West Covina residents push districts for special election ballot

When you make a map of the districts you are to use known markers. The map was constructed by using Azusa Avenue, the 10 freeway, Glendora Avenue, as well as the City's boundaries. Of course, because the city has areas that are not as dense in population those markers had to be comprised, that was the case for District One. Perhaps Touhey needs a lesson on how to contstuct a fair and equal district population.

Looks like West Covina has a couple of Village Idiots like Glendora Does

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/glendora-ca/T...

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/glendora-ca/T...

Which Glendora City Council Candidate Wants to Divide Glendora into FIVE Districts

Kristin Parisi, CO-Host of the Harrold cable channel 99 show has pulled papers to run for the Glendora City Council. With the Glendora election coming up please ensure you review the records of who is running.

The FAILED District initiative by the JOHN HARROLD/Parisi group to divide Glendora into FIVE pieces of pie.
http://www.ci.glendora.ca.us/campaign_stateme ...

Kristin Parisi loses her John Harrold Drafted law suite against the City of Glendora.
She filed a lawsuite against the PREVIOUS CITY she lived in also. She has pulled papers to run for council AGAIN...
http://www.ci.glendora.ca.us/PressRelease/Pre ...

Recalled Glendora Mayor John Harrold and his supporters, i.e. Mark Smith, MadeInGlendora, MIG, Garys Train Wreck, Karens Train Wreck, Harrolds stool cleaner, Glendora needs Change, Glendora Goofs, Glendora Goonies, Glendora Delights, Classic Goofy, Classic Coughfee, Chambers, Politics, Etc.
http://www.johnharroldpubliccomment.com/openc ...

Da! we have the jammmer back packing this forum with his or her foolish repeats of OLD NEWS that only keep the City Council and City Hall managment happy!

Roll over poster #3, good doggie!

Or is that george?

Districts are a bad idea. Especially in this case, it is an attempt at a power grab by Sykes and Hernandez.

This is an attempt to divide the City even more. Today we all have access to 5 members of the council. Each has a hot button. To break the City into districts gives me access to only one member of the council. Today, the members of the Council must look at issues and impacts on the entire city. With districts they only have to worry about one area. Under the breakdown theat Sykes and Williams want, we would still have an open and active dump at BKK instead of the new shopping area, the lower portion of Shadow Oak would be a school in the Roland School District or houses, and the residents on the Southside would have every other project they did not want. That is what districts will do for them.

Not really. By developing a district plan you segment the council which will in turn create a break down in procurment and enterprise wide city development plans. You end up having a patch work city that resembles a grandmothers rug that has been put together piece by piece with no strategic plan.

Going back to procurement. If you use a district philosophy you lose the volume leverage in many of your contracts.

In the Know, If you read the story I didn't propose the Districts or it's layout. Fred Sykes and Alfred Williams are the ones who gerrymandered the Districts. They needed Districts created for Fred Sykes and Roger Hernandez. But Thank You In the Know for pointing out a potential problem, I will pass it on for you to Fred Sykes and Alfred Williams and their buddy Mayor Roger Hernandez!

Councilmember Michael Touhey

I am deeply troubled that 4 out of 5 of the current council persons live in the affluent South Hills area. The facts are that there was no new project in their area of residence for the past 20 years and all new developments that cause taffic congestions together with change in use without following the general plan are areas other than the South Hills area. Something to think about in the next election.

Concern N Trouble, I live 6 houses from Azusa Ave. I don't live in South Hills. I live in the West Covina Unified School District my kids attend West Covina High. A majority of the money the City collects to operate comes from a small area of the City. The Auto Dealers and the Westfield Malls generate the largest percentage of the income for the city. Based on property tax District 1 generates the most Residential property tax. Over appox. the last 10 years the most new homes have been built in the South Hills area and those areas east of Azusa Ave. South Hills Estates 220 new homes, Comstock Homes 50 new homes, TNT Homes 11 new homes, Lee Development 5 new homes, Pacific Park 25 new homes, Villa Tempoa 33 new townhouses, Pacific Park West 48 new homes and Olson on Aroma 15 new homes, Dynamic Investment 4 new homes that's 411 new homes in District 1, that's more the entire city combined over the last 10 years. The new auto dealers and all the expansion of the current auto dealers and the Plaza and Eastland.

