Encinitas Mayor Jerome Stocks recapped recent and past citywide improvements, trumpeted Encinitas’ low crime rate and offered a glimpse of future projects during the annual state of the city address at the Encinitas City Council meeting Wednesday night.
Of the upcoming projects Stocks outlined, the biggest announcement was that the city is seeking bids on a that will be built on a 44-acre site west of Interstate 5 and south of Santa Fe Drive.
“This is not we intend to, we hope to, we wish to, we plan to, it’s out there,” Stocks said. “The contractors have it, they’re putting together their bids."
The Encinitas Community Park, known as the , has been in the works for more than a decade. It will feature sports fields, a skate park and a children’s playground, as well as other amenities. Competing plans, funding shortfalls and environmental concerns have delayed the project.
But now the project is moving forward, and Stocks believes the timing is ideal.
“We have incredibly low interest rates,” Stocks said. “We have incredibly favorable bids that are coming in well under the engineer estimates. And we have the opportunity to try and build a park here before inflation kicks back in.”
Although Stocks didn’t state when construction would begin on the park, he said the city will make a decision on which bids it will accept in about six weeks.
Stocks also laid out plans for another project that recently went out to bid: .
“We’re going to be expanding the recreational sand area, constructing new restrooms, showers and concession stands to better meet the public’s needs,” Stocks said. And add a garage for the lifeguards’ equipment.”
Among other achievements on his list, Stocks touted the city’s graffiti prevention program and low debt.
“In conclusion, the state of the city is great,” Stocks said.
Several residents begged to differ.
, president of the Encinitas Taxpayers Association, raised
Wagner said the city’s pension system is plagued by an estimated $25 million in unfunded liability, a figure he believes is even higher because of additional city employees and faulty calculations for investment gains that rely on pre-recession interest rates.
“If you want to offer these benefits, pay for them,” Wagner said. “Don’t tell us the state of the city is sound when you’re underfunding pensions.”
“This city council has refused to adopt pension reform,” he added. “Even as our neighbors in Solana Beach and Carlsbad adopted pension reform, the council majority in Encinitas will not allow it on the agenda.”
Other residents brought up concerns about low-income housing and the , a blueprint that will guide development plans for the next three decades.
There are unfunded pension obligations. The mayor had the permit for a fellow council member who died in office rejected and well as the banner permit rejection. The mayor uses a blog post to unfairly attack a fellow council member. Yes, all is great if you believe what you were told. Those who are active and aware of the activities of this council know that the majority council has had a strangle hold on our city for too long. It is time for a change for the sake of fairness and propriety.
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/apr/18/encinitas-mayor-touts-budget-programs-annual-speec/ You can also read Wagner's rebuttal to Stocks' rebuttal, Stocks fails or refuses to understand Calpers unrealistic estimates on the rate of return on its investments. He seems to be alone in his Pollyannaish stance on this. Of course, he voted for the big pension increase a few years back. He doesn't dare admit his mistake of burdening the city with a huge financial obligation in the future. That would put his reelection in jeopardy.
-Financial crisis in the horizon: Underfunded liabilities will get worse with time. Using CALPERS estimate for rate of return will prove very costly for taxpayers. Mr. Ed Wagner told the truth. -No leadership in General Plan Update -$1M of taxpayers' money wasted with MIG that ripped us all off. -Big retail boxes, including Wal-Mart invading the El Camino Real Corridor. Council majority turn a blind eye, too greedy to forgo these precious sales tax revenue. -Still no movie theater in Encinitas. -Still no performing art center in Encinitas -Citizens having to sue to have access to public information. -Repeated lack of decorum at council meetings. Good thing the weather and surf is great. There is nothing our mayor can do to mess that up!
It is akin to having a $50 million dollar credit card balance but only making a few $ million per year while accruing new incremental liabilities every day and telling everyone you are in great financial shape. The pension crisis HAS already happened and we are NEVER going to catch up because we are 30 -40% underfunded in EVERY city plan. If this was a private pension the Fed would have already seized the program and executives would be fired. If we were +/- 10% then yes I would feel ok. Do not vote for any current incumbent (except Teresa) and avoid any candidate that does not understand the gravity of the situation. The bottom line is that Jerome, Kristen, Marc, Jim and city management do not want to deal with this issue because their paymasters will not support them in the next election. The plan is to accrue massive retirement packages and stick the next generation with the bill. However, this current trajectory they have us on will certainly take our city to the point of a cash crisis like Stockton CA and then we will have brutal reform - mass layoffs, asset sales, and negotiations with creditors. The city's plan is to develop the hell out of our town (revenue creation) and then to take on more debt (kick the can). Read the pension docs for yourself. http://www.encinitastaxpayers.org/blog_2/
Stocks HAS NOT SHOWN GOOD LEADERSHIP. He brags about dumping construction dirt from Pacific Station onto our beaches, in Leucadia. The before photo he showed, of Stonesteps, didn't show any cobbles! Stocks doesn't mention the failed lawsuit in which he & his cronies tried to prevent the public's access to public documents, refusing a draft document that was NOT protected through the California Public Records Act, from a road report long since completed by the consultant. Stocks has consistently supported Bond's public statemen that "if we were doing something wrong, then someone would sue." Well, we HAVE sued, thanks to Kevin Cummins and his Calaware Attorney, Dennis Winston, who prevailed in Court against the City. Of course Stocks and Bond don't have to foot the bill, the public does! As for accounting methods used by CalPERS &the city, Stocks only wants to believe and to promote his version of the truth, which is a lie!
Unlimited time is allowed for special presentations and proclamations, during Encinitas Council Meetings, yet public speakers are currently allowed only 15 minutes, total, 3 minutes each, for oral communications, before agenda items are heard. Council should respect its duty to honor the public trust by encouraging citizen participation, by allowing us time to question or comment on special presentations. In fact, why can’t special presentations be listed as agenda items? Listening to the public needs to part of Council's decision making process. Council could also allow up to 30 minutes for oral communications at the beginning of the meeting. Usually less than 5 speakers submit speaker slips, but up to 10, at three minutes each, easily could be heard, which is not excessive, in terms of Council’s priority of listening to citizen input. The “15 minute rule” as Council policy is demeaning to the public and isn’t "set in stone." It's unnecessarily restrictive, and puts those who can’t stay to the end of the meeting, due to childcare issues, for example, at an unfair and disheartening disadvantage.