Appointment Applicaton Amended: ALERT

The application that is on the website has been amended.

The fax number provided had too many numbers.
The correct FAX number is 909 783-7629.

Below is the link for the amended application.
Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

http://www.cityofgrandterrace.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=758

From In the News: Sandoval Questions Navaro

Why so angry?
Posted: 01/02/2011 05:10:13 PM PST
http://www.sbsun.com/letters/ci_16994817
This letter was also published in the Grand Terrace City News

An open letter to Gil Navarro:

What is it that causes you to be so angry and full of spite? What is it that you are so opposed to? Are you opposed to Grand Terrace and the Colton school board developing a healthy working relationship based on mutual trust and honest discussions of the issues? Would you prefer an adversarial relationship based on threats and intimidation, which is what we used to have?
What exactly do you stand for as a county school board elected official?
What concrete proactive steps have you taken to improve the working relationship between GT and CJUSD?
When I look at your record I only see a trail of hate and half-truths you take to the press, because it appears you enjoy seeing your name in the press regardless of who you have to step on to make it happen.
What motivates you more, being an advocate for Latinos or seeing your name in the press? In your false claims of Brown Act violations by the Colton school board for attending the swearing-in ceremony for the members of the GT City Council and offering well wishes, you directly attacked Latino elected officials Patt Haro, Randall Ceniceros, Pilar Tabera and Bernardo Sandoval. So again I have to ask, what do you stand for?
Grand Terrace and the Colton school board are working very hard to heal a relationship in spite of your brand of politics, which thrives on hatred and mistrust.
I also have to ask why you selected the Grand Terrace City Council meeting. You didn't report Brown Act violations for the swearing-in ceremonies of the Colton City Council or even recent events that were held to honor a man I deeply respected and loved.
This Christmas season, I invite you, Gil Navarro, to join me at the table of solutions. It is a table where all who partake do so in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust, where with a shared passion individuals come together to make our local world a better place for all.

BERNARDO SANDOVAL
Grand Terrace City Councilman

Gramps Review:

While Grand Terrace City Council Member Bernardo Sandoval puts forth some interesting questions to Gil Navarro a Trustee of the San Bernardino County Board of Education, I have to support any and all attempts to protect the Brown Act in every application. It is fine to file a complaint and get an issue or situation clarified and defined for future activity. This is how a civil society functions.

If there was a violation, let the public and the Council Member and Board Members know so there is no future violation. The resolution should be a protocol by which information and meetings can be conducted properly and in accordance with the Brown Act. I am not saying the Brown Act was violated. I am saying it is appropriate for any citizen to call their government and its officials in question to make sure every i is dotted and t crossed. This is a protection for the citizen and the elected officials.

Filing a question or complaint or inquiry is the appropriate action, when there is even the slightest suspicion that something may be wrong. This should not be offensive to the Boards, Councils or any organization being held in question. We should want to know what is right and go forward in accordance to the rules, or laws regulating us. IF the LAWS don't fit, change them don't operate in ignorance, or defiance of the law or regulation. We have had too much of that in the past.

Gramps

_________________________________________________________

More From The Email InBox:

Open Letter to Grand Terrace City Council Member Bernardo Sandoval:

As a Christian I must reply to City of Grand Terrace Council Member Bernardo Sandoval's, Open Letter to San Bernardino County Board of Education, Trustee Gil Navarro. Why did Sandoval feel it necessary to dress Navarro down with a public letter if he is then evoking a Christmas Plea for Civility? Why not just call Navarro up on the phone and make an invite, or perhaps an official letter from the desk of the City Council Member's desk. No Sandoval's letter was a public dressing down of another elected official. It included not referencing Navarro's official title and went beyond the scope of the secular and transgressed into the area of Faith.

Your Christmas Plea for civility in the political realm is offensive. Christ said render unto Cesar what is Cesar's. The issues you have between you are not on the Faith you invoked as a counter point or mitigatory aid. No what it looks like is your trying to suggest you are a better Christian than he is. That is offencive and inappropriate in political discourse. It debases the religion you invoke, and it suggests a level of arrogance upon your part. To question the action of authority is not to be done in some practices of religion. However, in politics of the USA it is the responsible thing to question those who govern us.

Council Member Sandoval, you are new to politics, it may be a good idea to write the letters and ideas down, and then let them sit for a few days and while they age, look at them from every angle prior to their release.