Councilmember Touhey,
You need to look up gerrymander. To gerrymander, is to create districts in patterns that vary greatly in size or population. Since the districts are approximately the same size in population and only vary in size because certain areas of the city are more densely populated they are not geryymandered. I am sure if you make a map then that would be gerrymandered. Touhey knows all the new developments because he was probably the consultant for the developers.

In my opinion, Fred Sykes, Al Williams and Mayor Hernandez are trying to acheive though devisive political tactics what they can't acheive through a straight-up head-to-head election; permanent positions on the City Council. They don't care if it divides West Covina into squabbling factions or not, just as long as it benefits them!...Who cares where the Council members live, as long as they are doing a good job for all of West Covina. These class-warfare/racial-ethnic divide tactics are disgusting!

In other words this poster #12 seems to feel there view is the only view of life, sorry to wake you up and say it's not but your free to keep trying to explain yourself in future postings.

Number #12 hasn't a clue as to which they might be posting about other than something sent to them and recopyed and posted under their sign on name.

I would advise more people to take a closer look at the facts before jumping off the deep end like poster #12 has appeared to have done. There pure hate is seeping through there posting here today!

What is the old expression - those who ignore history are destined to repeat it. If we had council districts during the time of BKK, the city would never have closed it. It took those "South Hills" council members working with the Southside residents to get it closed.

Also, the community center/gym would now be at Shadow Oak, if we had districts, but the council was well aware that the block of votes from that area changes elections when many council seats are decided by less than a couple of hundred votes.

What is the most troubling aspect of this whole council district issue is the fact that those who support it seem to have a jealously regarding where others live.

In the past letters to the editor outlined what some called the "haves" and the "have-nots." If you lived in the South Hills area you were a "have", if not then you were a "have-not".

Just remember one fact, Roger Hernandez lives closer to South Hills than Mike Touhey. If Touhey is a "have", then Roger must be one also.

I know more and the more says; it's good for the people and local governments.

What do the citizens have to lose, nothing what do the politicials have to lose, nothing.

With each New Council Distict comes a pro active Council person who has to answer to his or her 20,000 voters with in that distict and they will feel a lot better knowing that SOMEONE represents them and has to answer to them, as well as the others in the other four Districts that make up the whole of the City of West Covina.

Anyone who represents a district should not be afraid of a little work either.

FPPC rejects claim by Herfert

One day after Roger Hernandez was sworn in as Mayor of West Covina, Councilman Steve Herfert filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission alleging that Hernandez violated two government code sections.

Herfert alleges that Hernandez is trying to influence the outcome of a proposed settlement with the city's Community Development Director, Chris Chung, who is demanding $3 million from the city because of the alleged hostile work environment Hernandez subjected him to.

But on Nov. 25, the FPPC returned the complaint, stating that the information Herfert provided was "insufficient to established a violation of the Act," wrote executive director Roman Porter.

In his Nov. 19 complaint, Herfert states:

"Mr. Hernandez is participating in legal discussions regarding a lawsuit involving the City of West Covina and Chris Chung, Community Development Director. At the heart of the lawsuit is a contention that Mr. Hernandez has created a hostile work environemnt for Mr. Chung. The lawsuit is confidential at this time and I cannot release any documents. However I am attaching a copy of a confidential letter I have sent to the City Manager of West Covina...."

Herfert goes on:

"My complaint involved Mr. Hernandez participating in our closed session and trying to influence the outcome of the lawsuit. In the closed session of November 4, he proposed a financial deal and participated fully."

