R.d. Cummins, Swamis The Parks and Rec Commission has Swamis contests on its agenda tonight. Here is the agenda. There is no associated staff report on the P&R webpage. The important part is this:
Actually, that is the only information the city has published on the P&R webpage. Actually, Swamis contestS are not on the agenda. The agenda looks more focused just on the single contest. I agree with Doug Long, that a discussion about contests policies for Swamis should precede a discussion about a particular event (I spoke with Doug about a month ago). Can you determine if a contest meets the treshold if no thresholds have been set?
It is rumored that the P&R staff want the Commission to make a recommendation tomorrow night. That seems weird because the public and most of the commission have no idea about details of what is being proposed. There is no outline of the event. No background. No information on the regulations and rules for reserving Swamis. I hope they did their homework. They could be heading toward making some big mistakes.
Mayor Dalager recently made a bold statement about taking sides on an issue before knowing all the facts. Because of that statement, many of us had hoped this issue would be the most transparent issue ever to come to Encinitas. If they vote tonight, with only 10 words in the agenda about the issue, that sure would be the Encinitas Way of doing things.
Or, it could be a new day in Encinitas and tonight the promoters will describe what is going on and then the commission and the public will be given time to digest what they have learned. The commission will make their recommendation at a later meeting and allow the public to comment on what is actually being promoted.
For all those interested in this issue, we will have people at the meeting taking notes on what happened. It is more important that you be there when the City Council makes a decision on the contest.
We know the Council could care less what one of their commisions do. They never listen to them anyway.
ReplyDeleteCommisions are a big waste of time.
You are right, focus on council.
Tell Danny to open his eyes and ears and quite making promises that he thinks will be cool for Encinitas without vetting the issue through due public process.
The Gidget contest is not cool.
What may be cool is an open class surf contest at swamis.
but honestly, I like swamis just the way it is and I rarely surf there.
There may be other forces at work here. The city's Parks and Rec Director, Chris Hazeltine, is responsible for anything that happens in his department. Why hasn't he demanded that his staff prepare a full report on the proposed Swami contest? On a scale of 1-10 for his level of power and influence he is a 10. He has more power than the Council. The three Councilmen may think they are in power, but they sign off on anything that is placed under their noses.
ReplyDeleteDid Linda Benson's surfing business also get the exclusion city right to use Swami's? When Solana Beach prohibits those businesses, how did 9 (nine) surfing businesses get the exclusive right to use the public beaches to make money? Chris Hazeltine is the #1 figure in getting and giving the exclusive use of public facilities to these people.
Chris Hazeltine must have already given Swami's to Benson and her associates. There is a website advertising the contest that will have art and photography exhibits, an outdoor concert at Moonlight Beach, a surfboard auction, environmentally friendly exhibits and vendors, standup paddle team relay, and the Pancake breakfast by the Encinitas Fire Department.
Chris Hazeltine's salary is at least $140,000 a year. He is pulling the strings. It's not just Dalager.
http://thewwlc.com/
ReplyDeleteDate already set:
ReplyDelete2010 Women's World Longboard Championships and Encinitas Surf Festival
Oct. 14-17
That's a good picture of a surfer swimming with the city attorney!
ReplyDelete(rim shot)
Tell me that's a dolphin.
ReplyDelete