My next question to you is will you use other Christian Holidays as part of your intimidation of other critics? Perhaps you'll be politically correct and include the religions and holidays of other religions as your basis for ridiculing some one who dares to question the actions of those who have been elected not anointed to govern their secular affairs. Here is a news flash. Some very firm believers in Christ resent Christianity being used to suggest a higher moral character and omnipotence by politicians on a National and Local level.

Even Christ questioned authority, even when it was The Authority. So friend, it is fine if Navarro asked for a clarification on the actions of the CJUSD Board Members. Let's be civil and wait for the answer from the proper authority. By the way You are not the proper authority on all things Brown Act, so coming to a table for a discussion would be useless on this concern.

Perhaps you Council Member Sandoval should reflect upon this point both as a politician and as a Christian.

Christian in Grand Terrace

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Gramps:

The San Bernardino County Board of Education Trustee for Grand Terrace is Alen Ritchie
Trustee Area E Vice President of the Board. If there is any Trustee to be brought into the relationship between the City of Grand Terrace and the CJUSD it should be Mr. Ritchie not Mr. Navarro. HOWEVER, in reading the SBCSS web site it is noted that the Board must work as a body and that no individual has singular authority. So, if Mr. Navarro filed a Brown Act complaint he did this as an Individual Citizen not as a SBCSS Board Trustee.

The City of Grand Terrace vs the CJUSD is not part of the concern of the SBCSS Board. Its job is to distribute funds and handle School Related Issues, not the political squabbles between individual with a City Government. I welcome a new maturity to the relation ship between the City and CJUSD, but it is not the business of the County School Board to fix the problem.

When the City of Grand Terrace, has its City Governance Mastered, it then may want to be of better assistance to the CJUSD rather than acting as it has in the past. For now, try keeping the focus on what each of the agencies are supposed to do and keep the functions well defined. When collaboration is appropriate fine, but keep the authorities clear as to who does what when and how. You don't go to a Proctologist for an Eye Exam, or perhaps I should say I hope you don't.

Educator in Grand Terrace

From the Email Inbox: Input to City Council Members

Dear Gramps:

Will the email and phone call log to Council Member Garcia and Council Member McNaboe be made part of the public record. They both refereed to email and phone and other conversations that were in support of an election. They did not disclose who those were from or who their contacts supported in the case of an appointment being the option. It would be informative to the public to have those folks and comments on the record like was done at the Official Public Meeting, where citizens give their name and address for the record.

Gramps Reply:

I recall a time when City Attorney Harper advised Council Members that leaving an agenda item open for a second meeting could cause Brown Act Violations if they had any contact or conversation not on the Public Record between meetings. That admonishment included phone calls, citizen conversations and email reading.

Given the clear indication that both Council Member Garcia and Council Member McNaboe may have violated this obligation of a Council Member it may be off set by the release of their email and phone log during the time period including a summary of the input. This could be placed in the public record of the City Council Meeting Minutes as an Addendum as they referenced those contacts as part of their decision making on an open agenda item where public speaking had already been opened. That would be the practical resolution however the legal authorities may look at it differently.

Council Member Garcia should have known better, where as Council Member McNaboe is new to the restrictions and conditions of communication. She may have also been party to some of these communications prior to being actually a seated Council Member. Let's hope agenda items are opened and concluded in one meeting so that this situation does not happen on a regular basis.

Applicants Names Coming 2 Light read BMO

It appears that Tom Schwab is still making a desperate play to be involved in City Governance. He apparently has filed as an applicant for the City Council Seat Appointment, and in the BMO said he would pledge not to run in 2 years.

You can guess I am SO Opposed to this idea it makes it difficult not to re run a list of reason why he should not be an appointment.

First of all if there are two camps he is the Head of the Beast of one of the two camps. He himself admits to actions that could be considered criminal activities and or fraud. He at a council meeting said, he moved money as a loan from the RDA to the City with no intention of paying it back. He also admitted to obstructing the fraud and implementable investigation into the actions of Steve Berry. He then said his former employers did not pay income tax on stipends, when in fact they did and for years he allowed the wrong tax procedure to be used in GT, putting council members and the city at risk.

No we don't need the Former City Manager, giving guidance and direction to the Current City Manager in a capacity of a superior. Nope No Way, No How. We don't need to perpetuate his knowledge and experience any further.

The statements of Mr. Wilson and his apparent application seem to be an odd evaluation of an election and the public support for Sylvia Robles at the recent City Council Meetings. Mr. Wilson presumes he would get ALL of the votes from McGuire, Schwab, Loader, and Sternburg if he were in a 2 way race with Stanckiewitz. That is a bold assumption to make. Some of those voters may not have cast a vote or would have voted for Stanckiewitz if their friend, family member was not running, they may have had a leaning to Wilson, however to assume his votes would approach 1700 votes that Sylvia Robles received is an unsupportable statistical stretch of the imagination. He has run for office in the past and has not gotten close to her first run. He said nothing that would convince me that he held any advantage in qualifications as an appointment.