Witnesses are needed for a valid FPPC complaint. The signed witnesses are City Manager Andrew Pasmant, City Attorney Arnold Glasman, and Councilwoman Sherri Lane, records show.

Here is the confidential letter Herfert send to the City Manager:

This letter is to serve notice that participation by Councilmember Hernandez in further closed sessions regarding legal actions between the City of West Covina and Chris Chung, Community Development Director is illegal. It is clearly a violation of the fair political practices act. His participation violates Gov. Code Section 81002(c) and 87100.

I site two items and the law:

As stated in the Closed Session on November 4, 2008; Mr Hernandez can be held liable for punitive damages in the lawsuit.

As stated by Mr. Hernandez in the Closed Session on November 4, 2008; "if the Council takes a certain action, I will pledge to backstop the City financially".

"Assets and income of public officials which may be materially affected by their official actions should be disclosed and in appropriate circumstances the officials should be disqualified from acting in order that conflicts of interest may be avoided."

Gov. Code section 81002(c)

"No public official at any level of state or local government shall make, participate in making or in any way attempt to use his official position to influence a governmental decision in which he knows or has reason to know he has a financial interest."

Gov. Code Section 87100

Sincerely,

Steve Herfert

Councilmember

City of West Covina

Regrding comments by Yes Districts: You give the argument as to why districts do not work. A member of the council would be interested in only supporting the needs of that small area within the City, regardless of the impact on the City.

Once again, I refer back to closing BKK. With the set-up discussed, BKK would still be open since, at least, 3 members of the council would not have wanted to lose the revenue from BKK.

The only reason one memer of the council changed from support to against BKK was the threat of a recall supported by people in the BKK area, not anywhere else.

What you have to lose is council members maing stupid deals to benefit ones district with each other - look at our state and nation as an example of special interest and districts.

When you make a map of the districts you are to use known markers.

The map was constructed by using Azusa Avenue, the 10 freeway, Glendora Avenue, as well as the City's boundaries.

Of course, because the city has areas that are not as dense in population those markers had to be comprised, that was the case for District One.

Perhaps Touhey needs a lesson on how to contstruct a fair and equal district population.

That means NO gerrymandering for yourself and friends, OK!

WEST COVINA - The City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday to discuss two anticipated lawsuits against the city.
The meeting will be held at 5:45 p.m. in the City Manager's conference room at City Hall, 1444 W. Garvey Ave., Assistant City Clerk Susan Rush said in a written statement.

The meeting is being held for city officials to conference with legal counsel regarding to possible lawsuits the city may face.

It's meeting time in West Covina on Tuesday:

1. Closed session meeting to talk about two cases of anticipated litigation. Hmmm, could that be to discuss the claims filed by Community Development Director Chris Chung and Public Information Officer Sue Williams. Chung and Williams retained the same attorney and claim that Mayor Roger Hernandez subjected them to a hostile work environment. Chung is demanding $3 million; Williams hasn't asked for anything....yet.

2. Hernandez wants to set up a citizen task force to address the budget issues.

3. Hernandez also wants to talk about using private donations to start back up the televsion broadcasts. There is no indication on how much money that means and who the private donor is.

4. Councilman Mike Touhey wants to talk about districting. He asked that staff prepare a report to examine how to get districts on the ballot. Touhey's efforts comes at a time when those on the Fred Sykes camp are working to collect signatures to get a ballot measure diving the city into fifths in an election.

Sykes wants this to go before the voters "as soon as possible," but as a way to save money he recommends placing the measure on the special election for Congresswoman Hilda Solis' open seat. This is the second time Skyes has tried to get this on a ballot.

Touhey thinks that Sykes is doing this because Sykes just wants to get on the council and since he was rejected in the last election, he is drawing up districts.

Sykes denies that -- he said this is about equal representation -- and thinks that Touhey is doing this because he wants to draw up "Touney town."