Guerin defends appointment to waste water board
By: ADAM KAYE - Staff Writer
ENCINITAS ---- Mayor Christy Guerin on Thursday defended her recent appointment of a staffer as an alternate to a regional waste water board and lashed out at a colleague for criticizing the action.
The spat over Guerin naming Public Works Department Director Phil Cotton as a nonvoting alternate to Encina Wastewater Authority's board of directors comes as Guerin juggles her city duties with those of her new employer, Republican Rep. Brian Bilbray.
It also underscores animosity between Guerin and Councilwoman Maggie Houlihan, as Guerin approaches her final four months in office. Guerin announced recently she will not seek a third term.
Houlihan said Thursday that Guerin should have brought a proposal to appoint Cotton to the Encina board to the City Council for consideration.
read the rest at NCT.com
Yes, great article today by Adam Kaye in NCT, about bad girl Bossy Guerin making another appointment without public hearing or Council ratification, to Encina Wasewater Authority's board of directors.
ReplyDeleteRumors and hopes are flying in Encinitas, now, that there will be a shake up, come November, with the public electing new Council Members, demanding a new, more frugal, City Manager, showing our unhappiness with the powers that be. Mayor Christy Guerin is essentially a lame duck, because she is stepping down. We wish she would, right away.
The voters definitely do not consider these appointments to be "administrative formalities." They should be accomplished through public hearings and ratified by all of Encinitas City Council.
Guerin has no business labeling Maggie Houlihan or her objections "so petty and ugly." Guerin falls back on her usual excuse that "It has been this way forever."
No excuse, Guerin: we think you are the one being petty and ugly by evading and denying us an open public hearing on this matter, and many others. If there is a shake-up in City Hall, we don't want more of the same, with Phil Cotton cow-towing to the powers that no-longer be.
Phil Cotton needs to exit with Guerin.
ReplyDeleteHey, hilarious cartoon, on Opinion Page, in this morning's paper, Thornhill’s View, showing Christy Guerin frantically juggling her jobs, working for Bilbray (sloshing bucket) sitting on regional boards (steaming iron), Encinitas Mayor Job (toaster), and Mom Duties (simmering pot on the stove). Many members of the public are hoping Mayor Guerin will step down, now. We are not happy with her appointing Phil Cotton to the Encina Waste Water Authority without going to the citizens through a public hearing so that Council could ratify. If this "is the way it's always been," we want big changes, ASAP.
ReplyDeleteCouncil could show good faith by reselecting a new mayor, early, not waiting until December or January, after the elections.
Yeah, Phil Cotton is where he is because he plays yes man to Bossypants Guerin.
ReplyDeleteWe want someone who can think for herself/himself. Right now our mayor is yes woman to Bilbray.
When Sheila Cameron was mayor, Christy Guerin engineered that she would have to step down from that position before her term is up. Now Christy Guerin's karma may come back to haunt her.
What goes around, comes around.
The Union Trib had some details on the number of meetings Guerin has missed.
ReplyDeleteShe missed 5 Encina Wastewater Authority meetings between March and July. She missed 3 SANDAG meetings between the same period.
What "mom" duties does Guerin have? At least three of the kiddies are in their twenties. Is she doing undercover work looking for workman's comp or disability pension scofflaws?
ReplyDeleteShe gets a generous expense allowance from encinitas taxpayers. Does it pay for her gas to Bilbray's office?
Bad Girl Guerin is spreading herself too thin.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing she is in the "thick of" is politics.
Yes, she should step down, now, as mayor. We would be better off with four Council Members until the elections in November.
She's not showing up for her meetings, consistently, anyway. Now she's making more bad decisions and bad appointments behind our backs.
Boo Bossy! Please Christy Guerin, can't you see "the fix" you've put us in? Step down, now!
Encinitas rocks.
ReplyDeleteWe have been a little worried that Maggie had slipped over to the dark side. Its great to see her stand up to the corruption that is city hall and city manager.