In the article Sylvia Robles stated her reasons for running and putting her name in as an option for appointment. She brings with her 25 years of governmental budget experience that would be of importance to the City Council and Community.

The apparent "Fear" of "Reformers" is a fear of transparency and accountability? Is that where we really are. Does Grand Terrace "Fear" that the City Council Members want to hold themselves and City Employees accountable and be transparent and straight forward with the community and voters? My understanding of "Fear" in general is that is based on a perpetuated ignorance that experience and education can overcome. What Grand Terrace has had in the past is a City Governance that perpetuated ignorance via poor disclosure, and open discussions, and manipulation. Let's hope Council Member Garcia, Darcy, Sandoval and Mayor Stanckiewitz are willing to see past the "Fear" and look for knowledge and expertise that the city needs.

There may be other applicants yet to evaluate. Let's hope that there is an appointment that will be helpful in these difficult budget times and one who would get or exceed the acceptance of 1700 voters. If not Sylvia Robles, clearly not Doug Wilson and or Tom Schwab.

UnOfficial Report and Update on Roads

Mt. Vernon Ave aka Jap Hill is open for traffic.

Please be careful and keep an eye on the hillside

as you use this way in and out of GT.

End of Year Crime and Arrest Report

A quick review of this months crime and arrest report may be of interest to all the citizens of the community.

Folks: If you are going to drink to "Celebrate the New Year" please don't Drink and Drive, or come home and be violent towards one another. Also note that there has been a Graffiti Spree and a rash of home/business burglaries.

Also notice that some of the crimes were committed out of Grand Terrace, the person arrested lived here.

http://grandterracenews.blogspot.com/2010/12/gt-arrests-and-crime-report-december.html

Storm Repair Costs Creep to Estamate of 1 Million

The Grand Terrace City News reported that the cost of the recient storms may reach up to 1,000,000.00 that's 1 Million dollars.

We have often heard the number of 1.6 million in "reserve" well folks here is the reason for float if in fact we have that much. With those funds we will have to pay for the upfront costs of all the repairs and then ask for refunding or reimbursement of those costs via federal and state and insurance underwriter.

We need to provide City Manager Betsy Adams with the best City Council possible in order to be sure that the funds are spent properly, accounted for and claims for reimbursement made and accounted for when they do arrive.

Grand Terrace Flood Damage Top $400,000

The Grand Terrace City Council met in emergency session Monday afternoon to declare a disaster while workers cleared storm drains in preparation for the storm.

At the Grand Terrace City Council meeting, City Manager Betsy Adams said the city expects to spend $411,000 on flood repairs.

Grand Terrace Road remains closed by flood damage, she said. Temporary repairs will cost $40,000 and a permanent fix is likely to be as much as $100,000. Mount Vernon Avenue may reopen today, officials said. (MT. Vernon is Still Closed) (Barton Rd. still has a utility pole that needs to be replaced). (Expect work crews and Safety Inspectors).

The rest of the story is at:

http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_flood28.9f7dc4.html

I suggest you read it as it gives you a good idea of where not to drive during and after a storm.

Note, that the mighty Cal Trans had to close the freeway due to water damage and flooding. How is it we trust Jacobsen/Stater's to get run off estimates more accurate than the grand old Cal Trans? The City's waiver of fees, and deposits for construction by LARGE Contractors and For example Riverside Water Company results in the short shifting of funds on reserve to resolve future unforeseen infrastructure corrections caused by the construction. Please let's hope that large construction projects or those covering the land with hard cement or pavement provide either those deposits, or sufficient insurance to cover the damage they contribute to in the event of rain and excessive run off.

It will be nice to know what is on that long list of repairs needed. But, the PE does not cover things in that detail.

Keep dry folks. Stay out of standing water or moving water... If you must drive in the rain, check the effectiveness of your breaks often and give your self plenty of time to get there, Drive SLOW, and Start your Stops well in advance of your NEED to Stop.

West Side Park: Terms Acceptable

There is only one way that Gramps would accept the idea of acquiring the land designated as the potential site for a West Side Park. That condition is that Doug Jacobsen Donates the land to the city or sell's it to the city for 1.00.

