Radio RED 104.9 FM (Photo credit: Mahdi Ayat.)
Topics tonight include MID’s Tom Van Groningen’s melt down, the Art Committee’s meeting, the Salida MAC meeting review, and a replay of Modesto’s Cat Killer City Council meeting and much more so please tune in Wednesday at 7:00PM
104.9 FM Modesto our Flagship station.
To watch live or in the archives take the link
![[CALIFORNIA-A-0021] Don Pedro Dam](https://i0.wp.com/farm8.static.flickr.com/7227/7171385117_606d679004_m.jpg "[CALIFORNIA-A-0021] Don Pedro Dam")
[CALIFORNIA-A-0021] Don Pedro Dam (Photo credit: waterarchives)
The newly appointed members of the Water Advisory Committee were introduced at yesterday’s MID meeting. But you have to wonder if TomVanGroningen is starting to slip just a bit. He introduced Richard Ulm, the City of Modesto’s choice, but “forgot” to offer him an opportunity to speak. He made a point of allowing everyone else an opportunity. Well, maybe except his own appointee who he failed to introduce for several minutes. He eventually went back and allowed his man the opportunity to be heard but never allowed the City appointees an opportunity. We’re seeing slips like these more often in recent months along with his occasional volcanic outbursts of temper.
During public input for the good of the District, I suggested to the Board they needed to investigate the way Allen Short, Tom VanGroningen, Glen Wild and apparently willing accomplice Joy Warren (Ms. Warren with Short signed authorizations for $90,000 plus on expired Martino Graphics payments) laundered money through Martino Graphics. I also asked that they please explain “exactly” what the money was used for. I also reminded them of the $28,800 they paid George Petrulakis for facilitating the only meeting between the City and MID regarding the potential water sale. There has to be more to the story but the Board, to this point, has refused to authorize an investigation into this apparent misappropriation of funds.
If MID continues to stonewall inquiries in these regards it appears it’s time to attempt to get either the District Attorney (which at this point isn’t likely) or the Civil Grand Jury to investigate where the ratepayer’s money has gone. Although I believe our local Civil Grand Jury politically protects a chosen few, it would seem to be our only recourse. In the future when Tom Van Groningen and Glen Wild are gone, maybe we can discover who was behind the cover-up.
In a prior article I wrote about the $210,000 for the 2nd floor’s carpet which comes to $61.76 per yard and the $30,000 for two desks and a counter for outside Short’s office along with an ice machine which for $8,000, you would think has a flat screen and Internet access! https://eyeonmodesto.com/2012/09/24/people-1-mid-0-in-best-of-7/. This was straight from a MID Budget workshop meeting. Director Byrd questioned the carpet and desks but didn’t include the ice machine which, according to professionals I contacted, is extremely overpriced. And while I agree with Director Byrd about the GM’s car I didn’t write about it at the time.
How the Dust Up / Van Groningen’s Meltdown Began
At the beginning of the budget discussion Director Van Groningen used his authority to bump Bill Bassitt from the Workforce Alliance to the front of the discussion. Mr. Bassitt was there to request a donation of ratepayer money (although he didn’t describe it that way) for his organization. During his talk, which wasn’t timed like the rest of the public, and in the response to a question, he made the claim that the Oakdale Irrigation District was donating $10,000 to the Alliance this year. Having been to the OID meeting last week, I knew they hadn’t donated $10,000 in several years, but I wasn’t allowed to ask a follow-up question of Mr. Bassitt who left the proceedings 5-10 minutes later.
What I don’t understand is the way, especially at MID, the public is treated like children who don’t know anything. When I had the opportunity to speak 20 minutes or so later I took the opportunity to point out the obvious discrepancy in donation figures and mentioned the Alliance’s budget isn’t completely available on their website. After I sat down Tom Van Groningen pulled one of his favorite CHEAP SHOT TACTICS. Tom waits for you to sit down so he can launch a diatribe against you when you can’t respond without being gaveled down for being out of order. Tom’s blood pressure jumped and he started raising his voice claiming I was wrong and he wasn’t going to stand for it. Well he didn’t stand for it because he remained seated.
