Gibson pops up in the strangest places
“…much of what we’ve heard this afternoon has been spoken to many, many times before…”
Supervisor Bruce Gibson
April 26, 2011
There, he said it again!
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2009 was the year that included the removal of STEP/STEG and other alternatives from the County Los Osos Wastewater Project’s design-build process, a formal complaint against Public Works director Paavo Ogren and hours of tedious — but sometimes heated — debate at the Planning Commission meetings. Along the way, mistakes were made on both sides of the debate while everyone hopelessly expected some of the bigger problems to be mitigated. Contrary to what the County of San Luis Obispo has said, the County has unanimously sided with County staff recommendations with each and every turn involving the LOWWP. With hope fading in their eyes, a small group of Los Osos residents pleaded with the board to reconsider their decisions, but the board moved ahead. Those with the loudest objections to the County were silenced with Supervisor Bruce Gibson’s wave of the hand, a chuckle out of pity and a quick tug of the microphone plug — and the microphone was off. On a few occasions, Gibson asserted that most of the people of Los Osos approved of their handling of the process, but do they? Whether you like it or not, it’s unarguable the County made an incredible amount of what they would call “progress.” The Planning Commission moved forward with the project, changing many of the project conditions, most of which remained uncontested by the Board of Supervisors. The BOS successfully paved a clear path for the project to be considered by the California Coastal Commission, which will discuss the LOWWP and the appeals in January of next year. The County also managed to secure consideration for USDA grant money (through a population waiver) thanks to the provision on Los Osos added to the Fiscal Year 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill, which President Obama signed into law. Let’s not forget the $35 million dollar authorization in the Water Resources Development Act, which is available for federal appropriation. The only problem is that after lingering fees and changes relevant to the sewer, which include paying off the interest of the USDA’s $64 million loan, Los Osos residents may not actually see the savings. For now, let’s take a look at what’s happened in 2009 and check out the highlights. Continue reading The Razor’s Los Osos Best and Worst of 2009 →
The BOS and County staff focused on ambiguous, topical rebuttals of the appeals before the appellants spoke. Board Chairman Bruce Gibson asserted repeatedly that the board reviewed all the materials submitted by the appellants — but neither he nor the other members raised specific issues as documented in the appeals. In short, the appellants were denied a fair hearing, if they were heard at all. Continue reading Did the BOS Dismiss All the Appeals in Advance? → The Tribune published their poisoned tongue-and-cheek editorial “Bouquets and Brickbats” with the first five paragraphs dedicated to Lisa Schicker’s complaint. The editorial compares the accusation against San Luis Obispo Public Works Director Paavo Ogren with a drowsy attempt at being funny. The Tribune compares the complaint to some obsession over the Kardashian family. For those who didn’t recognize the pop culture reference or it went over their head, click here. Continue reading The Tribune Should Call Off Its Fatwa Against Los Osos → Today, Adam Hill wrote a viewpoint in The Tribune that discussed his obligation to help he people he serves as a member of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. Mr. Hill wrote about the “finest pleasure” of “engaging students in larger moral discussions” with his students when he taught literature at Cal Poly. Not once . . . → Read More: Supervisor Hill’s Dilemma — To Think or Not to Think? During his office hours in Los Osos on Thursday, SLO County Board of Supervisors chairman Bruce Gibson confirmed that the board will proceed with the analysis of former LOCSD president Lisa Schicker’s conflict-of-interest complaint. Also appearing at the office hours was Paavo Ogren, the subject of Schicker’s complaint. He appeared shaken as he, for the first time, addressed the allegations. “I think it’s absurd, it really is,” said Ogren, who lowered his head in exasperation. “I never worked with Montgomery Watson-Harza. [The allegations] are just ridiculous.” After LOCAC board member Linde Owen got in a series of heated exchanges with Ogren, Gibson stated, “[The complaint] is a textbook case of a series of assertions. I’ve read most of the complaint and I don’t see any indications of conflict of interest — none at all.” In his defense, Ogren later stated that he never worked with Montgomery Watson-Harza. In fact, he worked on a team that competed against MWH — around the time the LOCSD started to work with MWH — but he never mentioned the team he was working with at the time. Ironically, Gibson declined to comment on pending personnel investigations involving Wilcox/Edge and Ghezzi/Keller. For additional commentary, click on “Read More” It’s been over 100 days since County Counsel Warren Jensen stated he would respond in two weeks to former LOCSD board president Lisa Schicker’s well-documented complaint against MWH and Paavo Ogren. (UPDATE: At the August 4 Board of Supervisors meeting, Counsel Jensen again refused to respond to the public’s request for his promised written response to the full complaint.) Continue reading UPDATE: County Counsel That Can’t Count to 100 Should Be Fired → The County of San Luis Obispo does not know how to regulate public comment at meetings. Section 54954.3 of the California Brown Act allows the public to speak on items on the agenda and items within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body, but it’s up to chairman or board president to determine how public comment is managed. However, the Brown Act doesn’t address the application of public comment. Instead, that act simply sets forth a mandate of implementation. For the past year, I spoke to members of the Board of Supervisors and the LOCSD regarding their management of public comment. The head of each of those legislative bodies talked about how they have their own style and approach, but most importantly, they prioritized public policy over public consideration. In other words, they feel that public comment and one’s public testimony rights impede board business to a point that brings exasperation and distraction to members of the board. Continue reading Public Comment: A Good Investment for Public Policy → |
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The Tribune reported on October 30th
Here’s The Triple Whammy
The ROCK delivers the goods. Hot off the digital presses!
County Counsel Tries to Bury Schicker’s MWH/Ogren Complaint
Warren Jensen’s belated response to Lisa Schicker’s MWH/Ogren complaint paves the way for MWH to move forward, without legal impediments, in the design-build phase of the wastewater project as No. 1 contractor on the County’s handpicked short lists for both collection and treatment. At the same time, Counsel’s disclaimer shields the board. Schicker’s reaction…
» Read Article
Next Speaker… Shut Up! The Los Osos Public Comment Scandal
It’s not sexy like the Edge/Wilcox scandal, but the Los Osos Public Comment scandal and coverup will cost Los Osos and County taxpayers millions of dollars more in rigged contracts, costs increases, more fees and charges, further damage to the threatened drinking water supply and probable litigation. The man pulling the strings behind the scenes of both scandals could pay at the polls in 2010, if voters take a deeper look…
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Best of Summer Public Comment: Los Osos Residents Fight Back Against Gibson Gag With Wit, Knowledge and Advice
Public comment on the Los Osos wastewater project at Board of Supervisors’ monthly updates is the time when no good deed goes unpunished, as Supervisor Gibson and idling board sidekicks turn the vice tighter and tighter on critics of the County’s town-sweeping $200-million megasewer built on the flimsiest foundation of lies and fraud. Following is a just a sampling of the vital public comment from Los Osos residents at monthly project updates on July 14 and August 4—ignored or dismissed by a board that almost never responds. We bring back some folks for an encore because public comment passes too quickly and should not be so quickly forgotten…
» Read Article
For special commentary on the articles, click the link below to read more.
Continue reading Here’s The Triple Whammy →