To spend any State Grand Funds or Funds of the City or the RDA to purchase that land is a kick back to Doug Jacobsen. It also remember was land he acquired in order to replace the Mobile Home Units he removed on Michigan. So Stater's whom Jacobsen was an agent should now assume the responsibility of providing low and middle income housing don't you think?.

Jacobsen's obligations and promises he made in public should all transfer to Stater's who has bought the entire development area.

If we lose the grant money because Jacobsen does not donate the land, so be it. The State of California should not be paying off Jacobsen any more than Grand Terrace should. Of course he'd get a tax right off, and in my opinion that is generous enough.

McNaboe Challange: Identify the Grant

Council Member Darcy McNaboe discounted Council Member Sandoval's suggestion that funds for an election could be spent on other things for example improved public access to city records and streaming the City Council Meetings on the Internet. At that point in the discussion she was still supporting an election over an appointment. She offered that there are grants out there that will encourage and pay for the improvement in government transparency. She later changed her position on the appoint or elect issue, seeing perhaps that the citizens would elect Sylvia Robles, she opted for appointment where she could make sure the Robles is not appointed.

Well, now here is her challenge. Where's the Grant. I hope within the next few meetings she includes in her Council Report, the Name of the Organization and the Grant and the Application deadlines for funds to specifically open the government records and provide a reply or play on demand the city council meetings. Note, the pdf files as made available now are not search able and this obscures information.

The beginning of this blog was in part due to the difficulty in getting information from the city, and having a transparent government. We must recognise that some changes have taken place. However, there is still room for improvement.

Crime & Arrests Reporting: We should be able to look at the city web page to know there was a Forced Entry of a Home,... that is why the Helicopter was flying over head and saying to a suspect "Come out from Hiding", last week. Sure it is a small town, but part of living in a small town is that if your arrested, everyone knows. This knowledge has an impact on behavior.

City Council Meetings are difficult to review, and although the availability of the City Council Agenda & Packets and the following Minutes are much improved there are side comments that are not included in the Minutes that at a later date become important to the citizen's understanding of an issue. These visual records should be on the Internet.

Election Documents and Financial Reporting should be on the Internet.

More detail on the payments made and received by the city should be available on line. The use of the city Credit Card, and Payroll Accounts are not reviewed by the public in any real detail.

This is only the start. IT is OUR GOVERNMENT, we should know where every dime of money goes, and for what. We can know that without knowing an individuals Social Security Number, or the Color of their Eyes. However, citizens should be able to see how every last cent is spent by their government. We count our pennies at home, it is time we require the same from our government.

Weather Damage Meeting Called: City Council

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, December 27, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, located in Grand Terrace Civic Center, 22795 Barton Road, Grand Terrace California.

Said Special Meeting shall be for:

Ratification of the City of Grand Terrace City Manager Disaster Proclamation

due to torrential rainfall in the City of Grand Terrace.

Folks this is a limited agenda item.

Jan 11 City Council Meeting:

GT Council To Appoint Missing Colleague

Friday, December 24, 2010

San Bernardino County Sentinel

GRAND TERRACE --Despite concerns that an appointment could create or solidify factionalism on the Grand Terrace City Council, members of that body this week resolved to accept applications from city residents to fill the open seat created when Walt Stanckiewitz was elected mayor in November. Stanckiewitz had two years remaining on his term and his elevation to mayor necessitated his resignation from the council post he was elected to in 2008.

With two newly elected members on the council - Darcy McNaboe and Bernardo Sandoval - there appeared to be a deadlock over the city’s direction. Sandoval and Stanckiewitz campaigned on platforms calling for reform of the way the city has done business in the past. McNaboe and incumbent councilwoman Lee Ann Garcia have both been supportive of what is perceived as the status quo. The two factions did not appear to be able to come to agreement on who to choose to fill the gap because of misgivings over the appointee aligning him or herself with one side or the other and thus forming a dominating coalition. The alternative, holding an eleiction would cost the city $50,000. In an unexpected turn, McNaboe departed from Garcia and voted with Stanckiewitz and Sandoval to choose a council colleague from among those applying for the post.

Among those anticipated to apply are Sylvia Robles, who was the top vote getter among the unsuccessful candidates in the November race.Robles, who finished closely behind McNaboe, is considered to be a reform advocate. She would be a natural ally to Stanckiewitz and Sandoval, having propounded many of the same suggestions they did in the race. Another likely applicant is planning commission chairman Doug Wilson, who placed second in the race for mayor. Wilson is perceived as favoring the status quo, and was quoted as stating he thought there was far more that needed to be preserved in Grand Terrace than needed to be changed. Another potential applicant is former city manager Tom Schwab, who epitomizes the status quo. Stanckiewitz has been outspoken in his criticism of Schwab and the policies he put in place during the 19 years he was the city’s top administrator.

