CSD DIRECTORS GONE WILD

From my understanding the purpose of this “special meeting” on August 10^, 2009 is to censure Director Barton for his “Letter to the Editor” in the July issue of the Foothill Express.

I want to ask, what makes you god with ability to punish anyone for exercising his right to free speech?

Director Barton expresses his favoring of a recall of this board; I support that opinion 100%. This board has wasted so much time and energy on worthless pursuits. For example, this meeting today is a waste of District resources. Any censure at this meeting or at any time on this issue is a violation of rights to freedom of speech. Directors Barton and Punte only have the best interest of the District at heart. One director acts as if he doesn’t care about much and the other two only care about themselves, adding a feather in their cap, playing big shot and tooting their own horn.

You’ve managed to alienate one employee already with your hyjinks and exposed the District to a possible lawsuit. How many more employees will you alienate before you drive this district into the ground and force the State to take control? That will spell disaster for us all and the blame will be all yours.

Secondly, the Brown Act violations that occurred repeatedly at the meeting on Aug. 3rd are outrageous. I am seriously considering making a formal complaint to the Mariposa County District Attorney against Directors Marquette; Kinsella and Ross. It is time that the shenanigans come to a halt and you start conducting the board meetings in a dignified and professional manner.

It is quite obvious that you haven’t familiarized yourself with the Code of Ethics in the District’s Policies and Procedures. Policy Number 4010 in part:

4010.1.1 The dignity, style, values, and opinions of each Director shall be respected.

4010.1.2 Responsiveness and attentive listening in communication is encouraged.

4010.1.3 The needs of the District’s constituents should be the priority of the Board of Directors.

4010.1.4 The primary responsibility of the Board of Directors is the formulation and evaluation of policy. Routine matters concerning the operational aspects of the District are to be delegated to professional staff members of the District.

PS: It’s not your responsibility to act as GM. The district has a professional administrator responsible for the business operations of the District. LET HER DO HER JOB! It’s not your responsibility to oversee field operations. The District has a supervisor responsible for this. LET HIM DO HIS JOB!

4010.1.5 Directors should commit themselves to emphasizing the positive, avoiding double talk, hidden agendas, gossip, backbiting, and other negative forms of interaction.

PS: By my count, all five of these policies have been violated)

Basis of Authority

Policy number 4070

4070.1 The Board of Directors is the unit of authority within the District. Apart from his/her normal function as a part of this unit, Directors have no individual authority. As individuals, Directors may not commit the District to any policy, act, or expenditure.

(In short Directors Kinsella and Ross, unless you have consent from the board, voted and approved, you do not direct traffic or inject yourself into any of the operational duties of the District, field or office.)

Since this meeting is about censuring Director Barton, who is it that needs to be censured, I wonder? Directors do not censure other Directors. Gentlemen, it’s time to get off your high horse, settle down, familiarize yourself with policy and procedures, state code, Brown Act and start being a Director. As I stated earlier, this meeting is a waste of District resources and every ratepayer should be as outraged as I am.

I am stepping out of my comfort zone. I don’t like speaking in public or having my words become part of public record. But when it comes to an injustice I have a moral responsibility to speak up. This meeting and censure is an injustice to Director Barton, to the employees of the District and the community.

When it comes to an injustice I have a moral responsibility to speak up. This meeting and censure is an injustice to Director Barton, to the employees of the District and the community. I ask that the Directors responsible for this injustice put an end to this matter and make a public apology to Director Barton.

Jean Barclay

WATERBOARDING, DON PEDRO STYLE

Attending CSD Board meetings for the last 8 months has been a form of torture for any citizen who expects to see their elected officials to go about the community’s business in a professional and businesslike manner.

Three members of the current board have spent half their time criticizing the previous board for its alleged mistakes and the other half arguing with each other. Very little has been accomplished in the job they were elected to do: solve the District’s problems in the current economic climate.

The only potential solutions to the District’s financial situation to come from this Board have been offered by Director Barton, who has spent an enormous amount of time poring over the numbers. While I believe there are significant differences between running a small business and funding a public agency, I very much appreciate Barton’s efforts. The Board’s censure of him is ludicrous.

