City Manager Still Underpaid

This Wednesday, the City Manager of the City of Encinitas will probably get a raise.

Stocks is recommending a 11% base salary increase and a 1% compensation increase. This would bring the City Manager's total salary package to $242,640. Barth's recommendation is for no increase in base salary or other compensation. Some of Cotton's salary is charged to the San Dieguito Water District.


See Also: Jerome Gets a Rose from the LB

Send Protest

email forwarded to the LB:

Friends,

I am writing to urge you to protest the planned water rate increase for San Dieguito Water District (SDWD). You can do that by filling out the attached protest form and mailing it to the Encinitas Taxpayers Association so that it gets there by February 24.

The problem with the rate increase, as I see it, is twofold. First, the City is shifting some of its expenses to the SDWD, which results in higher rates. Second, the SDWD gives developers, businesses and the City a discount on rates. This results in higher rates to homeowners.

To prove my point, compare the proposed SDWD rates with the rates charged by the Olivenhain Municipal Water District's (OMWD). (The proposed SDWD and existing OMWD rates are in the attachments.) The SDWD serves Western Encinitas. The OMWD serves Eastern Encinitas. [OMWD uses more imported water than SDWD, and imported water is more expensive.] But, the proposed SDWD rate for homeowners is more than 50% higher than the OMWD rate. The differential is even greater in a drought, like the one we are in now.

Notably, unlike the SDWD, the OMWD charges higher rates for construction, and does not give a lower rate to the City or businesses.

I cannot think of a single good reason why the SDWD would or should give lower rates to developers, businesses and the City. By giving discounts to developers, businesses and the City, the SDWD has to charge homeowners more. The rate study that the SDWD paid for does not mention these discounts, or explain why homeowners have to pay more.

The reason the SDWD gives the City a break is that the SDWD is run by the City Council. The OMWD has its own board. Because the City Council runs the City and the SDWD, the Council can push City costs over to the SDWD, and give the City a break on water rates. Recall the City Council has tried, unsuccessfully, to raise taxes three times in the last five years or so. The City Council can raise the water rates without a vote. This water rate increase is a disguised tax increase.

Again, please protest this increase. I have.

Piss Pole

Encinitas dog drama makes the local newscast: watch

No Fishing

Dog Issue Not Going Away: "Kiddos Downstream"

Press release sent to the Lecuadia Blog.

ENCINITAS CITY COUNCIL FAILS TO STOP POLLUTION OF SCHOOL PLAYGROUND FROM DOG PARK

City Officials Violate Storm Water Ordinances and Clean Water Act Allowing Pollution From Orpheus Park To Runoff Into Paul Ecke Elementary School Playground.

Concerned community members to hold press conference at Orpheus Park, 482 Orpheus Avenue, Encinitas, CA 92024
Wednesday, February 10 at 8 a.m.

ENCINITAS-After voting to expand hours for off-leash dogs at Orpheus Park, the City Council and city staff continue to ignore the overwhelming evidence that it violated its own policies in doing so and is causing harm to school children at the nearby Paul Ecke Elementary School.

The City’s Storm Water Management Ordinance and the Federal Clean Water Act are being violated by the City itself.

The pollution caused by expanding off-leash dogs at Orpheus Park is documented in several photographs and videos accessible on YouTube:





In part, the ordinance reads:

“(B) Eliminating pollutants in Storm Water to the Maximum Extent Practicable, including pollutants from both point and non-point sources; (C) Prohibiting activities which cause, or contribute to, exceedance of state and federal Receiving Water quality objectives. (D) Protecting Watercources from disturbance and pollution.”

The ordinance defines a pollutant as... “animal waste…fecal coliform, fecal streptococcus, and enterococcus bacteria and other pathogens that pose a threat to human health…”

Clearly, the presence of dog urine and feces, as documented in the videos cited above meet the definitions in the city’s own Storm Water Management Ordinance.

By approving expanded off-leash hours for dogs at Orpheus Park, the city has exacerbated an existing problem. The runoff from the park leads directly into the playground area at neighboring Paul Ecke Elementary School.

The potential harm caused to children by the pollutants is of great concern to parents and school officials.

