Legal

Short Recap on the Rules Committee Meeting re: the Ban on Entertainment & Recreation in San Leandro

Short Recap on the Rules Committee Meeting re: the Ban on Entertainment & Recreation in San Leandro City Hall, Faith Fellowship v. SL case No Responses »

Mar 042012

Committee Members ask few questions, make fewer comments, decide to pass the buck back to the City Council. Thursday afternoon, the San Leandro City Council’s Rules and Communication Committee met to discuss the staff (read city attorney’s) proposal (read intense push) to amend the Zoning Code to ban entertainment and recreational use in industrial areas of San Leandro. As one of the City’s attorneys made clear last week, the reason for the ban is to help on the lawsuit against Faith Fellowship. Every single non-staff speaker at the meeting: community members, the Chamber, business owners and yours truly spoke against [Continue Reading]

City Council Moves to Ban Entertainment in Most of San Leandro

City Council Moves to Ban Entertainment in Most of San Leandro Businesses, City Hall, Faith Fellowship v. SL case, Legal, San Leandro Deals, Transparency No Responses »

Feb 212012

It’s an Acknowledgement that they Violated Faith Fellowship’s Constitutional Rights but… is it good Public Policy? Unfortunately it seems that most of my analysis below was right. Read this short update about the Tuesday night City Council meeting. Do you want to open a wrestling venue in the industrial area of San Leandro? How about a comedy club, a lecture hall, a dance school offering recitals, a skating ring, something new and fun and family friendly? Right now, all you have to do is get a conditional use permit and you’re free to go. But if you want to open [Continue Reading]

San Leandro City Council Systematically Violates Open Meeting Laws

San Leandro City Council Systematically Violates Open Meeting Laws City Hall, Legal, Transparency 3 Responses »

Feb 062012

It’s worse than I thought, but is it intentional or just careless? Just ask public officials, perhaps over a few beers, how they feel about the pesky public looking over their shoulder as they try to “get things done.” They hate it. Public oversight means they have to worry about following the law, hiding any corrupt deals and being held accountable for their actions. As the corruption facilitated by secrecy has dire consequences for society at large (just think of the City of Bell), the California legislature long ago passed the Brown Act to guarantee the public notice and access to [Continue Reading]

City Council Quietly Negotiates Sale of Albertson’s Property

City Council Quietly Negotiates Sale of Albertson’s Property City Hall, Featured, Legal, Transparency No Responses »

Feb 012012

According to the latest agenda, the San Leandro City Council will meet on Feb. 6th to discuss the price and terms of payment for the former Albertson’s property to developer David Irmer (president of Innisfree Co.), who plans to turn it into a strip mall. Apparently, the City Council has already quietly agreed to sell the property to him. The City bought the property for $6M in April 2009 and then immediately turned it over to Irmer to develop. Three years later, it is selling it to Irmer for about $2.5M*, 60% less than it paid for it and a [Continue Reading]

Deleting the Record: the Stancill Settlement

Deleting the Record: the Stancill Settlement Legal, Police 5 Responses »

Nov 092011

Did the City Attorney collude with DeWayne Stancill to erase history and defraud CalPERS? Last week, news of the settlement between the City of San Leandro and former SLPD officer DeWayne Stancill hit the airwaves. Stancill had been fired from the SLPD after he complained of racial harassment, following accusations of sexually harassing female officers. The reasons given for Stancill’s firing were unrelated, but they also didn’t seem solid. Stancill sued the city for wrongful termination, and last January the city settled. It’s the elements of the settlement (posted below) which I find disturbing: – The city agreed to pay [Continue Reading]

Older Entries Newer Entries