Marinwood CSD is writing a blank check for Maintenance Shed as bankruptcy looms.

Marinwood CSD has allowed an unlimited budget for a new Maintenance Shed designed by former Marinwood CSD Politician Bill Hansell. Hansell hired current Marinwood CSD Manager Eric Dreikosen in 2016 shortly before he left office and Bill has been consulting for Marinwood CSD since that time in various capacities. The Marinwood Maintenance shed project has been on the books for years. The current dilapidated structure should have been replaced decades ago. Previous boards proposed a simple structure that would have cost the district less than $100.000. After Bill Hansell was hired the project ballooned in size and the cost has been hidden. Marinwood CSD resident John Boro asks the board and Bill Hansell, if there are any budget guidelines. Bill Hansell admits that "NO BUDGET LIMITS" have been discussed. This is simply not acceptable. Who gives a blank check to an architect with no budget guidelines? Hansell even claims not to know how much the project will cost until we receive bids. By not doing sufficient due diligence the board is abusing public responsibility, trust and public funds.  Izabella confirmed their previous mistake regarding the fire house kitchen project, budgeted 40k, spent 100k.  Plus there were management issues regarding project completion, which we read about in the IJ.  That could happen again based on what was said by the board and Hansell. This corrupt project must be shut down immediately and an investigation of the CSD finances must be done. As of July 2020, the Marinwood CSD is losing $1.2 million dollars of revenue due to the cancellation of recreational programs. The Marinwood CSD is headed into bankruptcy.

Marinwood Meeting agenda July 14, 2020

Marinwood Protest Justice for George Floyd

Youtube video courtesy of MadebyMaven

The Shameless Marinwood CSD is screwing us

Neighbors received a letter TODAY that construction will begin TODAY.  No warning whatsoever.

The Marinwood CSD REFUSES to tell us how much this major capital expense will cost.   It is corruption plan and simple.

Marinwood CSD director Eric Dreikosen REFUSES to discuss the cost of the project. 

The Marinwood CSD is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars it does not have during the most serious financial crisis it has faced in its history.  They want to build a ridiculously excessive Maintenance Facility Compound designed by Bill Hansell, a former Marinwood CSD politician.

Marinwood CSD June 9, 2020- Damn the Torpedos

Marinwood CSD throws caution to the wind and continues with massive capital spending on the Bill Hansell's White Elephant aka. Marinwood Maintenance Shed.  The necessary major repairs to the Community Pool are being ignored for now, to allow more money to be spent on Hansell's bloated project.   This is corruption in real time.

The Marinwood CSD staff has been idle for months while retaining full salary.  Unlike other government agencies in Marin who have laid off staff due to declining revenue, Marinwood CSD continues to employ idle staff . The Marinwood CSD board voted 5-0 to INCREASE the pay range for our staff.  Jeff Naylor, Leah Green, Izabella Perry, Bill Shea and Sivan Oyserman are clueless and grossly irresponsible with our budgets.

A very limited summer camp is going forward despite concerns over COVID19 community spread and the continued lockdown of businesses and other activities.  While some measures for safety, are being implemented, we need to be aware that it will be up to young teen counselors to maintain the health protocol.  We think this is very unwise but hope that our children will be safe.  I would have rather seen the new health protocol implemented by the schools so that mature adults will be present at all times.  I am guardedly optimistic for our children.

Jeff Naylor and Sivan Oyserman want an official statement of support for "Black Lives Matter" despite their previous racist remarks following last year's attempted rape of a juvenile attending a Mexican Sweet 16 party.   The Marinwood CSD silently banned all quincenaras, weddings and other events booked primarily by the Hispanic community.  Instead of increasing security protocols and guidelines to ensure safety, they simply banned community events.  When we pointed out the racist nature of the policy, they quietly reversed themselves upon the advice of their lawyer.

The Marinwood CSD refused to change their alcohol policy and will not install video security cameras in fear that they will offend "community members" who use the Marinwood Community Center for drinking parties and other "non family" events.