ReplyDeleteMore to come?
spot on "yes-man, karma woman"...I was at that meeting where Shelia was forced to step down a lousy 2 weeks before her turn as mayor was finished and it was pathetic. Speaker after speaker told Christy not to do this, that it would come back to haunt her and all she could do was cry. She left the podium several times, and as I recall, returned after one outburst, and said "I just spoke to my husband *sniff*, my personal bodyquard, as I call him, and told him I wasn't sure I could hold up for the entire meeting. All we're trying to do here, people, is Right A Wrong *sniff sniff*". Even Dennis Holtz remarked, "I don't know who gave you advice on this Christy, but you are making a big mistake".
ReplyDeletePart of me wonders if it's the same person who talked her into this and convinced her that working for Bilbray is a swell idea.
OK Buteo,
ReplyDeleteI'm back and I'm hungover so I'll keep this short and sweet!!
You're tired of my critisms and want me to offer a solution, of all the problems facing Leucadia and they are numerous, I'll pick one, how 'bout this....porta potties at the beach!!!
Why is it that Leucadia has no porta potties at the beach access points??
Why is it that a tourist comes up to me (the RSPB) at Beacons last week, looking for a toilet?? I pointed to the bushes and said "That's where I go!" She replied " OH no, I don't need to go to the bathroom, I already went , IN THE OCEAN!!!" She wanted to know why there are NO toilets at the beach, I told her to write the city council, she said she would and said NO toilets at the beach Is "STUPID". Now if a tourist understands that no toilets is stupid what does that say about you "Locals"??
And I agree with her, no toilets at the beaches is STUPID!!!
Now I understand that this "solution" isn't endorsed by all Leucadians and may not be endorsed by you either, but I don't give a damn!!! Do the Right Thing!! This city spends over $1 Million dollors a year keeping runoff clean and then lets you and I piss and shit in the ocean because we have NO choice!! AT least not in Leucadia!!!
So there you have it Buteo, a solution and not a pretty one at that, but a solution nonetheless.
I understand this posting isn't related to the topic at hand, but I don't give a damn. Now I better get off this blog before J.P. labels me a "Hater" again.
Staggering down the 101, not giving a damn but offering solutions everyday, it's YOUR Roadside Park Bum!!
"What "mom" duties does Guerin have? At least three of the kiddies are in their twenties. Is she doing undercover work looking for workman's comp or disability pension scofflaws?"
ReplyDeleteIt's pathetic that so many of these commentors ignore even the simplest facts. Only one of Christy's children is living on her own, and that's her stepdaughter. with two more in high school and one in college, i'd say she's still pretty busy being a mom.
anyone who has actually got kids knows that motherhood doesn't simply end when "kiddies are in their twenties."
Gil brought up porti potties at a meeting but it didn't seem to stick to the council. Maybe try again in Nov?
ReplyDeleteNo worries RSB, you know I love you man.
I love a good Catfight! Maybe I'll pick up one of those two hot looking councilwomen for my Sunday ride! Hopefully, doze firemen dont beat me to Christy. I bet they both like the like the Roar of my BIG straightpipe! Hee Heee.. You know what they say about big straight pipes dont you!?
ReplyDeleteI know the City folks are afraid of me. I look forward to making you cringe next Sunday, Queleudians. I put on a new megaphone pipe on my hog that tops those sissy honk honk train horns. Your gonna love it!!! If you smile at me, maybe I'll stop and let you play with my fat roles until the light turns green.
Hey, we don't need to call one another names, here. The cartoon shows Christy Guerin frantically trying (unsuccessfully, we feel) her mom duties with her other duties.
ReplyDeleteSo how many of the kids are stepkids, and what are their ages, Caylin? Those of us with kids know that they continue to be a responsibility into their twenties. That's the point. Guerin is trying to wear too many hats, has too many hands in the fire, including her Mom duties. No one is pathetic for expressing an honest opinion, either.
The point is, Mommy Dearest should not serve out her term as mayor. She's too busy too attend all the boards she's on, and she selects "alternates not allowed to vote," like Phil Cotton, behind our back. That shouldn't be the way it's always been done, that's for sure.
Yes, Dan Dalager could do himself a huge favor and talk to the other Council Members to vote Christy Guerin out as mayor, now. Maggie Houlihan got the most votes in the last election, and she could be the new mayor.
