Friday December 26, the Sun Post did an article about another "special" closed door meeting that was held by the Lathrop City Council on Saturday, December 20. This was the second special meeting in less than a week under questionable circumstances. I heard about the meeting and expected to see something about it in Monday's Manteca Bulletin, but the topic and the outcome must have been deemed non-newsworthy by them because there hasn't been a mention of it in the daily paper. You'd think spending $1.5 million in taxpayer money might rate a little higher on the newsworthiness scale than spending $250 on a party. While the Bulletin wrote a lengthy article about Lathrop's fondness for throwing receptions and parties, they've been silent on the latest shenanigans engineered by Councilman Robert Oliver and one of Lathrop's biggest developers TCN Properties (Tom and Cathie Luckey).
As reported by the Sun Post, Councilmen Oliver, Dhaliwal and Mateo voted to pay TCN Properties more than $1.52 million to complete a project that was originally negotiated to cost $1.2 million. Mayor Kristy Sayles and Vice Mayor Martha Salcedo voted no. According to Mayor Sayles, TCN is having financial problems and so the council voted to help them out by giving them a few hundred thousand extra for fulfilling their contract with the city. Sounds like the Lathrop ATM machine is still in operation thanks to the three stooges.The Luckeys were pleased with the 3-2 vote to pay them the extra money and thanked Councilmen Oliver and Dhaliwal who negotiated the deal which reportedly includes some concessions to keep TCN "in the black." Once again, rookie councilman Chris Mateo sided with the Waterboy to stage a rushed vote on an issue favorable to local developers involving taxpayer money.
Some things to ponder: We've got the special meeting Oliver called to push through the hiring of a developer's employee as city manager and now the special meeting to approve a contract to pay money that Oliver says is owed to a developer (despite the city saying TCN owes them). Who's being represented? You, the average citizen? or special interests?
The city of lathrop is not GIVING TCN anything......they are granting CFF reimbursments......Guess who put the money there to begin with?......TCN!!!!! The city agreed to include work that has previously been done and not been paid for yet by the city. The Mayor was quoted as saying that it was "good for the city.....I just dont want to have to do this on a Saturday"
ReplyDeleteHow does Kristy know TCN is having finacial problems? They are not the EVIL developers.......they are the ONLY developers! Who is Mr Oliver serving?.....The citizens of Lathrop......the modification of this deal brings Chevron Management to our town......In case of an emergency in the greater Bay area....the command post would be conducted from lathrop......Jobs......Taxes......JOBS!!!....
I worry everytime you start a sentence by stating.." Mayor Sayles is quoted as saying....".......Her remarks are full of half-truths and mis-leading statements. I do not have to agree with everything she says....I want to believe what is being said and done is the truth and is on the up and up. She has made a personal stance towards TCN......not because she believes she is doing right by the city or its citizens.......but because she wants everyone to believe TCN and Mr Oliver backed the web site about her......thats just simply not true..........Mr Oliver has spent a lifetime building people up.........TCN has done nothing but to keep investing in our town......even when its Mayor constantly tries to defame their character and motives.....
The Saturday vote was a result of tallying all council members to the next avail time ALL could meet........Saturday was the first oppertunity......By the form of government we solicit........it takes a request from the mayor or a majority agreement.....thats what happened .........a majority.
At the end of the day.......the city of Lathrop gains a road.....infrastructure and additional businesses.......Cost to TAXPAYERS......NOTHING!!!!! How could this be BAD for the city?......I think she has a problem with it because she cant take responsibility for the successful endeavor...
......and one last thing too Jackie.....the price was increased because the city acquired more road and infrastructure than was negotiated earlier......all having to do with CFF funds which the city holds.......TCN deposited the money over 4 years ago! The city of lathrop is not out one single cent!
Dan Mac Neilage
Like it or not, Kristy Sayles was re-elected mayor of Lathrop by its citizens. Robert Oliver came in third, but lucky for him he still has his council seat from which to operate. Looking at his actions in the past few weeks, he's been acting like he's the mayor by calling special meetings to push his own agenda and he’s in a big hurry. Why the big rush if not to get something passed before anyone has a chance to think about it or question it?
ReplyDeleteThe issue of the unholy alliance between local governments and "developers" is a whole discussion in itself. I've always thought of CFFs as bribery and extortion. Local government demands huge fees in exchange for granting the developers exclusive rights to build (extortion). The developers willingly agree to pay because the gain to be made from having exclusive rights to build in an area is worth it (bribery). When things go sour, the developers want their bribes back and the government wants to keep the extorted money.
Jackie,
ReplyDeleteThe more I look at what happened....the more I say to myself....."Whats the big deal?" This is negotiating the best senario for the city and reimburses a developer for work already accepted and completed. Road and infrastructure become complicated because the rate of percentage of completion varies from leneal footage of completion. By this, I mean that all infrastructure..(Sewer lines, Storm drain structures, Electrical, Irrigation and sleeving)...have to be 100 % complete when road base actually commences. The road could be paved, yet only 50% complete based on striping, lights, landscaping, storm drainage, sewer to treatment plant, joint trench, gas, phone lines, etc..............What was modified on Saturday was to accept completed road and infrastructure that the city holds in CFF funds deposited by TCN.