Despite numerous complaints to the City Council and Parks and Recreation Department by community members who live around Orpheus Park and whose children attend Paul Ecke Elementary, nothing has been done to rectify the problem, or even acknowledge that it exists.

However, the City Council is prepared to expand off-leash hours at Hawk View Park and Glen Park in Cardiff during its meeting tomorrow, February 10 at 6p.m.

Without further discussion on the environmental impacts of pollutants caused by increased off-leash dog activity at Orpheus Park, the council is proceeding in an irresponsible manner, violating its own ordinances.

Orpheus Park is the most heavily use Dog Park in North San Diego County and has been in operation for over 14 years. The recent expansion of hours has tripled the amount of hours for off-leash dog use.

SDWD Scholarship Essay

Most people are unaware that SDWD ratepayers fund scholarships. This was posted to the ETA blog:

Here is the scholarship paper that my daughter drafted that was later thrown in the trash can by Phil Cotton.(2nd hand knowledge)

Special Districts

Today in California there are approximately 3,400 special districts. Each has a separate identity for their own specific interest. Each special district provides a variety of services from water distribution to fire protection. A board of directors governs each district. A special district can be defined as, “any agency of the state for the local performance of governmental or proprietary functions within limited boundaries.”

I believe the biggest benefit of special districts are the ability to serve specific needs of a community that might not be the needs of an adjacent community or a special district can fulfill the needs of several communities which might form to become one special district. The case in point is the San Dieguito Water District, which serves potable and recycled water to approximately 37,000 residents in Encinitas, Leucadia, and Cardiff by the Sea. These are three very different communities with the same need for a safe, reliable water supply for domestic, agriculture and industrial purposes.
There are two different types of special districts; dependent or independent. A dependent district is one in which either a city council or county board of supervisors directly controls the district. An independent special district is one in which the governing body is either directly elected by the voters or appointed for a fixed term of service, often by a board of supervisors. The San Dieguito Water District would be considered a dependent special district. Currently the board of directors for the San Dieguito Water District are members of the city council. Christy Guerin is the President and James Bond is the Vice-President.

For example, the San Dieguito Water district was independent before the incorporation with the City of Encinitas in 1986. Now that it is dependent, the City is the water board and ultimately the city council is the governing board that is suppose to look out for the best interest of the San Dieguito Water District and the customers they serve. The San Dieguito Water district was located on a property overlooking a 180 degree ocean view at 59 East D Street in Encinitas. This property was identified by the city as a location for a future library.

This property was sold below market value back to the city to accommodate a city library, when in fact this property could have been sold at a higher value and the income put directly into the coffers of the water district for future considerations, in turn keeping the cost of water down, maintaining a system, purchasing equipment and so on.

The original concept of incorporation seems in theory a positive step until you look deeper into the fact the interest is not in the water district, but in the construction of a library. Politics of building a mulit-million dollar library have taken precedence over the maintenance and delivery of safe drinking water. Currently the Water District now shares a property in Encinitas with the City of Encinitas street department. The two entities are now being combined to form part of a public works department, which operate out of one other satellite yard, which is, located next the human society on Requeza Avenue in Encinitas. The yard has been in a state of flux due to a long list of reasons not to construct a permanent yard that does not conflict with other city projects.

The San Dieguito Water District is reliant on not only its own budget but influenced by the budget constraints and citywide issues relating to City of Encinitas. The San Dieguito Water District is a non-profit organization, which receives revenue through the delivery of potable water. The City of Encinitas is reliant on sales tax, permitting fees and other related financing separate from the water district. Funds earmarked for the San Dieguito Water District projects ultimately have to be weighed in with the city council, which may or may not be in the best interest of the water district but may be in the best interest of the City of Encinitas. I have found there are times when there is a conflict of interest between the City of Encinitas and San Dieguito Water District, a difference created because SDWD is no longer an independent district. Prior to incorporation, the San Dieguito Water District was independent, and had its own budget concerns, which dealt with water related issues specifically.

