Transparency, Honesty, Do These Words Apply to Ted Brandvold and Modesto’s City Government?
By Emerson Drake 
Peeling the onion would be another way to describe what this series of stories is going to attempt to do. Like layers of an onion some will be longer and some shorter but hopefully they will provide insight to what is going on down at 1010 10th st., City Hall
At the end of January we heard Modesto Mayor Ted Brandvold express disappointment that Wood Colony didn’t inform him they were setting up a MAC (Municipal Advisory Council). He made it sound like he was completely blindsided. Could this have been true?
Possibly, but I sincerely doubt it. You see I’m sitting here looking at an email from Cynthia Birdsill, City of Modesto-Community & Economic Development, dated September 26,2013 that says “FYI, the County has been meeting with Wood Colony to possibly create a MAC.” This email was sent to City Manager Jim Holgersson and Brent Sinclair.
Now it’s within the realm of possibility that Ted wasn’t told by all three members of City staff…but…I’m looking at another email that’s from Land use attorney George Petrulakis three hours and thirty four minutes later and he’s been reading the MAC proposal and is commenting to Cynthia Birdsill, Patrick Kelly, Steve Mitchel, and Brad Wall.
With all of those people in the loop it would be doubtful that the Mayor would not be told by someone on City Staff. But it gets better. For those not following local politics when it comes to the Mayor, you get two for one. First is George Petrulakis, the Ventriloquist and Ted Brandvold is the puppet on his lap. George’s hands up Ted’s backside move and Ted’s mouth opens and closes. George knowing about the MAC proposal makes it a foregone conclusion that Ted knows all about it.
So why was our Mayor being so disingenuous? It’s all about public perception. Ted plays the affable elderly gent quite well. And George wants to lull Wood Colony with a false sense of security.
And don’t worry there’s much more to come.
Eye On Modesto 