The council voted at a special meeting to take applications from registered voters residing in Grand Terrace. Applications can be obtained at City Hall, the library, the Grand Terrace Childcare Center or www.cityofgrandterrace.org.

Applications must be submitted by January 4 to qualify for a selection hearing to be held on January 11.

Grand Terrace Council to appoint new member

Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer

Posted: 12/22/2010 08:13:31 PM PST

Updated: 12/22/2010 08:19:46 PM PST

GRAND TERRACE - After lengthy debate, the City Council has voted to accept applications for an open seat on the council.

The 3-1 decision, with Councilwoman Lee Ann Garcia dissenting, came following extended discussions at a special meeting Tuesday and the previous week, when the City Council delayed the decision to avoid an apparent 2-2 stalemate over whether to hold a special election or appoint someone.

"Everybody was surprised that we were able to come together," Mayor Walt Stanckiewitz said afterward. "See, we can agree. People shouldn't be afraid that one group is trying to get power over the other."

Many of the citizens advocating for an election had expressed concern that the four council members would be unable to agree on a fifth member. Some also worried that if they chose the most-recommended appointment suggestion - Sylvia Robles, who lost in November by 1 percent - she would align with Stanckiewitz and Councilman Bernardo Sandoval to overpower the remaining two council members.

Others said allowing the council to choose its own member was undemocratic.

But the majority of residents said the city could not afford an election, which the registrar of voters said would cost $31,000 to $50,000.

The council voted Dec. 14 to ask the registrar if money could be saved by consolidating the election with another city's, but no cost-cutting methods were found.

Any registered voter in Grand Terrace can fill out an application from City Hall, the library, the Grand Terrace Childcare Center or www.cityofgrandterrace.org.

"I think there's somebody out there who all of us will be happy with," Stanckiewitz said. "Are they somebody who ran? Maybe. I doubt it, because there (are) a lot of hard feelings on both sides."

Applications must be submitted by Jan. 4. The City Council will interview candidates and vote to accept one at the next meeting, Jan. 11.

ryan.hagen@inlandnewspapers.com
909-386-3916

Gramps says

Clearly Sylvia Robles is the desired Council Member by much of the community. Also as clear Neither Council Member Garcia nor Council Member McNaboe will approve her appointment. Even if a Boy Scout Hosted Election under the upervision of a Certified Public Accountants were to result in a vote for Sylvia Robles, Darcy McNaboe asked if the council would have to approve that indicating that she would not comply even if such an election selected Sylvia the popular vote. Perhaps this was why she went along with the appointment rather than an election. She feared that Sylvia Robles would have won an election of any sort, after seeing the number of supporters attending the two city council meetings. She selected appointment with several times assuring Council Member Lee Ann Garcia that there was little likely hood that three Council Members would find a candidate they could vote for and thus the seat would remain open.

Well, given the above it would make since that Sylvia Robles in spite of public support saves the public and the council's time and just waits on an election period that will count and neither McNaboe or Garcia can avoid the election results. Let's hope that the low election results for Wilson, Schwab and the others who ran in the last election also prove them unworthy to be seated and that a person who did not run may be the only option that could possibly result in an appointment. It should also be a person not previously serving on the Planning Commision as all those servings are in the position due to a selection process tainted by the Schwab Era of Administration.

Gov Arnold Declaired State of Emergency: GT Needs to Act

The Governor of the State of California declared a State of Emergency in the face of the storm threat. Well our City needs to declare a City Wide State of Emergency and get in line for post emergency clean up and repair funds.

Yes this is a heavy rain... No it is not unusual this happens about every 10 to 40 years and if we fail to build for it we will repeat and repeat and repeat the flooding conditions and road damage and so forth and it will just be or should be a part of our budget to expect to pay for road repair and flood damage.

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE STILL IN AFFECT:

GRAND TERRACE RD, BETWEEN NEWPORT AND VIVIENDA.

Posted on: December 22, 2010

TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURES

The City has closed Barton Road from Honey Hill to Colton & Mt. Vernon Ave. from Grand Terrace Road to Colton due to sliding. The road will remain closed until the debris has been cleared. Staff is working with the City of Colton to reopen the roads as soon as possible.

