Comments by laplayaheritage | San Diego Reader

laplayaheritage

U.S. investigating $100,000 donation, Channel 10 says

The Federal Investigation should also Include City Attorney Jan Goldsmith for allowing the original gifting of public assets to Sunroad. City Council President Todd Gloria and Lori Zapf for putting the item on the City Council's Agenda without going through legal and correct channels for leases of public easements. By passing both Development Services Department (DSD) and the Real Estate Assets Department (READ) under control of our Strong Mayor Filner. And the rest of the City Council for not insisting on an financial analysis by the City's Independent Budget Analyst (IBA) before relying on legal advice by the Originating Department, the Office of the City Attorney, that there were no Financial consideration for the City Council vote to waive an administrative Council Policy for Sunroad's private interests.
— July 4, 2013 12:02 p.m.

Questions raised over City Attorney's decision to release transcripts of closed session meeting

http://www.sandiego.gov/city-clerk/pdf/csreports/… The City Clerk's Closed Session Reports for 2013 document that after City Attorney Goldsmith, ACA Lanzafame was the Lead for City Council Closed Sessions with many appearance by ACA Worley for initiation of Civil lawsuits. Compared to one Lone Tourism Marketing District (TMD) case where ACA Andrew Jones, along with the City Council sued our Strong Mayor Filner for not giving away the farm to fast talkers. Goldsmith's and ACA Andrew Jones' Legal Advice to the City Council on the TMD purposely put the City of San Diego's General Fund on the hook for future promises. Instead Mayor Filner negotiated a better deal with the TMD Hoteliers to move all risks, including financial risk from the City's General Fund to the luxury Hoteliers, and the San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA). Goldsmith insinuated ADA Andrew Jones was his second in command at every closed sessions and a leading figure on priveleged legal Civil advice. Please investigate.
— June 22, 2013 8:39 p.m.

Lincoln Club accuses Mayor Filner of ruining City's reputation.

www.tinyurl.com/20130620 It looking like a Republican set up with Criminal Division ACA Jones playing the political victim again, like he did with Aguirre. With Goldsmith and the Lincoln Club to the rescue to defend the presence of a Criminal Division lawyer at a Closed Session City Council meeting, that by law can only discuss Civil cases. ACA Mary Jo Lanzafame in charge of the Advisory Division, who was also in Closed Session, assisted by Bonny Hsu, is the lead lawyer in charge of City Council issues if Goldsmith or ACA Don Worley in charge of the Civil Litigation Division are absent. Not ACA Jones. Also Goldsmith's cover page states that he released retracted Close Session transcript, not approve by the City Council, in response to a 10 News Public Records Act (PRA) request. When the confidential and privileged closed session minute book, aka transcripts, are specifically exempt from the PRA by Government Code Section 54957.2 (a) http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?s... "Government Code Section 54957.2 (a) ... The minute book made pursuant to this section is not a public record subject to inspection pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1), and shall be kept confidential. The minute book shall be available only to members of the legislative body or, if a violation of this chapter is alleged to have occurred at a closed session, to a court of general jurisdiction wherein the local agency lies. Such minute book may, but need not, consist of a recording of the closed session."
— June 22, 2013 10:56 a.m.

SD hotel business up, but lagging other coast markets

Http:/www.tinyurl.com/20130415a . https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_fHftxFXFhyZVdtV… The San Diego tourism industry has always lagged compared to other cities. See Page 16 of Smith Travel Research (STR) presentation at the San Diego Tourism Authority ( SDTA) Annual Dinner meeting on February 14, 2013. The STR metrics show that from 2008 to 2012 the time of the original TMD, the cities of Los Angeles and Seattle has higher positive Average Daily Rate ( ADR) changes for all 5 years. Anaheim and San Francisco did better than San Diego for 4 out of the 5 years. Our recommendation is for the City, through the State's contract with STR, to have STR analyze San Diego TMD performance against competitors, and make recommendations. At no cost to the City
— June 22, 2013 9:09 a.m.

Will Civic San Diego help truly needy?

