In Encinitas major decisions impacting the city’s 60,000 residents need to be placed on the ballot for a public vote. Certain actions like buying and selling real estate, public debt, zoning changes and major capital projects need to be approved by the people, not a three-person council majority.
For the past decade, Encinitas Mayor Jerome Stocks, council member James Bond and various city councils have shut voters out by avoiding public votes on public debt, capital projects and liquidating assets. The results are increased debt we owe, parks that don’t get built and money-losing real estate deals. Consider Pacific View as an example.
Years ago people donated 2.8-acres of bluff property to residents. They entrusted city leaders to make sure the community used the land. A school was built. The Encinitas Unified School District (EUSD) claims to own it. The way I see it, the EUSD Trustees work for us. The land is our asset.
EUSD superintendent Tim Baird has proposed selling our land.
EUSD also filed a lawsuit against the city and its taxpayers, you and I, to force a change in our zoning, giving them higher density. School district money that could be going to our kids is going to lawyers.
Residents have asked the city to perform an appraisal as currently zoned. Mayor Stocks and Bond have refused. An appraisal benefits the public by letting residents know the true value of their asset.
EUSD requested proposals for the site. Among those responding was the development group City Ventures. When City Ventures came before the council on a project last year, Stocks had to recuse himself citing a conflict. Also responding with a proposal was a group formed by residents and DEMA called “Envision the View.” Their proposal allows the land to be owned and served by the community. It should be made a priority.
EUSD Trustees need to move the Envision The View proposal to the top. Mayor Stocks needs to order an appraisal immediately. If a decision is made to sell Pacific View it needs to be placed on the ballot for voter approval. The land was donated to us all.
Today only 10 of the city’s 60,000 residents have a vote on land that was given to us all. The Muir’s have two of the 10 votes. Un-elected Mark Muir, and EUSD Trustee President Maureen Muir, own 20 percent of a decision affecting our future. The rest of us don’t have a vote. We’re shut out. As my dad Hank would ask, “How do you like them apples?”
7 comments
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Although it really sounds like Jerome (especially the last part) it surely cannot be him. I believe that the comments would be inappropriate considering the city and school are in a lawsuit against each other. Surely Jerome would not violate the law in this manner. Or …. maybe not. He does have a habit of talking down and deriding anyone or thing that does agree with him. Considering that the school district has yet to produce an appraisal of this property I think it would have been entirely proper to order an appraisal when the school district offered the property to the city. Of course, Jerome voted that down. A simple appraisal that would have probably cost a lot less than the money spent on an art group in Los Angeles to look at the Surfing Madonna. In any case the last comment about cheezey columnist of a throwaway paper are really uncalled for. If we did not have people like Mr Audit and the Coast News holding our elected leaders to account, Encinitas would be a little fiefdom for Jerome Stocks and his pals……oh wait it already is.
Mr Audit,
I believe Ms. Muir is the only District Board Member who OPPOSES (only board member to vote against the PV sale) the sale of Pacific View. Please print the facts!
PTA Mom
Jerome,
Your writing style is obvious and you are not fooling anyone with your point by point anon responses.
Come clean, we know it is you.
You are the coward…. and a crappy civic leader
City council should ‘Envision the View’
By Andrew Audet
Jan 26, 2012 • 69 views • 1 comments
In Encinitas major decisions impacting the city’s 60,000 residents need to be placed on the ballot for a public vote.
Response: Not really,we have a representative form of government where people elect people to represent their interests.
Actions like buying and selling real estate, public debt, zoning changes and major capital projects need to be approved by the people, not a three-person council majority.
Response: Wrong again, see above, and by the way there are 5 members of the City Council and most major decisions have received more than three votes of the five..
For the past decade, Encinitas Mayor Jerome Stocks, council member James Bond and various city councils have shut voters out by avoiding public votes on public debt, capital projects and liquidating assets. The results are increased debt we owe, parks that don’t get built and money-losing real estate deals. Consider Pacific View as an example.
Response: past City Council actions, including actions by then Mayor Maggie Houlihan have been legal and in the best interests of the City. Encinitas has far less debt than is considered normal, and has opened a multitude of new parks the past ten years. Too bad the columnist in need of education hasn’t been to Moonlight Beach lately!
Years ago people donated 2.8-acres of bluff property to residents. They entrusted city leaders to make sure the community used the land. A school was built. The Encinitas Unified School District (EUSD) claims to own it. The way I see it, the EUSD Trustees work for us. The land is our asset.
Completely false. The land is legally owned by the EUSD a State Agency.
EUSD superintendent Tim Baird has proposed selling our land.
Wrong. Selling an asset of the school district would be correct, it’s not “our land”.
EUSD also filed a lawsuit against the city and its taxpayers, you and I, to force a change in our zoning, giving them higher density. School district money that could be going to our kids is going to lawyers.
Respomse: Agree.