So yesterday afternoon I talked with someone from the Alliance and arranged to speak with someone more informed from there this morning. Not surprisingly after a few questions Bill Bassitt came on the line. First we talked about the Alliance’s Budget. It is actually at least three budgets. Of course, like asking questions at MID, you need to ask the question exactly the right way or you won’t get the real answer. it took several follow-up questions to find out about each of the two additional budgets. One is available on-line at their website http://www.stanalliance.com/. He says another is with the County and that he would make it available to me. I offered to make a Public Information Request with the County but he said it wasn’t necessary. At first he said the third budget they have is quarterly. but then he said they change it monthly and that it wasn’t available on-line but that he would make it available to me too.
Then we discussed the OID donation. At first he stuck with the $10,000 claim. When I explained that wasn’t accurate he then claimed they donated $10,000 last year. That, I told him wasn’t accurate either. Then he said he thought about mentioning the Kaiser donation (where that came from I have no idea) and thought better of it. Kaiser hasn’t made up its mind for this year he finally acknowledged. I reminded him it had been several years since OID donated the claimed $10,000 and they had cut the number to $5,000 then to $2,000 last year. This year he requested a four year commitment but they declined. One year at $2,000 doesn’t add up to $10,000 any way you try to spin it.
So Director Van Groningen you owe me an apology for the claims you made against me. But I don’t expect one since we both know the kind of man you are. And if you want to donate $20,000 to the Alliance please do it from your personal account and not that of the ratepayers.
One thing I do want to clear up is that I misspoke when I addressed the Board when I said they had all voted to pay the Martino Graphics invoices. Director Byrd was the lone hold out and I didn’t get the opportunity to correct my mistake. So Director Byrd I apologize and will do so again at the next MID meeting I attend, when on the record, I can correct my mistake.
Welcome to Oakdale (Photo credit: jurvetson)
By Emerson Drake
Comparing our Board to theirs is an insult were the first words out of Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) Director Jack Alber’s mouth when I met him. I didn’t take offense, since to that point I hadn’t said anything, while it did show they were concerned about the public perception of them. But I will compare the experience of going to a OID meeting for the first time with their counterparts at the MID.
The Board room is in the back of the building and is between the sizes of the StanCoG and MID Board rooms. Everyone was friendly (although they didn’t have any coffee available) and you weren’t met by an armed guard the way you are at MID. The OID Directors sit on the right side and staff sits across on the left. Their attorney, Tim O’laughlin, is on the end sitting sidewise and closest to the public. At OID meetings O’Laughlin makes nice with all of the Directors, unlike the dour, impatient attitude he displays at MID (maybe because he lost his million dollar a year gig at MID?) There are about three rows of seats with a bench the width of the room in the rear.
The meeting started out amiably enough with O’Laughlin receiving a “revised hourly rate” on the consent calender (a public information request was made for the contract.) The meeting started to get interesting when a discussion of Trinitas LLC buying into the district came up. Trinitas is offering to pay $2,600 an acre to buy in and $60 per acre foot for water. On top of this their potential contract says they will be forced to pump water from their wells on dry years.
Apparently Trinitas has set the going rate for the buy in and for water rates for future farmers to join the District. An owner of Hofstra’s Dairy reminded the Board the proposed water sale amount is the same his farm is hoping to purchase and it is more beneficial if the water is kept locally. The Trinitas proposal was referred to LAFCO for approval.
The next question they wrestled with were their obligations on the Garr Pipeline. Somewhere in the past they assumed ownership of the Garr and now it needs extensive repair. It needs about $400,000 in repairs and generates $1,200 a year in income (but they don’t want me to compare the two districts boards.) This was sent to counsel (O’Laughlin) to see if it would set a legal precedent and just how far their potential liability goes. Needless to say in the past someone annexed a pig in a poke.