Thank you Don for the wonderful story. Now I will have to reread the Great Gatsby. http://tinyurl.com/20130612 Linked above is our solution to the problem which requires our Strong Mayor Filner to bypass the City Attorney and City Council through a Mayoral Executive Order to move all $292.9 million is Successor Housing Entity assets into our San Diego Affordable Housing Fund and/or the Housing Trust Fund (HTF). This will move operational control of our housing assets to the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) from Civic San Diego's self-serving administration. Then Mayor Filner will need State approval from Sacramento, instead of hoping Goldsmith's several legally flawed RDA lawsuits filed in our capitol will prevail. https://twitter.com/toniatkins Potential good news is that Mayor Filner was in Sacramento yesterday and according to Toni Atkins' Twitter feed had a meeting with Governor Brown. City Attorney Goldsmith's flawed and purposeful misinterpretation Redevelopment Agency (RDA) of Legal Memorandum MS-59 entitled "Use of Redevelopment Agency Funds for Social Service Programs or Operation of Homeless Shelters" dated May 21, 2010, outlawed the use of Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Tax Increment (TI) for homeless services. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_fHftxFXFhyN2RiN… Goldsmith's is also giving Civic San Diego legal backup to say nothing can be added to ROPS spreadsheets? The ROPS spreadsheets have already been modified to include new allocations for Hotel Metro and Atmosphere? Plus $20 to $30 million. Forbidding over $1 Billion in RDA Tax Increment (TI) to end Homelessness in San Diego has caused hardships and harm. This year an infant died due to lack of funding.
— June 20, 2013 6:01 a.m.

Then along came the $100,000 -- City Attorney and councilmember question two mystery checks from Sunroad

For the Sunroad issue, Council President Todd Gloria with City Attorney staff put the easement issue up for a City Council vote, without going through the City's DSD and Planning Departments first as required by the City Charter and Municipal Code. This upsurping of Mayoral power by the City Council and City Attorney makes their deal with Sunroad illegal. Using the Veto Power was a way for the Mayor to bring the exact Sunroad easement issue back to the City Council for a legally binding vote, after review and approval by various City Departments. The City Council then overrode the Mayoral veto and all process and legal issued were finalized. The City Attorney and Sherman insinuated that the reason for the original Mayoral Veto was the developer Sunroad. When the real reason was not Sunroad or the easement, but stopping the shady behavior before a procedural precedent was set.
— June 12, 2013 4:53 p.m.

Not so fast Filner: Valet operators and Prado Restaurant protest Mayor Filner's plan to remove traffic from the Plaza de Panama

http://www.balboapark.org/sites/default/files/gal… The East Esplanade can still be used for vehicle passenger loading by anyone and everyone. Including Valet, buses, limos, etc.. The location is 30 feet south and moves the Passenger loading zone from the southeast corner of the Plaza de Panama, to the northeast corner of the East Esplanade. Problem solved.
— June 10, 2013 5:03 p.m.

Golf deep in the hole — San Diego no exception

In order to allow for low density residential subdivisions, with rural characters, and active recreation like golf, our Municipal Code includes Agricultural-Residential (AR) Zones. Including Zone AR-1-1 for minimum 10 acre lots, and Zone AR-1-2 for minimum 1 acre lots. Low density neighborhoods keep their value, as they limit development and require open space. See the AR-zoned green areas including Fairbanks Ranch, Doug Manchester's The Grande Del Mar at Del Mar Mesa, and Fred Maas' Black Mountain Ranch. http://www.sandiego.gov/development-services/zoni… http://www.sandiego.gov/development-services/zoni… http://www.sandiego.gov/development-services/zoni… Many successful local developers in city limits live within gated communities in the Agricultural-Residential AR Zones. These same developers that have protections for their private McMasions estates through Agricultural Zoning, try to upzone and densify regular Residential (R) neighborhoods to create wealth. New Golf courses on AR Zoned subdivisions in the City of San Diego help developers meet meet open space requirements, market walkable trails, and provide a low point where urban storm water can be captured onsite. Many new development projects designed golf courses at the lower elevation of the site. Its a win-win-win. In conclusion, during development within City of San Diego limits, many golf courses were integrating into the low density AR Zoned subdivisions. Mainly to protect high property values, not for love of Golf.
— June 9, 2013 4:50 p.m.

David Copley's downtown condo sold for $3.4 million

Zillow.com has great information on home values through Tax Assessment. Not sure if this is the unit, but Unit 3001 had a 2005 value of 2.865 million. http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/165-6th-Ave-UNI… The largest unit 8,853 square feet is Unit 3101 which has a current value of $3.9 million. In 2005, the Tax Assessment was $3.5 million. http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/165-6th-Ave-UNI…
— June 3, 2013 9:05 a.m.

Filner speaks out against gag order in federal pot case

http://theweedlynews.com/?p=13927 Jury Nullification Does Work — If You’re a White Rastafarian. By Chris Roberts Fri., Sep. 21 2012.
— May 21, 2013 7:57 a.m.

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