The city leaders of San Juan Bautista have come clean and said
that there indeed was a delegation sent to Seattle to discuss a
water grant without the public knowing
– though they insist that it was not a violation of the state’s
open meeting law.
The city leaders of San Juan Bautista have come clean and said that there indeed was a delegation sent to Seattle to discuss a water grant without the public knowing – though they insist that it was not a violation of the state’s open meeting law. Now, they are going to ask the city council to retroactively approve the expense of the trip and give a full report about what happened.
Here is what is known so far: Arturo Medina and another council member, City Manager Jennifer Coile and consultant Mark Davis went to the Emerald City in December to discuss the status of a Economic Development Agency to discuss a suspended $3.8 million grant intended to overhaul the city’s water system. And, Mayor Dan Reed initiated the trip but asked Medina to go in his stead because of health concerns. Neither the purpose of the trip nor the money to fund it was ever voted on by the full council.
In fact, it is likely that no one would ever know about it had Councilman Charles Geiger not started asking questions. He took the matter to District Attorney John Sarsfield who then started an investigation into potential violations of the Brown Act – the California law that requires governments to conduct their business in public. Had the district attorney and the local press not taken an interest in this matter, we doubt that it ever would have become public.
That’s troubling. We’re not sure whether the trip rises to the level of a violation of the Brown Act unless a quorum of council members were on the trip or decided in private to make the trip. The city attorney says it does not because the trip was informational and no decisions were made. Also, he said that there was no quorum of the council that authorized the trip in secret. However, the district attorney’s investigation seems warranted because the city admits that three council members knew of the trip.
It is a concern that city officials would take a trip to discuss such a sensitive matter without informing their colleagues. Remember, this is the federal grant to overhaul the Mission City’s run-down water collection system that was suspended because San Juan and the San Benito County Water District can’t agree how to administer it. It’s already in jeopardy and secret trips are no way to earn the public’s trust in the city’s handling of this project.
As a result, we encourage San Juan’s leaders to work diligently with the water district to come to terms on co-administering the water grant and getting the project completed. San Juan leaders have said they will go it alone on this project if they have to, but the mishandling of this episode raises doubts about their ability to do so in a forthright manner. Another agency should be included to ensure a level of professionalism and openness in overhauling the dilapidated pipes of San Juan.
We’ll say it again, this is the most significant project going in San Juan Bautista and transparency is crucial for success. It appears that a partnership with the water district is the best way to ensure that.