The Stanislaus Economic Development and Workforce Alliance donation was next. OID used to donate $4,000 yearly but in these hard times has cut back to $2,000 a year. Now Bill Basset is looking for a four-year committment and the majority of the Board was unwilling to make it. Bassitt has already made a presentation to the OID Board but they were concerned about OID’s future and decided to make it one year and $2,000.
MID on the other hand is considering a $20,000 a year committment and Bassett hasn’t bothered to show up at their meetings to make a presentation. MID just loves to spend our money, ratepayer money.
Then came the headline discussion regard ing the potential water transfers(sales) to San Francisco. It was made known very quickly the Board had no information other than what they had read in the Bee. But that was somewhat disingenuous since Tim O’Laughlin had the proposal in his hands. They just wanted to keep the public in the dark for another two weeks. But having seen the ludicrous longtime binding contract MID was asked to sign, forewarned is forearmed.
During the discussion Denise Hanlan, a Oakdale resident addressed the Board and asked questions about the water table levels in Oakdale. In a move that would make Tom Van Groningen proud, Director Frank Clark gaveled her down. He pounded the sound block and mover onto the rostrum and finally progressed to his fist to silence her saying she was out-of-order. All she was doing was addressing an item on the agenda which is her right. Ms. Hanlan asked for a little civility but Director Clark wasn’t in the mood. Former Mayor Pat Kuhn suggested he might have been a little harsh and reminded the Directors they were only stewards of the resource and not the owners.
OID makes its money through wholesale electric sales from the Tri-Dam Project. They sell between $10 and $12 Million yearly depending on the price of electricity. Next year they expect to make $10 M and with a budget of approx. $12 M they will be using $2M from their reserves which will still leave them with more than $10M.
Here’s an interesting comparison. MID’s annual budget is about $440M mostly in electric costs. They keep aprox.$100M in reserve ever since their bankers started to complain about the low reserves and lowered their bond rating (MID has since raised their reserve level and the Bond community adjusted their rating upward.) OID on the other hand has $41.9M in reserve right now.
So MID has one-quarter of its budget in reserve and OID has almost four times its annual budget in reserve. Who is more fiscally responsible? OID. I don’t believe they’ll mind that comparison.
The bottom line is when it comes to the potential water sales it’s all in the contract and we’re going to have to wait and see just what it says. We’ll be visiting the OID again to follow-up on their decision.
There are several different stories in publications of the Modesto Bee and the Oakdale Leader and I’m going to give both addresses. But first I’m going to post a comment made in the Bee by Theorvii which provide the background details some might find interesting.
By Theorvii
JUST THE FACTS – OID gets an allotment of 300KAF from New Melones – shares the first 600KAF into New Melones with SSJID. Take for instance this year – OID used approximately 233KAF of their 300KAF allotment – 67KAF remaining. OID has made efficiency improvements from their previous sales such as regulating reservoirs and the Rubicon system from Australia.
GM Steve Knell came from the Imperial Irrigation District where their water comes from the over-committed Colorado River System. He once said that IID conserved more water in one year then OID had allotted to them. Add Trinitas @ 25KAF and that number becomes 258KAF for this year. Still 42KAF remaining.
Unlike MID & TID who carry any excess over to the next year because they control the Don Pedro Dam, New Melones is a Federal dam controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation and the waterbank account goes to 0 (zero, zip, zilch, nada) on November 1 each year. All dams need to be at 70% capacity by November 30 to allow for flood control requirements by the Bureau of Reclamation. The FEDs can use the leftover 67KAF from this year any way they choose and OID has no recourse.
OID still has others “outside the district” that want to be annexed as well – it’s just now the price and conditions are a known entity. The Board said on Tuesday that they will consider those annexation requests as well and possibly move forward at LAFCO after February when they expect to go with Trinitas. They may incrementally “eat up” their excess water through annexation. MID & TID CANNOT annex because they are tapped out to capacity by the Raker Act. Otherwise they would have annexed the “Westside” of Stanislaus County – west of the San Joaquin River.