Recently, the city council that governs the San Dieguito Water District had a priority session for all city projects. At this meeting it was decided in the order of importance that construction, renovation and expansion of the fire department was the first priority. Borrowing money from other city projects to begin the construction of a library, which has come in over budget, due to the rising cost of building materials, was the second priority and the construction of a public works yard, was third. Even though the San Dieguito Water District is renting space on a vacant schoolyard, which is due to expire this summer, they have no dedicated property that has been identified specific to the needs of the San Dieguito Water District, and the City of Encinitas Street Maintenance Division.

My conclusion is that the methodology of an independent district is run more efficiently with the best interest of their customers because of the dynamics and sometimes politics between dependent versus independent districts.

Blogger's note: By comparing the costs of the Cardiff Sanitation District, run by the city, and the LWD, which is independent of the city we can see that being run by the City Council does not guarantee cheaper rates.

Core Leucadian

Former Mayor Cameron has a legacy of enormous civic involvement. Unlike many former Council Members she remains active in the community, and not just in her pet projects. I think that says a lot about her original motivations behind running for office. She even has the Leucadia sidewalk stamp in her front yard. That sure says a lot about how she feels about Leucadia.

Encinitas Dog Blog

Dogs have been a hot topic on this blog lately. Now there is a blog dedicated to sorting out dog related issues in Encinitas, the Encinitas Dog Blog.

Council Guide 2010

One year ago the Leucadia Blog released its 2009 city council guide (check it out here), which provides a sharp introduction to the council. To understand the dynamics of our city you have to understand the individual characters.

We've been thinking about doing an update and this time we're looking for the followers of the the LB to formulate a retread or a full blown update to the council guide. A lot has happened in the last year.

One thing I've been wondering about is why people vote for our council members? I still don't understand how people could vote for both Jerome and Maggie on the same ballot? I couldn't image any of Maggie's campaign workers walking the streets for both Jerome and Maggie. No way, and vice versa, no way (Although, I'm not sure Jerome has a crew of people walking the streets for his candidacy).

Over at one of my favorite blogs a recent post really started me thinking about the reasons people vote for candidates. Here is an excerpt:

As a political scientist, it's always good for me to be reminded that party ID and the economy aren't the only things out there. Nugent's discussion also reminded me of the distinction between voting for someone whom you think they agree with you on most issues, and voting for someone whom you think will make good decisions. Two different ideas of representation.

On the other hand, the so-called fundamentals must strongly interact with attitudes on other issues. If you're already inclined not to support a candidate, there are often lots of reasons to vote against him or her. And, in a campaign, these issues are often evaluated comparatively. For example, maybe one reason it was hard for the corruption claim to stick to Barack Obama's (regarding his Chicago mansion), given that John McCain owned seven or so big houses himself. Another example that comes to mind is the battle-of-the-infidelity-rumors during the 1992 presidential election.

Which council members are getting votes because the voters think they agree with them on most issues? Which are getting votes because the voters think they make good decisions? Which are getting votes because they have name recognition?

Anon Desal Comment

Posted comment, off topic

Sorry to switch topics but someone needs to talk about the hearing next week on the desal plant in Carlsbad. We are on the 99 yard line to getting a reliable water source that can provide about 9% of the water needs of San Diego County (water will not be available outside North Couny but the math still works).

Surfrider Foundation will be there to make their last ditch effort to stop the progress. They say a few fish might get sucked into the intake every year. I guess they dont fish or eat fish because I know that I suck A few fish into my intake each year (I'll bet they do too but dont like that analogy).

If you care about a dependable source of water to our area and you belong to the Surfrider Foundation like I did. Call them and let them know how you feel.

Passive Aggressive Poodles

I swear I'm not making this up and I'm not looking for trouble. This stuff really happened.

So I'm home all week and keeping my eye out for Orpheus Park activity... and there's plenty. Monday, I walk my son to school and encounter just the usual obstacle course of dog waste. Around 10 am, I see a maintenance crew doing the twice weekly clean up: blow the walkways, pick up dog poop and change the trash cans, and for the first time in a long time they raked the sand! That's it, they are out of there in 30 minutes flat.