This is not a reality TV show, Council Members. And Christy Guerin does not have immunity. She shouldn't keep on making bad policy at taxpayers' expense. Common guys, Maggie, keep showing some courage. Put Christy out to pasture with Bilbray.
Please!
Maybe they should make a reality teevee show about the Encinitas city council. It would be more entertaining than America's Got No Talent.
ReplyDeleteHwyAngel, I'm more of a hot rod fan myself than bikes but I do like choppers. I think a lot of the new Harley's are yuppie gay, kind of like a PT Cruiser.
Watched World's Fastest Indian last week on DVD, a kickass movie.
Yeah, JP, Council just ignores Gil everytime he brings up the porta pottie biz. He says he'll have to take this to the Coastal Commission.
ReplyDeleteWe don't get Maggie's seeming lack of concern on so many issues, like her going along with the plan to fight the Coastal Commission when she was at one time considered as a candidate to be part of the Commission. I'm glad they picked someone else! Maggie should be in favor of portable bathrooms for Leucadia beaches; so should Dan Dalager. They live in Leucadia! Don't they ever go to the beach?
Maggie did do the right thing on this, and we're glad she showed the courage to speak out. She didn't call names; Christy Guerin did, calling Maggie petty and ugly.
Bossypants sure knows how to turn the tears on and off. Like at that so-called "press conference," where only Adam Kaye of NCT showed up with one photographer. Guerin was dry eyed, pushy, minutes before. The tears didn't come until the photo op was set, moments later, when she declared her intention to not run again. Thank God for that!
Well, I guess "Phony Guerin" is a name.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that was meant as an "honorific." ha ha.
City Council meetings are shown on Thurday nights, following Wed. night Council Meetings, so they are already a kind of hard to take reality show. What is amazing is how our Council gets away with doing so much in closed session, using every possible loophole to avoid full public disclosure.
Glenn Sabine serves as a kind of private attorney for staff and Council. He has very basic conflicts of interests in representing the People of Encinitas, including the fact that he and Morrison work for El Cajon and La Mesa, and other cities, too. They won't reveal how many cities, or how much they make from each.
Randal Morrison doesn't have to fill out the disclosure form for funds received from private sources, as he is not employed by the City, nor is he contracted by the City.
This weird relationship is part of the nepotism that runs rampant at City Hall. So is Phil Cotton's new Board position with the Encina Wastewater Authority.
I've never seen a city council person at the beach, at a restaurant or anywhere else around town. Hmmm, maybe they keep them in pods in between meetings?
ReplyDeleteThey come out at night and stay away from garlic.
ReplyDeleteFor months there has been a persistent rumor at city hall that Kerry Miller will be leaving in October. Hooray if he does! But his recent divorce and his ex-wife's relocation to Orange County may make him change his mind. I hope not. And who is the rumored replacement already angling for the job? None other than the sycophant Phil Cotton! That would be disastrous, as he was only put there to squelch questions about the missing $1 million in the Cardiff Sanitation District and about the money shuffling from the San Dieguito Water District into the general fund.
ReplyDeleteDude- Give Phil Cotton a break, unless you have strong evidence. Remember rumors will come back to you 10 fold. What has Phil done to the detriment of Encinitas. Either put out fact, or shut the FUCK UP. I personally like Phil and think he is looking out for the best interests of Encinitas. Give us some real facts. People who know reality read this blog and want facts based reality.
ReplyDeleteDude- Give Phil Cotton a break, unless you have strong evidence. Remember rumors will come back to you 10 fold. What has Phil done to the detriment of Encinitas. Either put out fact, or shut the FUCK UP. I personally like Phil and think he is looking out for the best interests of Encinitas. Give us some real facts. People who know reality read this blog and want fact based comments.
ReplyDeleteDude- Give Phil Cotton a break, unless you have strong evidence. Remember rumors will come back to you 10 fold. What has Phil done to the detriment of Encinitas? Either put out fact, or shut the FUCK UP. I personally like Phil and think he is looking out for the best interests of Encinitas. Give us some real facts. People who know reality read this blog and want fact based comments. Otherwise, give them a break. They are only human. If you can do a better job, apply for their position, or better yet, declare it on this website and you'll have possibly 200 people supporting you. Otherwise, SHUT THE FUCK UP!. Negativity is cancer causing. Go surf, smoke weed, or something! I love Encinitas! Especially Leucadia!!!!