The one area of the county that is still in play is the Paulsell Valley – the east end of Claribel Rd., Warnerville Rd. and south of Dry Creek to Modesto Reservoir sandwiched between Crabtree Rd. and the Hazeldean/Tim Bell Rd. area. A lot of former rice ground and grazing lands converted to trees. Kind of a “No Man’s Land” between MID & OID.
The only other area asking is north of Woodward Reservoir and that could only be serviced potentially by Stockton East or SSJID via Little Johns Creek or Shirley Creek. Don’t expect it to happen – but those are the most likely scenarios. Rock Creek Water District does not have the capacity in Salt Springs Valley Reservoir or the conveyance south of Highway 4. One wild card for the northern part of the county is the Calaveras County Water District who has been sniffing around Salt Springs Valley using it as a conveyance for potential ag water into western Calaveras, northern Stanislaus or northeastern San Joaquin county. Still very much a concept on paper without the dollars behind it to make it a reality.
OID also has a plan – since 2008 – and they have followed it. That being said, Director Bairos also commented Tuesday that they will need to dip into their reserves for approximately $2 million in the 2013 calendar year to balance their budget. The key is that they actually do have a “reserve account” and have allocated money and water for a drought or rainy day – whichever connotation you want to use.
Not saying I support the proposals (Brisbane or the hypotheticals being thrown out on CCSF.) I am VERY well-versed on both the MID and OID proposals. Brisbane approached TID & MID before contacting OID and was rejected. I caution the public to not get the cart before the horse and wait until the facts come out. If it is the same enslaving contract as MID was considering, I have the utmost confidence that the OID Board will vote at least 3-2 to kill it with Alpers and Clark possibly supporting a sale. Clark is more likely to oppose then Alpers at this time. But Alpers is also not going to jeopardize the district for a couple of million dollars. STILL TOO MANY UNKNOWNS TO REALLY SPECULATE ON SF!
Also forgot – OID’s previous spills to MID used to be about 15KAF – their latest inventory was approximately 8KAF in 2012.
Salida MAC meeting on Tuesday, November 27 @ 7 pm at the Salida Library. Featured speaker is Marjorie Blom, Director of LAFCO (The Local Area Formation Commission) speaking on “LAFCO 101”. LAFCO is the body that approves or denies land annexations in Stanislaus County. Please attend!
Salida’s future is in your hands. Modesto Mayor Garrad Marsh has declared war on Salida when he said “It’ll be a knock down drag out fight” to annex Salida.
Here is the Facebook address of the Salida Mac: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Salida-MAC-Salida-Municipal-Advisory-Council/174718949283086?fref=ts
And the website http://salidamac.blogspot.com/
The link where you can watch the past SalidaMAC meetings; http://vimeo.com/52208438
To find out other actions residents can take go to http://salidaannex.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-you-can-do-about-annexation.html
Public Art in Chicago (Photo credit: Pam_Broviak)
By Emerson Drake
The Modesto Public Art Committee (PAC) is meeting Monday November 26,2012 to discuss an attempt to control the regulation of Public Art in Modesto. The PAC was formed years ago and despite creating a many page document they could never manage to get it authorized by the Modesto City Council. I think there are probably many reasons for this and likely for good reason.
The potential regulation of art especially mural art in public places has come to the forefront since Modesto City Councilman John Gunderson brought it to the public eye. Here is the latest information I could find regarding the Modesto Cultural Commission, its members and the end of their appointments.
| Alice Ingham Richards | 1/1/2013 |
| Grace Lieberman | 1/1/2010 |
| Antony Little | 1/1/2011 |
| Henrietta Sparkman | 1/1/2012 |
| Kate Trompetter | 1/1/2014 |
It would seem things are just a bit out of date. The last time they tried to get the following rules implemented was in 2006 and it seems the City Council wasn’t interested.
