City Manager Mike Sedell began going through the proposed budget modifications line by line, with brief explanations of the impact of each decision.  For example, when we heard the DARE program was being cut, Sedell quickly clarified that the cut was not a permanent removal of the program, but rather a postponement.  DARE would begin again later in the year and the city would look at ways to reduce the expense.  Even Mayor Miller suggested having the program led by a retired officer rather than pulling an office out of the field.

Programs like Shop Simi Valley First will certainly be effected, though I can’t recall specifically whether or not it was mentioned that night at the council meeting.  In the past, I’ve been critical of the city’s spending on this program, not because the program itself is a bad one, but rather because I believe with the vested interest of business owners, the cost of the program should be a shared cost.  It will be interesting to see how organizations like the Chamber of Commerce step-up during this crisis to ensure the program stays alive.  It should be noted that if the city or the Chamber are looking for volunteers, here I am!

In economic situations like these, I couldn’t be more delighted to see how important it is to the city to retain their employees.  Unemployment is the harshest aspect of a recession, making things much worse before they get better.  The City of Simi Valley has done an amazing job of keeping people employed.  I read the following in the Ventura County Star the other day:

Some of the people in the positions eliminated already had planned to leave their jobs. Others were sent to different city assignments, officials said.

Simi is waiting for an eventual resolution to the state’s fiscal crisis, and “it will undoubtedly bring further damage to the revenue which we rely upon to provide services to our residents,” Sedell said.

Sedell said Simi officials have managed taxpayers’ resources well, and unlike state legislators, haven’t overspent.

“We will find a way to provide the quality local services that residents have come to expect,” Sedell said.

Read the whole article online here.

Cheers to the City of Simi Valley for a job well done.

* Restaurant/Entertainment Blog - Rate, review and discuss Simi Valley’s dining options and entertainment venues
* Fitness Blog - How best to stay fit and in shape in Simi Valley
* Neighborhood Blog - Meet your Simi Valley neighbors, a blog about stars in the community
* Business Blog - The ins and outs of doing business in Simi Valley

Of course, we’ll defer to Brian Dennert for those interested in reading about local government!

This website will be free for everyone who joins, and ANYONE who joins is free to create and publish their own blog. Each member blog is hosted free and uses the powerful Wordpress blogging engine, a professional level tool that is easy to customize. Members will be encouraged to create personal profiles, meet new Simi Valley friends online, join groups, discuss issues in the forums and promote their events and businesses free.

Technology is a terrific way to promote unity and to give all members of the Simi Valley Community a voice. For those interested in participating and helping me launch this online community, please contact me.

But protocol was broken last week when Eric Lundstrom, a first term trustee, received the majority vote.  Uh oh!  Protocol was broken?  Yikes!  And Sandland doesn’t like that at all according to last week’s article in the Acorn:

“I think it’s my turn,” she said. “It’s a natural progression.”

DiFatta agreed with her fellow board member.

“There shouldn’t be any debate,” DiFatta said. “The clerk of the board (Sandland) has done a great job, and unless she’s not interested in being president, we should move the clerk to president. I certainly hope this board doesn’t go toward the culture of previous boards that were divisive and mean-spirited.”

I love that!  Breaking away from tradition gets this old timer to utter the words “divisive” and “mean-spirited!”  Really Janice??

What really moved me was the response from former Simi Valley Mayor and former School Board Trustee Greg Stratton.  I like Mr. Stratton for several reasons that I’m not afraid to admit.  1) I bought a condo from him about 10 years ago, 2) he used to work with my father, 3) he’s a well respected member of the community and 4) he was never afraid to openly voice his concerns about the school district and our board of trustees.  He speaks openly in a letter to the Acorn this week:

Obviously their definition of “recent memory” does not go all the way back to 2004, when they broke protocol and denied me and Carla Kurachi our turns as board president and clerk. They taught Rob (Collins) well that the leadership decision is purely political. I’m sure he remembers back that far.

By the protocol, Eric (Lundstrom) should have been clerk last year. Apparently they forgot that part of it then, but now they conveniently remember the rules.

I don’t know how they each can make the statements they made without being afraid of being struck by lightning for twisting the truth.

Read his letter by clicking here.

Update: Brian Dennert discusses the issue here.

Both Miller and Sojka returned the funds after they were re-elected indicating that it would be inappropriate considering Saperstein has a project scheduled to come before the council. Project? What project?

Saperstein’s Hummingbird Nest Ranch, purchased and designed for his now ex-wife, may become a 5 star resort and spa… at least, that’s what Saperstein is hoping for. Dean Kunicki is the consultant who was hired to lead this project. Originally, after Saperstein and his wife divorced, he was hoping to sell the property. However, no offers have been made so the next move is to transform it into a profitable venture.

Yeah… I guess I can see how he’d want some friends in the city for this. And I’m sorry to those who might be against such a project, but it’s going to happen. The Sapersteins and their property are beloved by the Simi Valley highers-up. I can recall its opening several years ago when it became the venue for several of Simi’s long standing and newer events. I remember being bussed to the property to stand in a booth for my Rotary club a few years ago. People are delighted to have Hummingbird Nest Ranch in town and having it transform into a 5-star resort will be like a feather in the city’s cap. It’ll happen. Mark my words!