Posted on: December 21, 2010 ROAD IS NOW OPEN BUT EXPECT FUTURE CLOSURES AT ANY TIME

Road Closure - Grand Terrace Road from Vivienda Ave. to Newport Ave.

Grand Terrace Road between Newport Avenue and Vivienda Avenue has been closed due to a road failure. Residents will still have access to their homes. The City will be investigating the cost associated with the repairs. The road will remain closed until further notice.

To help you find your way to San Bernardino Area appointments you can still make your way North and into the San Bernardio / Metro Loma Linda & Redlands areas by snaking your way around via La Cadena for now...

Shopping can still be accessed in Riverside via the freeway and or La Cadena or Michigan to Iowa.

Be careful out there folks.

Also if you see a clear patch on the Doppler 7000 look how fast it is moving and judge your travel time to be when the rain has ended. Drive slow and make sure you have space enough to stop with wet brakes.

Posted on: April 29, 2010

511 Travel Information System Launched

IE511 provides robust, up to the minute, traffic and mobility options to motorists via the phone or the www.IE511.org website. While in San Bernardino or Riverside Counties, dial 511 from a land line or cell phone to be connected. Both the website and phone system offers real-time traffic information. The website also offers a glimpse of traffic flow through Caltrans freeway cameras. Bus, Metrolink and rideshare information, such as carpool lane maps, Park and Ride lots, and employer incentives also are available through this system.

Inland Empire 511 Website...

Applications Available on Line for City Council Appointment

The City of Grand Terrace is now accepting applications to fill one vacancy on the City Council. Applicants must be 18 years of age, reside within the corporate limits of the City and be registered to vote in the City of Grand terrace at the time the application is submitted.

Applications are available in the City Clerk's Office, at the Grand Terrace Branch Library, at the Grand Terrace Child Care Center and on the City's Website.

Applications must be received by January 4, 2011 at 5:00 p.m.

Applicants will be interviewed at a regular meeting of the City Council held on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.

Click below for Application
http://www.cityofgrandterrace.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=755

Click below for Press Release
http://www.cityofgrandterrace.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=756

Gramps Adds:

Doug Wilson has run for Mayor and applied for City Council and has been rejected several times by the voter and the past city councils. His aspiration is to be Mayor and we already have a Mayor and a Mayor Protem we don't need a Mayor Prothree sitting at the council seat. I don't mind some one with political aspirations being appointed, I just don't think the Current Mayor or Council needs a 3rd Mayor wannabee.

Sylvia Robles received over 1700 votes from folks who could have not marked their ballots. These were Intentional Votes she received. For the sitting council members to ignore this fact is a slap in 1700 faces, that will sting for the next two years. The voters will remember, this blog will remember.

If you want to read up on past appointments there was one in 2007 January that was covered by several posts on this blog. Note that all the past appointments were during a time that Mr. Schwab met with each council member prior to the Council Meeting to "go over things" his influence as to who was on the Planning Commission and the City Council by appointment was excessive and often a rejection of the voter's intent, or public support. At least that has changed.

I still support the appointment and hope for the appointment of Sylvia Robles. I think there should at minimum be a motion to appoint her and have the record clear as to the action of the Council Members. This should be done regardless if she applies or not for an appointment. Her supporters that spoke in public clearly want her on the council and she did run and was vetted by the Public and the Press during a long campaign. You never saw a news paper article where she was unavailable to the reporter's questions. But hey that is my single opinion and it is apparent that regardless of how many voices are heard, the sound lands on deaf ears.

Gramps

From the Email InBox: What I heard

Gramps:

What I heard Council Member Lee Ann Garcia say is that in the past times she was involved in appointing people to the City Council it was a forgone conclusion by the City Council that the appointment would come from a person on the Planning Commission or who had prior experience. Why then did they pretend to have an open application to all interested parties.

Was she not offended by the process used in the past sufficiently to object or raise issue with it? I am troubled by the revelations of her lengthy description of the past and her current logic regarding this appointment that is pending. Has she and Council Member Darcy McNaboe already predetermined that there will be NO appointment as they assured each other that they had high level of doubt that 3 of the 4 would find an applicant they would approve. Thus they collectively demonstrated how difficult a 4 member council will be.

I hope the "Trust" that was given to them is not betrayed and that they will try to be accepting of one of the applicants who they do not find so repugnant as Sylvia Robles, the apparent choice of the people in attendance and the voters of the most recent election. Note to them, no one shut out the "Other's who sent email". When it was time for PUBLIC Comment "they" should have made their comment public or not have it counted in higher regard than those who came to the PUBLIC Meeting gave their names and stated their views. Certainly Garcia & McNaboe aspire to have more credibility than this blog... or do they?