According to the City Callender : 3:30 PM – Public Art Committee Meeting
McHenry Museum, 1402 I Street, Contact Ellen La Coste 577-5235
I encourage everyone interested to attend. The following link will take you to the Public Art Master Plan. Sounds almost ominous doesn’t it.
Français : Radio Contact 104.9 FM (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Topics include a feel of an Oakdale Irrigation District meeting and its participants, An update regarding Salida’s potential annexation by Modesto, Memorial Medical Centers attempt to keep the Nurses Union out and how it reduces The quality of healthcare , an election update and more so listen in live or to our archives at the same link.
Wednesday 11/21/12 at 7:00PM
104.9 FM K-GIG Modesto our Flag Ship station
By Emerson Drake
After Tuesday’s meeting I think some clarity needs to be added to the way MID spends our money. The most used way is through the Purchase Order system. They put contracts out to bid and choose the lowest responsible bidder, at least in theory. A lot of attention has been focused on purchase order #54981 which was effective from 7/19/2010 thru 12/31/2012, with a “not to exceed” cost of $450,000. Yet this purchase order authorizations continued to come through signed by Allen Short and initialed by “J.W.” for payment. A minimum of $90,000 has been paid on this expired Purchase Order numbe,r all containing the same generic billing reasons. No contracts for subcontractors have been made available and MID’s Joy Warren has yet to explain how this contract was part of the competitive bidding process. These typically included:
Client Meeting/Planning Fees…..$5,000
Consulting…………………………$7,500
Communication services…………$3,500
Outreach/Transparency………….$5,000
According to MID, Martino Graphics uses four subcontractors to fulfill their contract. This Contract Purchase Order is issued to provide professional services to Refocus and Enhance Public Education and Information Services per Board Resolution # 2010-35. The following link is to the Board Resolution #2010-35 Slegal12110816440
The following is a response to several question in regard to Martino Graphics PO#54981. It includes the pages of invoices, copies of authorizations, and checks (well at least the ones they sent us). It’s a lot of work/pages so don’t hit print unless you mean it.
MID has consistently ignored requests to release the total amount of money spent (including details) using PO#54981.
One of the reasons I question if all of the requested information is being supplied is that they have been charging consumers a falling water charge for over 20 years according to Van Groningen. So I thought I would cut them a break and only ask for 10 to 15 years worth. All they were willing to send were 5 years. Here is the copy of the PIR. son_Drake_dated_October_26__2012_re_Falling_Water_Charge
Last week much of the conversation was about the “Serpa” rule. Here is the link Slegal12110515150
It was gratifying to see Mike Serpa vindicated by the present MID Board and obviously showed the prejudice he was subject to by Van Groningen, O’Laughlin and Short. I will take this moment to point out how the Bee’s Opinion Editor Judy Sly never spoke out against the treatment former City Councilman/MID Director Serpa endured. If fact, Ms. Sly helped the three amigo’s cause by heaping abuse on Mike in her Editorial Column as often as she could work it in.
Lets look at Carol Whiteside and her California Strategies Company for a minute, She received over $15,000 in payments $6,000 of it almost two months AFTER she terminated the contract. This money was funneled through Martino Graphics WITHOUT a contract. At least no contract with Martino Graphics (MG). Ms. Whiteside supposedly has a contract with MG but we aren’t privy to it. There also is no contract with MG since Short, Van Groningen, and Wild took it upon themselves to spend this money BEHIND the rest of the Boards back.
I believe Short, Van Groningen and Wild should be held personally liable for this money and should pay it back to the MID ratepayers.
In my opinion it’s time not for an audit. but an investigation of how MID’s been spending our money. It appears services for lobbyists have been procured by upper management with the help of two Board Directors and I’m not sure they did it legally.
I also don’t believe MID should financially support Allen Short’s new position with The San Joaquin Tributaries Authority.
You can hear more about MID and the City Council by checking out any of the “What’s on America’s Mind” broadcasts. Just click on the link and it will take you directly to the show archives for a listen.
