DID YOU KNOW? Bonnie Donovan
It’s all about the city — city council and city college.
On Jan 28, during the Santa Barbara City Council’s annual retreat, the council discussed ways to increase public participation and unanimously agreed that open public comment would return to the original time limit of 2 minutes to allow for 15 speakers instead of 10.
Additionally, council members elected to move public comment to after the “consent calendar” so staff who are available for consent items can more expeditiously return to their offices and their own workload. Win-win. The idea tanked with only Mayor Randy Rowse voting in favor. Remember, anyone can make appointments with city council to voice their concerns, by emailing hperea@santabarbaraca.gov.
City staff also presented FAR — the Floor to Area Ratio, a calculation for figuring size limits for new housing, a critical issue that will come back, for sure. But let us tell of something so farfetched and far away from reality, it is unfathomable.
We speak of the Community Formation Commission, designed to create a civilian board to review the actions of the police department. This committee came out of the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter riots, a reaction to the death of George Floyd and our previous city council succumbing to the oppression of this narrative. It was originally referred to as a civilian police oversight committee.
On the face of this suggestion, people may have thought, the behavior of Santa Barbara Police Department does not warrant this micromanaging. However, our police department and its reputation can and will stand up to the challenge. Like the long-established Police and Fire Commission, and all the city’s boards and commissions that function as watchdogs for the betterment and preservation of the city, why would anyone object?
To serve in a volunteer position, takes countless hours, is often grueling and many see it as their civic duty for the place they love. The commitment for boards and commissions are, one to four meetings per month, and a flat $50 stipend for each meeting attended.
No extra pay for site visits, or review of material in preparation of the meetings.
Santa Barbara would not be what we know and love, if absent were the Planning Commission, the Historic Landmarks Commission, Architectural Board of Review, Arts Commission and numerous other groups who serve tirelessly, unnoticed and unappreciated. All for $50 a meeting. We imagine most would do the same service for nothing.
Now for the bait and switch behind the smoke and mirrors.
What the Community Formation Commission presented to the city council was so outlandishly absurd, it is further evidence that the general populace is being schooled that money does grow on trees. And that self-importance is self-appointed.
Aren’t these the same ilk who whined to go to the front of the public comment line, many who dialed it in from other locations, while our former mayor bowed to the pressure and allowed it, as others, who have waited up to six hours for their agenda item, watched politely?
Bottom line, the idea of a civilian oversight of police behavior and policies (not their business nor area of expertise) morphed into a new city department, Office of Police Oversight, headed by two management positions, including one executive, with salary costs up to $600,000 annually, and from that, 13 commissioners/volunteers would be paid $400 a month and a $50 stipend for each meeting. This is highway robbery! Quick somebody, call the cops! Oh, right, there aren’t any.
Who would want to be a cop, with all this oversight, done by people who have not walked in their shoes? Previous law enforcement experience is not allowed.
A survey for the citizens is proposed. However, the Community Formation Commission did not present council with the survey’s objectives.
Only Santa Barbara residents should be surveyed, not those in Los Angeles or Minnesota. Where is the guarantee that all residents of Santa Barbara have an equal opportunity to participate? We have witnessed out-of-towners dial-in for hot-button issues during board Zoom meetings. For instance, when Healing Justice, the local BLM, made its initial monetary demands to city council, approximately 60 callers participated.
Remember, this is not a done deal. Costs for program staffing and related expenses are dependent on the final recommendation by the Community Formation Commission and what the city council directs. Who would allow this expenditure of our tax dollars?
From Santa Barbara City Council to Santa Barbara City College, we highlight another COVID-19 memo.
SBCC mandated that all students must be double vax’ed by July/Aug 2021, to attend class in person. However, after the students returned from Christmas break, SBCC announced that in-person classes would begin after Feb. 22. How did SBCC know in January that the government would lift the state and county mask mandates after Feb. 15? Was it the memo?
The latest memo from SBCC to students is to “hurry and sign up for more grants.” Everyone loves the price. It’s “free-99!” Except, of course, for the taxpayer. Where is this money coming from? It appears the feds are teaching generations that money does grow on trees.
This fourth federal allotment is approximately $7 million to SBCC because of COVID-19. Disbursements of $1,000 to $3,000 will be distributed to students through the CARES/HEERF Emergency Grants.
Per Maureen Goldberg, director of financial aid at SBCC, “All students should apply for these monies if they have been affected by the COVID pandemic … no strings attached. Just fill out a quick application and you will get the help you need.”
In fact, to sweeten the deal — enrollment of just 3 credits, one class, is all it takes to be eligible. More than $8 million has already been distributed to almost 5,000 students since the start of the pandemic, per SBCC. Do not forget that last summer the students were awarded $100 cash just to take the shot. Hasn’t COVID-19 affected everyone?
With so much money floating around, why aren’t our public libraries open seven days a week? Why aren’t our city parks getting the attention they deserve, and why are creek projects postponed? We understand vacant positions are left open with the projected $10 million shortfall looming in the future.
Short staff means less service to the public.
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February 20, 2022 at 08:41PM
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The bait and switch behind the smoke and mirrors - Santa Barbara News-Press
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