Saturday, November 24, 2018

Marinwood ignores Request for Public Signboard Again and Wonders Why People don't Attend



The board changes the meeting times but few will know about this.  Marinwood CSD is the only community NOT to have a public signboard that announces meetings. Little wonder why people don't attend.  The board prefers it this way. They also will not publish their email  for public contact.  I have never had a return email or phone call from any board members concerning public matters.




Marinwood  CSD board claims that no one is interested but they do very little outreach beyond occasional emails.  This is the way they like it and it enables them to take shortcuts.

Friday, November 23, 2018

Marinwood's "Good Ole Boy" Government Contracts Violate the Law




Marinwood CSD Manager, Eric Dreikosen, asks the board for permission to replace a couple of heaters for the Marinwood Community Center. This item did not appear on the agenda as required by the Brown Act.  The project cost requires the Marinwood CSD to follow government contracting rules but apparently the contract is going to the same firm that has installed heating and air condition equipment throughout the center without COMPETITIVE BIDDING.  This is highly suspect.  Why has virtually all of the heating and air conditioning equipment been replaced within a five year period?  Who is this contractor and what is their relation to the CSD?  We need to know if we are getting competent help and fair pricing.  We cannot find ANY permits for ANY of the heating, air conditioning and electrical work done at the community center since 2005.  Marinwood CSD simply does not follow the law and needs to comply.


2009 California Public Contract Code - Section 10420-10426 :: Article 9. Remedies And Penalties

PUBLIC CONTRACT CODE 
SECTION 10420-10426 

10420.  Every contract or other transaction entered in violation of
any provision of this chapter is void, unless the violation is
technical or nonsubstantive.

10421.  The state, or any person acting on behalf of the state, may
bring a civil action seeking a determination by the Superior Court
that a contract or other transaction has been entered in violation of
any provision of this chapter. If the court finds substantial
evidence of such a violation, it may issue a temporary injunction to
prevent any further dealings upon the contract or other transaction,
pending a final determination on the merits of the case. If the
action results in a final determination that the contract or other
transaction has been entered in violation of this chapter, it shall
be void, and the state or person bringing the action shall be awarded
costs and attorney's fees. This section shall not be construed to
permit an award of costs and attorney fees to the person or entity
contracting or otherwise transacting with the state.

10422.  Any officer or employee of the department who corruptly
performs any official act under this chapter to the injury of the
state is guilty of a felony.

10423.  Any person contracting with the state by oral or written
contract who corruptly permits the violation of any contract made
under this chapter is guilty of a felony.

10424.  Persons convicted under Section 10422 or 10423 are also
liable to the state for double the amount the state may have lost, or
be liable to lose by reason of the acts made crimes by this article.

10425.  Willful violation of any other provision of this chapter
shall constitute a misdemeanor.

10426.  (a) It shall be unlawful for a person to intentionally
disclose proprietary information obtained in the negotiation,
execution, or performance of a consulting services contract, as
defined in Section 10335.5, or an information technology contract, as
defined in Section 11702 of the Government Code, with a state agency
when the contracting party knew or should have known that the
disclosure was likely to cause harm.
   (b) A violation of this section shall be punishable as a
misdemeanor and may be prosecuted by the Attorney General or by a
local district attorney in the district in which the disclosure took
place.
   (c) (1) For the purposes of this section "proprietary information"
shall include any information agreed by the contracting parties to
be proprietary or any information that is designated by a contracting
state agency to be proprietary. A contracting state agency shall
specifically identify in the contract any information that is
considered to be proprietary. The state agency shall make this
designation only in cases where the state agency has reason to
believe that the release of this information poses an immediate
threat to the health, safety, or welfare of the public or the state
agency has reason to believe that the contracting party intends to
sell the information. If the state agency makes a designation of
proprietary information subsequent to the execution of the contract,
the state agency shall make a good faith effort to amend the contract
to incorporate the subsequent designation of proprietary
information. A contracting state agency shall provide written
notification to a contracting party of any information that,
subsequent to the execution of the contract, is identified to be
proprietary. A contracting party is not in violation of this section
if that party discloses information prior to the receipt of the
written notification.
   (2) Any information that is required to be released or disclosed
by a contracting party pursuant to a legal requirement, including an
order of a court or regulatory agency, shall not be considered a
violation of this section.

Marinwood Fire Department Report from our new Fire Chief Gray



Marinwood contracted for a part time fire chief with San Rafael.  Chief Gray brings many years experience  and is a welcome addition to our community.  Does Marinwood still need a separate fire department?

