The Santa Clara County Counsel’s office will receive at least
$10,000 to conduct an investigation of the San Benito County
Planning Department stemming from two building inspectors’
allegations implicating Planning Director Rob Mendiola in lawyer
Michael Pekin’s Los Valientes lawsuit.
Hollister – The Santa Clara County Counsel’s office will receive at least $10,000 to conduct an investigation of the San Benito County Planning Department stemming from two building inspectors’ allegations implicating Planning Director Rob Mendiola in lawyer Michael Pekin’s Los Valientes lawsuit.
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved a contract with the Santa Clara County Counsel’s office Tuesday morning based on the track record of the office’s investigative team, which specializes in planning issues. The team was Acting County Administrative Officer Susan Lyons’ first choice for the job.
The special unit has already started looking into allegations involving Mendiola detailed in Pekin’s corruption lawsuit against former Supervisor Richard Scagliotti, according to Lyons. The lawsuit alleges Scagliotti used his position of authority for personal gain, and Pekin has declarations signed by building inspectors Ken Speciale and Jim Stevens stating Mendiola abused his power to help the former supervisor.
“I think that they have chosen an excellent team, from what I’ve heard,” Pekin said of the county’s contract with the Santa Clara County Counsel’s office. “I think it needs to be noted that I have seldom been so impressed by a public official’s command of a situation as I am with Ms. Lyons’.”
The contract approved by the board Tuesday states the county will pay no more than $25,000 for the Santa Clara County Counsel’s investigation with an expiration date of July 31, 2005. The board approved an initial transfer of only $10,000 from the county’s General Fund to start off with at Lyons’ suggestion.
“It may just take $10,000 to get all of the information that we need,” Supervisor Anthony Botelho explained. “That way if it only costs $10,000, people don’t think we spent $25,000 on it. We’re just going to spend up to $25,000.”
The county’s main objective is to get a thorough and objective report, Botelho said, and he believes the Santa Clara County Counsel’s office will be able to provide that.
Once the report is completed the document, or at least parts of it, should be made available to the public, Lyons said.
“It depends on how much personal employee information is included,” she said.
Jessica Quandt covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach her at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or at [email protected].