Radio RED 104.9 FM (Photo credit: Mahdi Ayat.)
Topics will include MID cheating ways when it comes to ratepayers the Purchase Order scandal, revelations around Mayor Marsh’s campaign statements regarding Salida, Modesto’s admitted cat killer Phillip Sumner, Chief Harden evaluating the Centre Plaza problem at $50.00 an hour, Booking policies and the people they hurt and more so please listen in Wednesday at 7:00PM
104.9FM K-GIG Modesto our Flag Ship station and of course
By Emerson Drake
Going to Modesto Mayor Garrad Marsh’s Town Hall meeting on Saturday was a real eye opener. I’ve heard him discuss the Salida annexation several times but never with the determination he exhibited last Saturday. He again quoted Mayor Lang’s comments regarding the last annexation attempt, where Lang said (I’m paraphrasing here) we’ll let them have their advisory vote, we just won’t take their advice.
When Mayor Marsh discussed the advisory vote he said it would take a large majority to get him to back down. The number he used at the City-County liaison meeting was 60%. On Saturday he said if the “against” totals didn’t reach this number he would make it a “knock down drag out fight for Annexation.” He believes without this supermajority he can “convince” Salidan’s to follow his lead.
He’s even offered to LET Salida have an arch with their name on it saying “but they’ll still be Modesto.”
In all fairness, he did suggest he would put in place some farmland buffers to use as boundaries against sprawl, but in these particular areas of land the farmers are interested in selling their property. And his ideas of a large-scale sports complex don’t fit with his claims of wanting quality, highly paid jobs for the area. All of this smacks of having already divided up the pie between developers, maybe even some of those already on the council. And interestingly enough he can’t break the Salida Now plan land use designation without proving it’s for the safety of the people living there for 8 years, so how is this all going to come about?
Mayor Marsh once again asked for patience from Salida residents reminding them the Goodwin study won’t be back before the middle of December and after the City and County get a chance to look at it they would share it with Salida residents.
Strangely enough they (Modesto and the County) keep representing the results of the study will assist Salida residents, but the question is will they? So I made a Public Information Request to help understand the parameters of the study’s goals. And for the life of me I don’t see where ANY of the results will assist Salidans in deciding wether or not they will want to be annexed by Modesto.
The way I read the study parameters, is it’s a device to create a common set of values to be used to barter away Salida’s Independence.
After reading Judy Sly’s comments pertaining to trying to pacify Salida with a call for patience and restraint in their abhorring the idea of Modesto’s potential annexation and to rely on the results of the study, I’m forced to believe she hasn’t read the actual study request.
That wouldn’t really be a surprise since she was for the MID water sale BEFORE she read the contract and now she’s making noises as if she’s for the annexation too.
Remember it’s not always what you read in the Bee that is important. Sometimes it’s what you don’t read there that can hurt you the most. Reporter Kevin Valine or his editors are leaving some of the most important information OUT of their stories, but that’s nothing new for the Bee.
So here is a link to the complete pdf. You’ll find pages 10 and 11 are the most relevant ones.
Thursday nights topics will include Modesto’s Mayor Garrad Marsh promise of a knock down drag out fight to annex Salida, the misappropriation of funds at MID, Glen Wilds crazy allegations against Larry Byrd, Janice Keating’s dogmatic attack on democracy, an update on the cat killer in Modesto and much, much more so tune in Thursday at 7:00PM.
Thanks to the Central Valley Hornet Production Group and our Flagship station 104.9 FM Modesto
Here is the link to both our live show and our archives
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/centralvalleyhornet/2012/11/09/whats-on-americas-mind
Here is the description and link to last weeks ‘What’s on America’s Mind”
Thursday night’s topics will include the MID and background on the agenda items Garth can’t provide, a Salida update, city council issues, Problems at MJC, an update on the cat killer, and a glimpse at national issues that concern all of us.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/centralvalleyhornet/2012/11/02/whats-on-americas-mind
Eye On Modesto 