Residents have asked the city to perform an appraisal as currently zoned. Mayor Stocks and Bond have refused. An appraisal benefits the public by letting residents know the true value of their asset.
Response: The city has no business ordering an appraisal of property they don’t own or control. The price of any property is what a willing buyer is willing to pay to a willing seller. The EUSD has said they want 10 million, and the city has said no thanks.
EUSD requested proposals for the site. Among those responding was the development group City Ventures. When City Ventures came before the council on a project last year, Stocks had to recuse himself citing a conflict. Also responding with a proposal was a group formed by residents and DEMA called “Envision the View.” Their proposal allows the land to be owned and served by the community. It should be made a priority.
Response: made a priority because you say so? How much money do you have in that game!
But really, the legal owner, the EUSD should and does have the final say, not a columnist.
EUSD Trustees need to move the Envision The View proposal to the top. Mayor Stocks needs to order an appraisal immediately. If a decision is made to sell Pacific View it needs to be placed on the ballot for voter approval. The land was donated to us all.
Response: If Mayor Stocks uses my taxpayer dollars to pay or an appraisal of a parcel being negotiated between the EUSD and anyone other than the city, he should be prosecuted! Your premise is absurd and probably illegal. Furthermore, I doubt the EUSD policies require a public vote to sell EUSD assets. Don’t like it? Run for school district trustee and change it.
Today only 10 of the city’s 60,000 residents have a vote on land that was given to us all. The Muir’s have two of the 10 votes. Un-elected Mark Muir, and EUSD Trustee President Maureen Muir, own 20 percent of a decision affecting our future. The rest of us don’t have a vote. We’re shut out. As my dad Hank would ask, “How do you like them apples?”
Response: I bet your dad would have encouraged you to run for office to make positive change rather than just be a cheezy columnist in a free weekly throwing stones at people who are willing to be on the record trying to do the people’s business.
Get in in the arena, or you’re just a coward.
City council should ‘Envision the View’
By Andrew Audet
Jan 26, 2012 • 69 views • 1 comments
In Encinitas major decisions impacting the city’s 60,000 residents need to be placed on the ballot for a public vote. Certain actions like buying and selling real estate, public debt, zoning changes and major capital projects need to be approved by the people, not a three-person council majority.
For the past decade, Encinitas Mayor Jerome Stocks, council member James Bond and various city councils have shut voters out by avoiding public votes on public debt, capital projects and liquidating assets. The results are increased debt we owe, parks that don’t get built and money-losing real estate deals. Consider Pacific View as an example.
Years ago people donated 2.8-acres of bluff property to residents. They entrusted city leaders to make sure the community used the land. A school was built. The Encinitas Unified School District (EUSD) claims to own it. The way I see it, the EUSD Trustees work for us. The land is our asset.
EUSD superintendent Tim Baird has proposed selling our land.
EUSD also filed a lawsuit against the city and its taxpayers, you and I, to force a change in our zoning, giving them higher density. School district money that could be going to our kids is going to lawyers.
Residents have asked the city to perform an appraisal as currently zoned. Mayor Stocks and Bond have refused. An appraisal benefits the public by letting residents know the true value of their asset.
EUSD requested proposals for the site. Among those responding was the development group City Ventures. When City Ventures came before the council on a project last year, Stocks had to recuse himself citing a conflict. Also responding with a proposal was a group formed by residents and DEMA called “Envision the View.” Their proposal allows the land to be owned and served by the community. It should be made a priority.
EUSD Trustees need to move the Envision The View proposal to the top. Mayor Stocks needs to order an appraisal immediately. If a decision is made to sell Pacific View it needs to be placed on the ballot for voter approval. The land was donated to us all.
Today only 10 of the city’s 60,000 residents have a vote on land that was given to us all. The Muir’s have two of the 10 votes. Un-elected Mark Muir, and EUSD Trustee President Maureen Muir, own 20 percent of a decision affecting our future. The rest of us don’t have a vote. We’re shut out. As my dad Hank would ask, “How do you like them apples?”
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District sues city over Pacific View zoning
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Filed Under: Columns • Life, Liberty and Leadership
Tags: Andrew Audet • Liberty • Life
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Real Encinitas says:
January 26, 2012 at 3:13 pm
I agree with this post 100%. Everybody (except Glenn Sabine) loses when public agencies sue each other.
Encinitas residents, we are reaching a critical point of no return. People who know Encinitas and who do no live here are envious of what we have. We should honor the wishes of the person who dedicated this land to the children of Encinitas and make it place that the community can use and enjoy–not another housing tract.
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I agree with this post 100%. Everybody (except Glenn Sabine) loses when public agencies sue each other.
Encinitas residents, we are reaching a critical point of no return. People who know Encinitas and who do no live here are envious of what we have. We should honor the wishes of the person who dedicated this land to the children of Encinitas and make it place that the community can use and enjoy–not another housing tract.
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