I decide to sit and watch them do their work and read the paper. I want to see what they are really doing. While they are working, about 4 toddlers are in the sand playing, 3 dogs are running free (it is NOT off leash time), someone is throwing a ball to one. As two workers are raking the sand the dogs are running through the freshly raked sand. No control by the owners. To protect the children I tell one of the owners that it is not leash free time. She tells me to "get a life." That seems to be a common reply from the dog people. I took some photos of the activity, check it out.
I then started thinking to myself... This IS my life!

Later in the day, 2:15pm, My younger son and I walk down to pick my oldest boy from school. We always stop at the park for a break from walking up the hill. Usually we see the neighborhood boys hanging out with their moms. It's about 2:35pm and today we have a football and we're throwing it around. Seven boys, 4 to 9 years of age, 3 moms, myself and my wife who joined us at about 2:45pm. So the football rolls in to the freshly raked sand area. You'd think the sand would be a safe place to step into, right? NOT. The boy chasing the ball steps right into a giant steamer.

Right at 2:50 pm on the nose, we are invaded or swarmed by 6-7 leash-free dogs. Out of the corner of my eye I see a dog rummaging through my son's left over lunch... It's gone. Then I observe a GIANT Great Dane running down hill straight for my 5 year old. I yell to my wife to grab him. Needless to say Myles is scared. All of the moms and boys pack up and leave. The Great Dane won't leave us alone.


Later that evening around 5pm, I walk out my front gate to get my mail and find that I can't get out because it's blocked by a vehicle (AGAIN!) I have to climb around the car and walk through my bushes to get out only to find that my mailbox is blocked also. No mail today. The mailman told me yesterday he was unable to open the mailbox and unable to knock on my door to hand it to me. I leave a note on the window of the offending cars and ask of them to be respectful of the neighborhood and not block our access to our walkway and mailbox... The notes end up discarded in our flower bed.
What a day! Thank god it's night, and I don't have to worry about being bothered by dogs... Oh that's right, dogs can hang out at night til' 8 and they were barking continuously up until 8:15.

Waking this morning, Tuesday 2/2, we were running a little late and made it through the obsticle course in record time, dodging at least a dozen poops in our path. One of our neighbors was there with his dog picking up everyone else's leftover poop. Nice guy.

About 9:15, I see the maintenance crew there again... Two days in a row? That's unusual. Today they are mowing the dormant burmmuda grass that hasn't grown an inch since October. So, they're going through the motions, someone is raking leaves, one of them is weed-wacking and the other is on a ride mower. I'm with my youngest son on the back of my bike, and we are on our way to the preschool. We stop and watch as the weed wacker is moving along the sidewalk. I see a giant shit that I noticed earlier about 5 feet in from the sidewalk. He passes it, then here comes the ride mower right at it. The mower blades roll right over it atomizing it... It's gone, where it is know one knows. On my way home from preschool I find one of the workers blowdrying the dog urine.

Later in the day, I see a work crew right in front of the park. Three guys are holding shovels, one guy is working and another guy who was doing a lot of pointing. Must be the supervisor. They are moving the dog hour sign from its old location to front row and center for everyone to see. It's really really beautiful. Not as nice as the Orpheus Park Theme sign, but we are not talking about a nice neighborhood park here anyways. They also added an additional sign at the bottom of the hill near the school. Now that those new signs are there I'm sure people will follow the rules. How much did that cost the taxpayer? Chris Hazeltine's knee jerk management at work again. Remember in his report to the City Council expanding the hours was only going to cost $3000 to replace the signs at three parks. Now they added a new sign and relocated an existing one.
The remainder of the day was rather uneventful with just the usual dozens of off leash dogs running through the park. Remember, it's TUESDAY. There are no off leash hours on Tuesday, right? Just read the expensive new signs.

I saved the best for last: a big SHIT in my entry way this morning! I might be a little paranoid, but it looks like someone placed it there. Something definitely stinks here.

This is a day in the life of someone that lives near dog park.

Steve Mieche

[Edited for brevity]

More Dog Parks

Comment about the Poop Patrol Video:

I was struck by in this fascinating video how empty the park was when Mister "Nimby" was "documenting" the doggie destruction.