It is appalling that the Marinwood CSD ignores the safety of the community.

Jeff Naylor, Izabela Perry and Leah Green is up for reelection and hope you will not notice.   We encourage you to consider running for a seat on the Marinwood CSD to help clean up the swampy messy before it is too late.  Marinwood CSD insiders are taking unfair advantage of everyone.

This is your community.  What future do YOU want? You can make a difference.  Contact savemarinwood@gmail.com to learn more.

Marinwood CSD meeting June 9, 2020

Assumed Risk of contracting COVID19 at Marinwood Summer Camp

I am appalled that they are opening Marinwood CSD Summer camps while we are still sheltered in place. Do they really think young teen counselors should be given the responsibility of protecting public health?
The Marinwood CSD is not worried. The parents are assuming the risk. What do you think?

Marinwood Summer Camp and Pool to Open despite COVID19

Marinwood CSD is holding and opening the pool this Summer. As a Marinwood resident,  I am shocked that they are opening given the questions about the health protocol.  I asked the general manager, Eric Dreikosen is concerned about liability. He assured the Marinwood CSD board that “they will have a strong legal liability waiver”.  I want to know exactly they plan to meet the new health standards and WHO will implement them.  Do they really think teen counselors should be given this responsibility?  Like to hear your thoughts.  Here is their announcement 

http://www.marinwood.org/sites/default/files/summercampandpoolupdate_5-27-20.pdf

This photo of the Easter Bunny was published April 1st as an April Fools joke.  Now, just a month later Marinwood CSD is actually planning a Summer Camp despite COVID19.

Non Essential Marinwood CSD staff threaten to BANKRUPT us during the COVID 19 Crisis

Eric Dreikosen, Marinwood CSD manager was hired in 2015 by Bill Hansell, then CSD politician

Just when you thought it could not get worse at Marinwood CSD, the district is facing its largest financial crisis in history due to COVID 19. At the helm is the controversial director, Eric Dreikosen, who lacked the managerial skills to navigate the district during this difficult time.  He has literally done nothing, while the district's finances are being drained by overhead of cancelled programs.

Marinwood CSD has an overabundance of office staff that in good years no one noticed due to the success of its recreation and summer camp programs.  These programs bring in roughly one third of the district budget or $2,000,000.  Now all of these programs have been cancelled due to health concerns from COVID19

The Marinwood CSD was warned by Marin County and the public that a terrible financial crisis was about to unfold at the March 8, 2020 meeting.  The warnings were ignored and all of the Marinwood CSD Boardmembers hoped it would be a "normal year".   It was naive and frankly revealed the lack of business judgement of not only Eric Dreikosen but the entire Marinwood CSD board.  (Jeff Naylor. Izabela Perry and Leah Green hoped to be re-elected in November 2020. Be sure to voice your displeasure at the ballot box).

Understandably they did not want to layoff staff needlessly but it has long been clear that both the pool and the Summer Camps will at the very least be money losing propositions in 2020 and staff adjustments are needed.  No contingency plans have been made.

For the last three months there has been almost no regular maintenance or office work done.  The entire staff appears to be idle, save for emptying trash cans in the park. (They did not want to do this either but were ordered to by the Marin County Health Department).  Marin County Parks and Recreation staff has been working for weeks in their parks.  County employees who have not been able to return to their normal jobs have been providing extra help for social service needs of the county, getting food and outreach to people in need. Why didn't Marinwood CSD help our community in similar ways?

Marinwood CSD staff has been idle but being paid a full salary, benefits without interruption. A simple request that Marinwood CSD coordinate community volunteers was turned down by Eric Dreikosen,  because "they did not have the budget" so the staff has done nothing to help the community.

The Marinwood CSD Community Pool needs major repairs which will require the shut down of the pool for months. It will disrupt a pool season.  This year is the IDEAL year to make pool repairs because the disruption is already happening.   The Marinwood CSD CANCELLED pool repairs to allow them to have cash for the Bill Hansell designed Maintenance Shed Compound at an astronomical cost.

