary increases or reducing their salaries as employees' pay is being reduced.
Redlands' city manager, Enrique Martinez, on the other hand, got a health stipend for himself and the city attorney this spring, while laying off workers and cutting others' pay.
Redlands couldn't provide figures but Councilman Mick Gallagher said Martinez's pay tops $240,000.
Corona Deputy City Clerk Toni Taber said her city had been expecting questions about pay in the wake of the Bell scandal. It readily provided the information:
City Manager Brad Robbins makes $230,256 a year; Assistant City Manager Greg Ervine makes $208,392 a year and the police chief makes $181,236 a year.
I never heard back from San Bernardino. But its manager, Charles McNeely, was making $275,000 a year when he was hired in March 2009. A year ago he recommended raising the assistant city manager salary to $197,000.
Riverside City Manager Brad Hudson's salary is $294,525 plus benefits; Assistant City Manager Tom DeSantis makes $220,031 plus benefits and Police Chief Sergio Diaz makes $229,999 plus benefits. (Spokesman Austin Carter said Bell figures excluded benefits.)
Loma Linda City Manager Jarb Thaipejr is paid $175,000 a year. But he also serves as public works director, city engineer and human resources director, doing four jobs for the price of one.
Highland City Manager Joe Hughes makes $169,000 a year and a $700 monthly car allowance. His health plan is worth $850 a month -- the same as other Highland employees, Administrative Director Chuck Dantuono said.
So some Inland cities are frugal, unlike notorious Bell where the police chief made $457,000 a year and the assistant city manager, $376,288.
Attorney General Jerry Brown on Monday subpoenaed records to determine whether Bell's managers conspired with council members to raise pay fraudulently or improperly.
Spokesman Jim Finefrock said Brown plans to review salaries in other California cities and counties to determine whether legislation is needed to cap salary increases that can be made without voter approval.
Cassie MacDuff can be reached at 951-368-9470 or cmacduff@PE.com
Gramp Thinks it is about time for the AG Jerry Brown to look into the same type of violations during the Schwab/Berry/Harper Years including the RDA transactions and botched "Plans" given to non bid developers.