The fact is the Park is full of life, activity and good will when people and their dogs are able to recreate at the site, which by the way still has quite limited off-leash hours. The park is used by animal lovers because there is a great need for places to take our dogs.

The dog poop IS disgusting, and we need to make a better effort to clean it up. It's also disgusting how much trash I find (and pick up) whenever I go to the beach.

By having more areas around the city where people can take their dogs locally, it will cut down on the overuse of Orpheus, so he is making a BIG mistake discouraging off-leash hours at other parks around town.

Anon Park User

Free the Water District

From the Encinitas Taxpayer Association- For the first time, the Encinitas Taxpayers Association (ETA) is asking San Dieguito Water District (SDWD) customers to protest the SDWD’s proposed water rate increases. The City Council plans on counting anyone who does not respond as voting yes on the increase.

Download a protest form here.

The proposed rate increase for a typical water user will be 14% in March and automatically followed by another 13% increase next January. This results in an 85% increase since 2005. The SDWD has raised rates 4 times and 44% during the previous 4 years.

The SDWD has done well financially. The SDWD has been able to issue a 15% pay raise to SDWD staff over 2008-2012. The SDWD had $1.35 million sitting in its rate stabilization fund last summer, when the SDWD budget was adopted. This is a good time to lean heavily on that fund.

FREEING THE DISTRICT
The ETA is also organizing an initiative to open up the SDWD board to non-councilmembers. The Encinitas City Council now governs the SDWD. The ETA recommends the SDWD’s governing board be opened up to independently elected officials who have no conflicts of interest. This is critical during negotiations between the SDWD and the City. The City and SDWD enter into many financial agreements and the current ratepayer safeguards are inadequate.

We can trust the current council won't b.s. the public again or raid the water district, but you never know who is going to get elected in the future. The ETA has identified a number of vulnerabilities.

The SDWD claims the rate increases are necessary because of the increased costs of imported water and the need for upgrades and retrofitting to the district's infrastructure. The ETA recognizes most of those projects as appearing legitimate. However, the ratepayers could get a better deal.


The ETA is composed of members with diverse perspectives and their reasons for opposing the rate increase are varied. They include:

1. New rate increases should be opposed until the ratepayers have independent representation,
2. Raising rates in the midst of the economic downturn is bad timing,
3. Rate increases for seismic retrofitting should be written so they sunset once the projects are complete,
4. The residential customers of western Encinitas (i.e. SDWD) should no longer subsidize cheap water for the municipal government of Encinitas.

Under Prop 218, if 50%+1 of the SDWD customers disapprove in writing, rate increases will be temporarily blocked. Ratepayers who do not file objections are counted as yes votes for the rate increase.


Ways to Help
1) Sign and mail this protest form,
2) Display a yard sign,
3) Distribute protest postcards on your block,
4) Forward this email.

We will be able to cover the city if people like you share the protest postcards with our neighbors. Request a sign or set of postcards for your neighborhood from eta@encinitastaxpayers.org.

Jerome Stocks: Roses & Raspberries

Encinitas city council member Jerome Stocks was a giving a "raspberry" by the North County Times editorial staff this week for "enthusiastically" supporting a $50,000 pay raise to San Diego Association of Governments' Executive Director Gary Gallegos.
Read NCT Roses and Raspberries
Jerome Stocks is also one of the bloggers on the anti-big government, save our tax dollars, teabagger website SD Rostra.com

Speaking of Jerome, I am giving him a Leucadia Blog rose for being the swing vote on the downtown Leucadia streetscape project. Jerome takes a lot of heat from Leucadians, especially on this blog (and especially in the anonymous comments section). I know a lot of people have concerns about the streetscape plan 4A which passed 3-1, but so does Jerome. It would have been easy for Jerome to vote no on the streetscape and kill it once and for all, but I think he understood that investing in our infrastructure every 50 years is good for the community in the long run. Some common ground is that is not 100% sold on all those wacky roundabouts either. The Keep Leucadia Funky crowd may actual find an opportunity to work with him as the streetscape process continues.

So Jerome I am giving you a rose and totally not in a gay way because we are both dudes and yeah, it's kinda weird for a dude to give another dude a rose but I am doing it so just be cool about it and don't tell anyone.