At one meeting there was a lengthy argument over whether or not to pursue grant or federal stimulus money. Director Ross said he didn’t believe in seeking grant money. Finance Officer Charise Reeves strongly advised the Board to do so, and she did develop and submit proposals. This is a poor attitude by Mr. Ross at a time when no stone should be left unturned.

More disturbing has been the development of a three member power bloc consisting of Directors Marquette, Ross and Kinsella, who seem to have outright contempt for the ideas of their colleagues, Barton and Punte. President Marquette allows the public ample opportunity to speak at meetings, which is good. But he also controls the agenda, not allowing anything to come before the board (and therefore the public) he doesn’t approve of. This practice stifles debate and creative thinking. Every idea deserves to be heard and considered; all five Board members are equal under the law and should be allowed to place items on any meeting agenda.

The Brown Act prohibition against ‘serial meetings’ has been violated repeatedly by these three who have obviously made plans behind the scenes to further their own agenda, particularly regarding the hiring of a new General Manager. Go ahead; ask them about their flip flopping plans for GM.

And what has happened to the concept of Public Relations? Emory Ross is the PR chairman, yet no newsletter has been produced and no articles have been published to inform the public of the Board’s thoughts, plans and activities, with the exception of a paid item in which Directors Kinsella and Ross commended themselves for directing traffic for the work crew (and I shudder to think of the liability risk to the District).

The message board sign reminding people of public meetings at the District office has been taken down, even after Supervisor Lyle Turpin, working with the county Public Works Dept. presented a possible solution to the sign violation problem.

Bottom line, this Board cares more about kicking sand in each other’s faces than the public interest. Though they may not believe it, I want this Board to succeed, as I would any Board, no matter which individuals won an election. I want them to educate themselves, do their homework, use the District engineers and attorney as resources, see the bigger picture, be more tolerant, learn the art of compromise, stop the childishness and get to work. If they don’t they should be recalled.

Ellie Duste

Food for Thought

After attempting to work with the current Lake Don Pedro Board of Directors for a scant 9 months, I must say that I am challenged. It is difficult attending meetings at one persons whim with never a concern as to if timing is convenient to other Board members. We have a scheduled meeting time on the Third Monday at 1:00 PM, but agendas are so overloaded that we set ourselves up to fail. It seems that only three Board members are necessary, in fact, I have been told that "we have three votes, you don't have to come"!

Democratic, hmmm? How do you suppose they know they have three votes? I could go on, but this is food for thought.

Community, where are you? You need to tune in.

Sally Punte

CSD Meeting Hyjinks

On August 3, 2009 CSD Board of Directors met and several disquieting items occurred. Sitting in public spaces one normally attends to observe, listen, and occasionally comment at the proper time. This meeting was so disconnected to the point of being illegal under the Brown Act. We had the usual BOD actors, but this time their hyjinks soared to new heights.

The Board was in the middle of a Public Hearing when Director Kinsella chose and insisted upon reading a "censure" he had composed directed at another Board member. Had Kinsella chosen to read his composition into the record at any time, since it was not on the agenda, it would have been out of order unless he chose to use Director's Comments time. The Public Hearing regarding Delinquent Balances Placed on Availability Billing had just been opened when Director Kinsella insisted that he be allowed to speak. In the middle of the hearing, President Marquette, seeing that he did not have control of the meeting just then said that Director Kinsella had the floor. After the reading, discussion ensued, after which BOD was asked to vote on censuring Director Barton for writing his thoughts to the Foothill Express. What happened to the Public Hearing? It was returned to after the hyjinks of the moment.

One or two items down the agenda we experienced another interruption by Director Ross who had another composition to read to the gathering. Was this on the agenda? Well, no, but it seemed a likely time so he just went ahead with President Marquette's okay and at the end of that we heard President Marquette offer to step down as President if Director Ross wanted to be President. The problem here is that the Board of Directors has a Vice President. It is Director Barton. And if President Marquette chooses to be President no longer that is up to him, but how and why could/would Director Ross be President?

I came away completely confused and wondering just what is going on at our previously rational, organized CSD.

Sally Punte