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Marinwood CSD Q1 Budget 2018-2019 report without a clue



Marinwood CSD manager presents the current quarter budget but compares it to the entire 2018-2019 budget instead of a YTD or comparing quarter by quarter for 2017-2018.  As a result, there is no way to understand the current financial performance of the district. Only outgoing CSD director, Irv Schwartz questions this.  The rest of the board approves the budget without comment.  Also, a new secretary has been hired for Eric Dreikosen, making him the only CSD manager with a full time assistant in the CSD's 55 year history.

Marinwood is paying down pension debt despite inevitable pension insolvency


Marinwood is paying down pension debt in addition to making the minimum contributions under pension rules. Our pension obligations will inevitably overtake our revenues without fundamental change to pension rules.  Despite this the CSD continues to "work the plan" 

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Non Profit Developer Attacks Transit Oriented Development



Mary Murtagh, Non Profit Housing executive challenges the myth of transit oriented development lowering costs for working professionals. "You profit developers will be buying up all the transit sites and we are going to have to develop in West Jesus"

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Housing Advocate Realizes that MTC CASA is about Profits not People.



Housing Advocate from Urban Habitat speaks during public time at the  November 14, 2018 meeting of CASA technical committee.  Despite her years long advocacy of housing issues as an observer, she realizes that CASA committee members are more concerned with profit and political power than helping the people

Pension Funds demand HIGHER RENTS from Bay Area Residents



At the November 14, 2018 CASA Technical Committee, Developer Covarrubias. TMG Partners michael.c@tmgpartners.com tells the  Committee that Government Pension Funds are driving the demand for high returns on real estate investments.  CASA is a committee of industry insiders that has crafted a plan to collect $4 BILLION DOLLARS annually in taxes and fee to fund affordable housing.  Developers stand to make billions.

Monday, November 19, 2018

CASA Contract On the BAY AREA for BILLIONS OF NEW TAXES and fees for Housing

It a proposal to raise up to 4 BILLION dollars annually from new taxes and fees and state grants.  CASA is a committee of developers, labor, affordable housing advocates etc.  Kinda like a pack of wolves deciding on how many sheep they want for dinner.

It is an aggressive, radical attack on private individuals and businesses.  Almost no one talks about the unintended consequences to the Bay Area Economy or why people will agree to paying outrageous taxes only to see it end up in international business capital markets.  I call this a coup against the foundations of democracy and we need to push back hard.





The Legend of Stan Lee (Free Speech)

China’s Bike Sharing Disaster

Sunday, November 18, 2018

THE DOGS AND THE HIDES

THE DOGS AND THE HIDES

      SOME hungry Dogs saw a number of hides at the bottom of a stream where the Tanner had put them to soak. A fine hide makes an excellent meal for a hungry Dog, but the water was deep and the Dogs could not reach the hides from the bank. So they held a council and decided that the very best thing to do was to drink up the river.

All fell to lapping up the water as fast as they could. But though they drank and drank until, one after another, all of them had burst with drinking, still, for all their effort, the water in the river remained as high as ever.

Do not try to do impossible things.


[Illustration]

Ponti Fire Trail Conversion to Mountain Bike track and multiuse trail. Wil




Marinwood CSD is giving an easement to Marin County Open Space to remove/replace the Ponti Fire Trail that runs on Marinwood CSD land above Blackstone Drive in the North East section of Marinwood. A vital fire break may be removed in the process. We urge the Marinwood CSD to grant access under the provision that the Firebreak will be maintained by Marin County . Also, since the trail will be narrowed from 15' to 5' , residents are concerned about collisions with speeding cyclists. We urge that pedestrian bypass trails are built at blind corners and jumps for safety. Unfortunately, none of the Marinwood CSD directors seemed to be concerned and voted to grant full easement without any conditions. Eric Dreikosen is charged with negotiating the final details.

We note the irony of the Marinwood CSD in the deference to the 10 mountain bike enthusiasts who attended. Their voice is significant while the 200 residents who petitioned the board for a hearing on Bill Hansells "Maintenence Facility Compound" have been attacked as "irrelevant".

Legitimate concerns about fire safety and trail safety are ignored. The Marinwood CSD should be ashamed.

Hansell Meltdown lecture with the full Public Response



Marinwood CSD Architect and former board member Bill Hansell berates the public for presenting a petition and implores the Marinwood CSD to ignore the public.  This is a clear violation of the Brown Act and the public civil rights.  Here is the uninterrupted  exchange