Gramps Says:

Interesting points, If not Sylvia.... who that clearly is the question now. They have heard Public Comment, seen the vote results, and there is nothing those who support Sylvia could say or do as individuals or en mass to shift their decision so be it. Pick a person to break the ties that clearly will plague this sitting council. Or vote to agree to a coin toss with no added conditions after the coin has been tossed. Information, and public comment is clearly not an issue for either McNaboe or Garcia, as evidenced by the desire to limit the number of questions to make the meeting not run later than 9ish. My head is still spinning on that idea alone.

This is why Contracts Should Have Fixed Time Requirements

Grand Terrace High School finished in fall 2012

Posted:12/21/2010 07:10:21 PM PST

GRAND TERRACE - Construction on Grand Terrace High School could be complete as early as next December if the school district pays for overtime and other catch-up measures.

However, the school will likely not open until the 2012-2013 academic year, according to the company responsible for building the school.

Representatives of Vanir Construction Management presented three construction schedules at a special school board meeting Thursday. The school board will choose one of those options Jan. 13, after its facilities committee reviews the options and their price.

Completion dates ranged from Dec. 20, 2011 to April 30, 2012 depending on how hard - and therefore how expensively - contractors push and when additional amenities such as the swimming pool are added.

Furnishing and testing will push the first day of class back about four months from the time construction ends, according to Darryl Taylor, director of facilities, planning and construction for the Colton Joint Unified School District.

Several members of the public and school board members said they had lost confidence in the company and thought it should pay at least a portion of the extra expense.

"I'm really anxious to hear what our attorneys have to say (and) if we as a board added anything (to contractually demand payment) in case the time line wasn't met," said Pilar Tabera, a newly elected member.

DeVries said unexpectedly heavy rains, employment problems and discoveries while digging knocked construction behind schedule in the spring, but he did not want to announce the company had "given up" until he was sure time could not be recovered.

Read more: http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_16915312#ixzz18q2cERIN

Gramps says:

A good contractor should know and plan for delay caused to weather. Our weather last year was not outstandingly wet. Nor is the rain we are getting now. We have had in our history winters where we had 40 days of rain back to back. Unusual but possible and should have been calculated into the contract bid and time line requirements.

Both the contractor and the CJUSD failed in writing a good contract if there are not such conditions as cause for time line slips and who is responsible for making up the slippage, and so forth. The City of Grand Terrace can learn from this and make sure not to repeat the same kind of contractual folly as we are seeing regarding the High School. Let's hope both the new city council and the new school board will demand better contracts from the staff.

Paying overtime to be on schedule is usually the cost of doing business as a contractor and the incentive is to not have to pay penalties for not meeting a stipulated completion date. Early completions to contract may even stipulate a bonus for early completion after final inspection is finished. These protections should be included in all CJUSD Contracts and City Contracts.

From In the News: Fill Council Vancy

City will fill council vacancy

GRAND TERRACE: A councilwoman wants voters to decide, not leave it to an appointment.

10:00 PM PST on Tuesday, December 21, 2010

By DARRELL R. SANTSCHI
The Press-Enterprise

The Grand Terrace City Council voted 3-1 Tuesday night to appoint a fifth council member rather than call a special election.

Councilwoman Lee Ann Garcia cast the lone dissenting vote, saying she wants voters to decide who will serve the two years remaining in the vacancy.

The vacancy opened when Councilman Walt Stanckiewitz won election Nov. 2 as the city's new mayor. He replaced Maryetta Ferre, who did not seek re-election.

The decision came after nearly two hours of debate over how to fill the seat and what process the council will follow when it interviews candidates.

Thirteen residents commented, with some calling for the council to appoint Sylvia Robles, who lost a seat to former Planning Commissioner Darcy McNaboe by 50 votes in the November election.

Others, including the council majority, contended that the city's budget is too tight to spend at least $31,000, and as much as $50,000, on an election.

The council opted to give candidates until Jan. 4 to apply for the vacancy and to interview them at a Jan. 11 council meeting.

Reach Darrell R. Santschi at 951-368-8484 or dsantschi@PE.com

Mayor Stanckiewitz's First Full Meeting:

Mayor Stanckiewitz new on the job as mayor demonstrated a more public friendly approach to the Public Comment portion of the agenda. He did not interrupt the speaker to announce they had 15 seconds to finish their statement each time the warning beep sounded. Most if not all speakers finished up and the flow of the meeting went along quite nicely. There may have been a few speakers who heard the final beep but upon hearing it, they finished their sentence and stepped away from the podium.