The Maintenance Shed Project is TEN TIMES the cost of the initial estimates and former Marinwood CSD politician Bill Hansell is the architect.   He has been paid $50k just for initial drawings.  The original project, a simplified structure suitable for a landscaping operation could have been built for $50k and installed by now.  But Bill Hansell could not have made money that way.  He increased the size of the project up to include unneeded work areas and a shower for our employees.  Hansell, a part time architect, is using the project to restart his troubled architecture practice.  Foolishly the Marinwood CSD Board agreed to fund this white elephant with YOUR tax dollars.  Instead of an appropriate utilitian structure, Hansell has created an over the top project with expensive unnecessary details like custom steel work, glass and surfaces normally found in multi million dollar custom homes. 

But Bill Hansell is not the only former Marinwood CSD politician to benefit.  Another former Marinwood CSD politician Irv Schwartz is doing the engineering with his firm ILS Associates.  Other locals are involved landscaping and consulting and legal work.  These are NO BID contracts given to political insiders and smell to high hell. It reeks of cronyism, and political corruption.

Why should you care?

The Marinwood CSD will be asking for more taxes in the Fall.  I expect they will try to vote on a bond issue to make pool repairs.  Marinwood CSD citizens have never been watchful of their politicians which has allowed corruption to run rampant.  Eric Dreikosen, Marinwood CSD politician was hired to look the other way while the corruption continues.  He had no previous government or general management experience.  He was allowed to hire an assistant to help with the bookkeeping. ( He now has TWO full time administrative assistants).  

The Marinwood CSD will soon be bankrupt unless an outside agency puts an end to this fiasco.  If Marinwood CSD goes belly up, Marin County will need to bail them out.  A very sad end to the most beautiful neighborhood CSD in Marin.

Marinwood Plaza Toxic Waste discussion May 13, 2020

Lawyer for St. Vincents and Marinwood Citizens from "Clean up Marinwood Plaza, Now" committee address the Regional Water Quality Control Board regarding the Marinwood Plaza clean up. Marinwood Plaza, LLC controlled by Hoytt family has violated order for clean up.  We have been working diligently for seven years to get the toxic waste removed.  During this time the toxic waste has spread over 1/2 mile east on the property of Silveira Ranch and St. Vincents.

Marinwood CSD Meeting May 12, 2020 Zoom meeting.

Recorded at SaveMarinwood studio (audio problems)

Recorded by Marinwood CSD with content removed by the CSD

This meeting was recorded at two different locations but is the same meeting. The first video was rec recording from my studio,. It contains video from the entire video feed but unfortunately, the audio of me speaking was not picked up.  When I joined the ZOOM audio conference room, Eric Dreikosen refused to acknowledge me or unmute my phone to verify a connection.  I frantically tried using the chat function which was ignored.  Finally after trying twenty times, I typed an obscenity that was seen by Bill Shea.  I was unsure why they were ignoring the chat and was not sure that chat was active at all despite the comment that Eric was managing them.  I typed away my running commentary for my own notes but low and behold at the end of the call Bill Shea asked that my chat be preserved presumably to play "gotcha" as "evidence of disruptive behavior".   I was not kind to their lies and deception in my notes.  It is an amusing sidenote to the evening.


The Marinwood CSD is completely out of control.  They have cancelled major repairs for the Marinwood CSD pool so they can build Bill Hansell's Maintenance Compound at ten times expense of similar maintenance sheds.  Irv Schwartz, former CSD director has done engineering and survey work for the project.  These CSD directors are LOOTING the Marinwood CSD and may well plunge it into bankruptcy.

I do not yet know why these two videos do not synch.  Is it because, the Marinwood CSD doctored their video or is it due to another technical reason?  As all Marinwood CSD watchers know, the Marinwood CSD REGULARLY doctors documents and agendas and minutes to avoid embarrassment.

Marinwood CSD Agenda May 2020 - The first virtual meeting held on Zoom.