Why I believe it it good for our city and taxpayers is that we, (City of Lathrop), own and control this section of road and infrastructure now at no cost to Lathrop taxpayers. The CFF funds are mandated to be used for the sole purpose of being deposited.....we could not add on to the Senior Center or put in a swimming pool for the community with those funds....It would be great if we could devert funds as we see fit or by what is most popular at the time..... yet,they have to be used in Mossdale UDC roads ONLY! This work is bonded by TCN.....we wont get into another Richland deal like last year in Central Lathrop void of completion and performance bonds on 50 million in bonds sold and paid to Richland by the City of lathrop....TCN has provided these on their work...... it completes yet another area of Lathrop development that has been started and not completed. I do not think that bringing such items to the table for discussion and voting is a bad thing......I would rather that city attorney time was charged to these types of items rather than over-baking the Matt Browne issue. City staff was present and agreed it would be the best deal for the city. Kristy her self announced that she would be bringing a project to council by Watt Development.........HOORAH!!!!....I am glad.......We started something out here and its going to take some out of the box thinking to survive these horrible economic times....I hope she is successful in getting some more work going here.....there was supposed to be a shopping center around the Target......so far all you see is an island with very few customers. What I truly hope for is all this B.S. infighting that she continualy brings to stop!.....I wish for her to show some leadership skills and get people to work together for a common cause.....even if you dont like them personally....get people talking and buy into a common concept that stays clear of personal agendas and drama.......she has loaded up her economic development team with her preacher from her church and chairperson for chamber of commerce who doesnt even live in Lathrop......she lives in Tracy......and what does a leader of a non-profit religious group bring to an economic developement team?......She also appointed another pastors' wife that attends the coffee with the mayor program to parks and rec's committee.........When did these people get appointed? Did I miss this council meeting? Does this seem the least little bit strange to anyone?
So whats the deal?......cant get along with what you are dealt, so you put into place all those that would agree with everything you say? The smartest thing Lathrop could do is to eliminate the position of Mayor as a voted official and return to or old system where each council member took an annual term. Many cities throughout the state do it this way with much success. No more 15-25,000.00 spent on an election and the the council becomes what it is intended to be......a panel of 5.....not a panel of 4 and someone more important than the rest........
Dan Mac Neilage
Jackie,
ReplyDeleteI have known Bob Oliver for as long as I have lived in Lathrop.......He preached at a church my late wife and children attended. I have never known a person to say.....or have it happen to me....that Robert Oliver lied about something or was dishonest. This is a small town and as I am sure you have witnessed.....people talk!
I asked him myself and on both occaisions he said he contacted the mayor first.....when nothing happened, then he took the next step. How else can you know how others feel about something you think might be good for the city? Once he spoke to the mayor.....he could not speak to others outside of a formal meeting without violating the brown act. I(f it is a bad idea....they will tell him in an open forum......when a deal was accepted by council at Tuesdays meeting....it was changed from the proposed agreement.....the final items to be modified allowed TCN to conclude a long term lease and build-out project with Chevron. Jobs for Lathrop and tax revenues.
I would like to congratulate all those that attended that Saturday meeting.......please keep those types of options open.......the city put itself in the position to work with TCN and clear up whatever has gone on in the past to not dictate the future........rather, work together so we have a future...
Good bantering with you.....Happy Holidays Jackie....
Dan Mac Neilage
Merry Christmas and happy New Year, Dan. Thanks as always for your comments.
ReplyDeleteJackie
First, shouldn't we, the tax payers know what's happening with our tax money? Second, I thought Mayor Sayles was our "Mayor" and not Dictator Oliver. My/our impression is that we wasted our time and effort in voting for the "Mayor" we wanted. Now, it looks as if the Lathop villagers have a dictator with a personal plan for who... Not us, maybe for himself. What is TCN giving him and his henchmen. I find it interesting, as well, that he seems to have picked the easiest council members to control to be his buddies in crime. I can't tell you all how angered by all this we are. People like us on fixed incomes really hate the idea of others getting fat off our taxes (while we struggle to survive), without our having a say or even knowledge that our money is being given away. Dictator Oliver needs to be stopped from running this city he wasn't voted in to run.
ReplyDelete"A very Sad Ignorant Villager"
(And, Dan why don't you do something else, I'm getting tired of all your rantings!)
I could see where asking people to work together and tell the truth could get annoying to some.......NOT ONE DIME OF TAXPAYES MONEY GETS PAID TO TCN.........Our taxes pay for the maint. of a new road built and paid for by a developer that will be deeded to the city. Inform yourself......We pay NOTHING.....We get a road and infrastructure.......and for the record......she is one vote.....so is Oliver and all the rest.....it works best when all work together but there have been many 3-2 votes in the past.......doesnt make anything evil.....and have the courtesy to use your name if you want to tell me what to do.....
ReplyDeleteThe Bulletin reported more clearly than the Sun on what happened last saturday. The one important remark missing was the sentiment both Martha and Kristy stated that "This is good for our city.....I just dont like doing it on a Saturday". The other item that is noteworthy is that Kristy is the only person saying it is "Taxpayers" money.......like it is coming out of our Gen'l Fund. Does she not know the difference? The ATM is NOT open at city hall.......Funds are being reimbursed for the reason they have been deposited in the first place.....rant....rant....rant.
ReplyDeleteDan Mac Neilage
When reality gets too depressing, we can count on the Manteca Bulletin to create a "better version." It's like a public service they provide.
ReplyDelete"Money? What money? Oh, that money. That's not tax money it's special magic money that was just sitting around; don't worry about it, it's for your own good."
Thats right Joe......NO TAX MONEY WAS GIVEN TO TCN......and as a matter of fact.....Lathrop has so much money laying around in CFF accounts that they allow themselves to borrow from the accounts to subsidize CIP projects...Last year the city loaned Watt Development over $700,000.00 in CFF funds collected from Mossdale UDC and transferred them to Central Lathrop UDC with NO payback date or interest attached.....
ReplyDeleteI believe our Mayor and her sidekick like to try to make crap stick on others so that no one really knows what is stinkin the place up!
Dan Mac Neilage