Kunicki said the resort would include a health spa with tennis complex, a sports facility and a corporate conference area. There would be individual “casitas” — private homes with courtyards, Kunicki said.
- Ventura County Star

You can read more about it here.

I just watched Fletch, the hit 80’s film starring Chevy Chase which includes a classic scene where Fletch enjoys an expensive afternoon at a 5-star resort by charging the account of the Underhill’s, the grumpy guests sitting at the table beside him. I really hope the Underhill’s rent a home at Hummingbird Nest Ranch. I propose we all meet up there, enjoy a late brunch and some champagne and charge it all to the Underhill’s account.

We have in this great country an amendment which gives us freedom of speech with limits; let me repeat, with limits. As a former and likely future candidate, I know one of the first things all candidates are told is we are limited on what we can say about other candidates.

The five who sit on the council (mayor and four council persons) have more power than any other citizen or official of Simi Valley. The one thing they can do that no other can is make law.

This amplifies their voices far beyond the rest of us. They were elected by the citizens to represent the citizens. They are supposed to listen to us before they decide an issue. But it is their decision and theirs alone which counts.

To hear any elected official say they are being punished because they cannot voice their concerns as a private citizen (I have to be careful of those pesky limits) is silly. One is an elected official 24/ 7, from the moment they are sworn in to when they leave office.

It is sad some just don’t get it.

For being “limited on what you can say about other candidates” I’d say Mr.Jenkin’s message is loud and clear. So, this issue now as well as his position on city guidelines on where to store your trash bins should make for a compelling platform on which to run again in 4 years. Good luck Daniel!

Here’s Barbra Williamson, who in this video seems comfortable saying whatever is on her mind…

Barbra has an idea and I think it’s a good one. This is a democracy, after all. Is there any reason you can think of that would make this difficult, or any reason why this proposal should be denied?

Excuse the out of sync audio… It was the best I could do after recovering the files…

Having said all of that, take a look at the contributions yourself to get a better feel for what everyone is talking about.

Steve Sojka (ending 9/30/08)
Steve Sojka (ending 10/18/08)
Steve Sojka (after 10/19/08)
Steve Sojka (expenditures over $1000 after 10/19/08)

Barbra Williamson (ending 9/30/08)
Barbra Williamson (ending 10/18/08)
Barbra Williamson (after 10/19/08)
Barbra Williamson (expenditures over $1000 after 10/19/08)

Paul Miller (ending 9/30/08)
Paul Miller (ending 10/18/08)
Paul Miller (after 10/19/08)

Check back soon.  I’m compiling a couple of videos, one of which is directly related to this issue.  There are some interesting ideas out there on how best to handle the question of campaign finance reform.

“I don’t have any problems with them looking at it; I just don’t like my name being out there being muddied up,” said the council member, who was appointed mayor pro tem at Monday’s City Council meeting. “I don’t think it’s fair that they should do that.”

Read more here…

According to the city’s campaign finance code, contributions may not exceed $1000 from a given business entity or individual.  Having said that, I believe the exception and possible confusion is if multiple businesses owned by the same individual contribute to a candidate.  Evidently, that combined amount cannot exceed $1000.  So, if I want the record to show that both of my businesses contributed to Barbra Williamson’s campaign, I need to make sure that the combined amounts do not exceed $1000.

The contributor in this case is Glen Gerson, who I met at City Council last Monday.  Three of the businesses he owned each contributed $1000, an apparent violation.  My first impression of Glen is that he’s an honest guy.  I suspect he made these contributions without knowledge that it violated campaign finance regulations.  The argument appears to be that Barbra Williamson should have known all long, but accepted the contributions anyway.

“The way I interpret what the code says, I have done absolutely nothing wrong,” Williamson said. “All they need to do is take a look at my campaign statement; everything that I have done is in black and white.”

Despite the fact that the city can potentially find some wrong-doing, I suspect that there will be no punitive action.  This seems pretty minor, at least by comparison to campaign finance issues around the country.

What really gets me is the volume of cash being casually passed around during these campaigns.  Why an incumbent in a local election with either no or few compelling challengers should need to raise $35K or more is beyond me.  For years, I’ve fantasized about putting together a non-profit organization with the intent of raising money to put new computers in schools.  My fund raising efforts, I suspect, would pale in comparison. Regardless of that sad truth, considering how much money is raised and the “indescretion” is a donation amounting to $3000, how important is this really?  Just give the money back and be done with it.

Having looked at the numbers here, I’m not sure this is as big a deal as the newspapers make it seem.

At 2am on Saturday November 29th I heard a loud explosive noise, and ran outside to see what had happened. I came out to see my sister’s car in the condition above with the obvious drunk driver getting away up the street.

Brad emailed me and told me he planned to be at the City Council meeting tonight to speak about the issue. I strapped on my video camera and made my way to council chambers to record the issue. More to come on this issue… That video is being edited as we speak!

Campaign Reform was another topic touched on this evening. Here’s a brief video of Steve Sojka who brought up the subject. Apparently, the Council will cover the topic of campaign reform and address the recent issues about campaign financing over the course of multiple sessions. Meanwhile, please watch the video and share your thoughts.