11.30.15 City response to records request re. Miranda's Rescue and calls for service involving dogs. Be sure to watch the 1/19/16 City Council Meeting - Public Comments where Shannon Miranda spoke about the complete lack of response from the city to address the ongoing problem of what to do with strays picked up by the police. Miranda's Rescue has been refusing to take any animals from Rio Dell due to the lack of an agreement and financial support by the city.
5.19.15 City responds to records request - agreement with Bartle Wells for water rate study as first step to significant rate increases was put on hold by former city manager until they could get residents to vote for sales tax increase and fire assessment increase. Council had voted 5-0 in June 2014 to approve up to $25,000 for the water rate study but had forgotten all about it by May 2015. Email from Jim Stretch to Bartle Wells says "Please note that the public hearing/Prop 218 phase of this study must not occur until after the city's General Revenue Sales Tax Measure is determined on the November 4, 2014 ballot" (emphasis added). Would voters have approved both the sales tax increase and the fire assessment increase if they had just gotten their water rates jacked up? Who knows but it was a cold political calculation to keep the rate increase from becoming public knowledge until after the other tax increases had been approved.
5.9.15 Public Record Request re. water rate study - the city voted on approving $25,000 for a Bartle Wells water rate study on June 3, 2014 which starts the Prop 218 process for raising rates. At the May 3, 2015 meeting, the city stated they never entered into an agreement for a water rate study despite it having been mentioned many times by council members and former city manager Jim Stretch in the past. The council minutes for June 3rd that are posted by the city are missing every other page so the outcome of the vote is not included. The RioDellTimes.com was not in attendance at that meeting.
6.20.14 City provides utiliity billing information in response to record request - additional records are expected - no attempt at reimbursement for all of the tax payer money documented in the Public Works investigation, city employees received subsidized water through 2011 (the rest of us got a rate increase in 2006), and more...
6.11.14 Public Record Request re. rate payer subsidies for "free" water to city facilities and others. Residents are paying higher rates in order to cover the costs of "free" water for others. Prop 218 prohibits this and numerous lawsuits over the past 17 years has also found it illegal. In a related matter, the city is taking initial steps to increase water rates for the rest of us. PRA also requests info. on any recovery efforts for the huge amounts of public funds and resources that were identified in the Public Works investigation report that went to select cronies at the expense of everyone else. Has anyone been asked to repay the illegal gifting of public money? |