During the first meeting Mayor and Council allowed a short extension to allow the speaker to finish a rather long concluding sentence but this too was done in a quick and unobtrusive way as to not be disruptive of the speakers train of thought or points that were being presented to the council and the public.

Let's hope this new climate of the city council meetings continues.

Mayor Stanckiewitz also allowed each and every council member to fully express their views and concerns on the topic. He neither rushed to a motion, or bullied his point or view. By allowing all the council members to continue to consider the issue and situation before them they were able to reach a decision. Then they were able to agree upon the process to carry out that decision.

How that decision will turn out, who knows for sure. However we can see he is not an impediment to the process of council discussion and finding consensus.

City Manager Betsy Adams should also be noted for providing information without a hint of "Telling" the council how they should act. This is a giant step forward to an improve government for this city. Let's all work hard to try to keep GT afloat while the damage done is repaired. It will take time. But, things are looking better than they have in a long time.

Questions For Applicants an Issue

Gramps:

I kind of think that all questions should be asked of all applicants. The city council members should not limit the amount of information they or the public has prior to making a decision because a meeting may run late. That sounds like there is a lack of wanting to be fully informed prior to a decision. Let's hope Council Woman Garcia isn't either so rushed to make a decision that she doesn't gather all information prior to a vote or that she has closed her mind to the possibility of an appointment and she has intentionally debased the process by suggesting a time limit as to her capacity to serve in a long meeting.

Council Member Darcy McNaboe seems to hold little hope in finding a person that could attract 3 votes. These predetermined attitudes will be a challenge for any applicant to overcome. It is kind of like them saying, if they think the applicant is acceptable to Sandoval and Stanckiewitz they will vote against supporting that candidate just for that reason alone. They have set a high bar for the applicants and they may find that they will have to aspire to that same bar themselves in their next election. Grand Terrace City Council is if nothing else interesting.

Council Member Bernardo Sandoval kept inviting input from the other council members. This is an example of a person who listens well, and first tries to broaden his understanding of others positions. He showed maturity in drawing out the issues clearly was willing to hear out all sides and points of the other council members.

Mayor Stanckiewitz, also did not rush into a motion that would just end in a 2/2 vote for the sake of getting it on the record and then moving on. This shows a desire to have issues resolved and not end in a stalemate.

So there is some hope, but it will require many long meetings in the future.

From Email InBox: Appointment Debate

Gramps:

Did Council Members Lee Ann Garcia and Darcy McNaboe indicate they received email input on an open agenda item that influenced their decision? Will this email be in the public record of the minutes? Clearly the public that came to the meetings on 2 occasions supported appointment of Sylvia Robles and for some reason they were clearly opposed to that suggestion and so much as said by their comments that IF Robles applied for the appointment She would not get either of their votes regardless of how much public support was at the City Council Meeting or the 1300 votes she received in the last election. There is some sort of false logic that in a 2 way race people only have 2 choices. The voters could have Not voted for Sylvia Robles and that would have left a larger majority for McNaboe. The vote was a near split perhaps it would be most representative if Robles and McNaboe serve on the same council as counter weights to each other.

The apparent rejection of the voter input, and the input of the public that showed up to not one but two public city council meetings is telling. There was no blockage of other people from participation in the public discussion of the issue.

Council business starts at 6:00 and if parties are interested in the agenda they stay till the close of the meeting. That is what is required. It would be helpful if the agenda is only on city business and not full of presentations and awards when there are business issues that are time consuming. There should be a full questioning or interview of all applicants not limited to time. There is a thing called coffee if you get sleepy. There is a fitness requirement to serve on a City Council and yes some times that requires a long meeting, and a late night.

Gramps Answers:

Yes, they did mention being influenced by email, and they did not provide copies for the public record to the clerk at the time of the meeting. This was an open Agenda Item so there may be justification for the inclusion of the emails on that topic to be included.

In some ways, the only decision we got out of the City Council was that there will not be a costly election. They will try to appoint a council member but Garcia and McNaboe have all ready stated a belief that there is no person in all of Grand Terrace that would get 3 of the 4 of them to vote for them. They eliminated the option to have a ranking that would kind of let an applicant float to the surface using a statistical model like a decision matrix, but no. The appointment process as designed by Garcia and McNaboe is intended to result in a 2/2 split and an open seat for 2 years. Each applicant will know in public who is thumbs up or down on them.

What will be interesting will be how many issues are not decided during that 2 year period because of a 2/2 vote.