Liking Cotton and knowing how he acts in his job are two different things.
ReplyDelete"And who is the rumored replacement already angling for the job? None other than the sycophant Phil Cotton! That would be disastrous, as he was only put there to squelch questions about the missing $1 million in the Cardiff Sanitation District and about the money shuffling from the San Dieguito Water District into the general fund."
ReplyDelete"Loving Leucadia, rude dude," it is you who are using bad language and trying to squelch someone else's right to express his or her opinions. There is missing money in the from the Cardiff Sanitation District, that's a fact. Will Phil Cotton get to the bottom of that? Has he yet? No.
What are the "facts," that you base your unquestioning support of Cotton on? This blog is a place for those of us who do love Leucadia, Cardiff, or any other community to vent. I strongly suspect that you are a Council Member or perhaps a Guerin?
You can harsh out those who post here. That won't stop us. There have been many coverups that have gone on, are going on, now, at our City Hall. That's another fact. Phil Cotton is part of the powers that be, that have allowed this, without so much as a how dee do. Maggie had the guts to say, hey, this isn't fair. That's a fact.
And it's definitely a fact that our not so illustrious Council and their yes-men, like Kerry Miller, and Phil Cotton, have shuffled money into the general fund from the San Dieguito Water District. Staff, including Cotton, seem very gung ho on avoiding a public vote on the issue of a new revenue bond, by using the "stream of income" from water district ratepayers as collateral. This money is not being raised for the water district. And the Board of Directors of the San Dieguito Water District, self-serving City Council, includes people, such as Guerin and James Bond who do not live in that same water district: they are in the Olivenhein Water District.
No one is watching out for the ratepayers. When people do give facts, rude dude, you ignore them, use obscenity, and blast us for caring enough about our community to speak out against nepotism and corruption.
Get a life, and don't be a hypocrite, rude dude.
I'm rather stunned that we currently have Kerry Miller leaving in October, and that Phil Cotton is his likely replacement.
ReplyDeleteWhat insane rumor.
Why would Kerry leave such an awesome gig unless the politicos weren't happy with his performance. Everything I see points to the opposite. He seems to do whatever the royalty wants.
Also, if a City Manager were to be replaced, a full on search for a replacement would be undertaken. Does Phil Cotton even have the necessary experience, education or track record to be a proper City Manager? As far as I know, he is serving as current Public Works Director only because his boss moved on.
There's some questions about that city hall dungeon that may come out with an outside audit.
ReplyDeleteLeftcoast said, "As far as I know, he is serving as current Public Works Director only because his boss moved on." Oh, really? Are you saying he is not qualified? Why wasn't a wider search made for a new head?
ReplyDeleteI have watched Phil Cotton's performance since he took over as head of the Public Works department. I have seen nothing that shows he cares about the citizens of Encinitas. He seems to have that "us versus them" attitude so common at city hall. I had some dealings with him when he was head of Parks and Rec. He promised a lot and delivered absolutely nothing. No expenditures were involved. A few words to the right people would have corrected the problem quickly. Repeated phone calls to remind him what he had said got me nowhere. If we get a new city manager, we need one who sets a non-adverserial relationship with the public. This is my opinion.
For the 12 yrs that Kerry Miller was in So Lake Tahoe, he was known as the best friend of developers and "Mr. Redevelopment." Tahoe people were going after him for "mismanagement in the city mgr's office."
ReplyDeleteHe DOES NOT do what this city council wants. This city council does what Kerry Miller wants and make no mistake that it is any other way.
signed
Really Tired of Miller
Thanks for some facts Rude- I doubt Phil is qualified as Public Works director. Normally someone with Public Works background wouldn't hold a position as Parks and Recreation Director. I would be interesting to see Jeniffer Smith and Phil Cotton Qualifications. Is Jennifer Smith an MBA or CPA? Look what happened to Oceanside! Is the City Manager appointing qualified people to run this City?
ReplyDeleteIf the city manager isn't qualified, don't expect someone under him to whistleblow on his inadequacies. They're making over $120,000 a year. They won't rat out the head rat.
ReplyDelete