Annual beach trip shows what difference
cooperation makes
By Gail Paparian
I have always appreciated the opportunity to dress
up in red, white and blue and celebrate the birth of our country on July
4th. When I met and married Bill Paparian, I felt further honored to be
married to a WWII decorated Marine who happened to be born on July 4th. I
always referred to him as my personal patriot.
We lived in Solana Beach for 10 years and made a number of good and lasting
friends. I just returned from my annual trip to the beach where we
celebrated the 4th, toasted Bill and watched the fireworks. The
conversations drifted their usual way: what each of us was up to, a brush
with local politics and what good things were happening in each of our
communities
Since I was the visitor, I got to update my comrades about what I was doing
and how things were progressing/regressing in Banning. We went on to discuss
the competence/incompetence in our various cities. I was pleased/saddened to
learn that Banning's problems were not unique; although they had particular
impact on me as a person who lives and works in this community.
We then launched into a discussion as to what each city was paying its city
attorney/firms of attorneys. Now Solana Beach, Del Mar, Carlsbad and Rancho
Santa Fe have a more highly educated citizenry who possess a lot more
spending power. When I told them that Banning city attorneys Burke, Williams
& Sorensen had earned over $196,000 in one month, even the barristers in the
group were incredulous! More on that later in the column Š.
We spent the morning and afternoon at the San Diego Fair in Del Mar. Most of
the time was devoted to eating, watching pig races and buying yet another 75
foot tangle-free hose that always manages to tangle when I rewind it to be
left-handed.
I had promised my friend I would help her in a booth for a couple of hours.
What does the retired first mayor of Solana Beach do with her time? There is
her husband, children, grandchildren, friends, travel and one particular
passion she has been working on for 25 years.
Supported by a number of
public and private organizations and thousands of people who want to see the
park built, the completion of the San Dieguito River Park has been a
longtime passion of Margaret Schlesinger. When she was an elected official,
she served on the Joint Power Authority board. As a private citizen, she
continues her work as a member of the Citizen's Advisory Committee.
The Joint Powers Authority board is composed of
two elected officials each from the County of San Diego and the City of San
Diego, one elected official each from the cities of Del Mar, Escondido,
Poway and Solana Beach, and one public member representing the Citizens
Advisory Committee. This is what I mean about regional cooperation. This JPA
has been in effect since 1989. This “Coast-to-Crest Highway runs from the
Pacific Ocean between Del Mar and Solana Beach to the Volcan Mountain in
Julian, 55 miles away.
The San Dieguito River Conservancy is a non-profit
environmental conservancy dedicated to sustainable management of the natural
resources of the San Dieguito Watershed. The main function of the
conservancy is to acquire land to be placed in the Focused Planning Area.
With government entities, volunteers and the
membership of the 1,000-plus conservancy, many advancements continue to be
made. Edison was due to spend $80 million in mitigation for the damage done
at San Onofre. Many entities vied for these dollars. It went to the San
Dieguito River Park where part of the money will be spent to restore
wetlands that were destroyed.
Over $20 million in state grants has been acquired
to purchase land. The process of eminent domain is not used. All private
sales are done willingly and the park board has adopted a Private Property
Rights Protection Act. The park board cannot condemn private property.
It is an overwhelming task to assemble and protect
this much land but it is being done. Future generations should find
themselves grateful that so many people wanted to protect this land for
them. I would say our two hour stint in the Conservancy booth brought
several hundred people over to look at the maps, proposed planning areas and
existing trail sites. The San Dieguito River Park is funded by
contributions. The Conservancy encourages membership, bequests, gifts of
assets, charitable land trusts, corporate sponsorships, employer donation
matches and the countless hours invested by volunteers.
While I have asked our own John Machisic to please
stop referring to projects' completion as, “not in my lifetime,” the San
Dieguito River Valley Park may not occur in a number of people's lifetimes.
The reality is, it is occurring and will continue to do so until the trails,
designated for pedestrians, bicycles and horses (on separate trails) go the
55 miles from the coast to the mountains.
I wish them success. We can all take a lesson from
this extraordinary group of employees and dedicated volunteers. No one city,
no one anything could have launched and sustained this level of commitment.
I hope folks in the Pass Area take note and preserve some of our assets
before they are paved over forever. Almost as important as preservation is
the ability of multiple entities to work together.
While I was away, I took the time to look for
information about what was doing in Banning. What headline did I see? “City,
developer spar over fees.” The story told me that Banning Finance Director
Bonnie Johnson said SunCal (developers of the Banning Bench project) owes
Banning $143,892.65 in legal fees. That's what I like Š billing right to the
penny.
It appears that SunCal has already paid the city
over $150,000 to cover its legal fees. Wouldn't you think that would be
enough based on some of the legal performance we have been getting?
Because former city manager Randy Anstine had a
deep and long association with Burke, Williams and Sorensen, it seems that
everything possible was run before our brilliant barristers. I think I'm on
pretty firm ground if I assume that none of this legal work was done pro
bono.
As a matter of matters, maybe SunCal should bill
Burke, Williams & Sorensen and the city for misinformation. I'm going to be
assuming again that some form of legal oversight was used to view the faulty
Urban Management Water Plan as put forth by the city as gospel. So if a
developer like SunCal uses this report as fact-based and makes conclusions
based on this information and it turns out that a judge throws it out
because the facts are wrong, who pays the piper? I believe if a bank
teller's cash drawer is short at the end of the day, they make up the
difference. Can the same be said for attorneys' conclusions? If their legal
work is the cause of a domino effect, do they bear financial culpability or
do they disclaim themselves protected by invoking the oft-times-government
used “oops” factor?
Stay tuned for the next edition of “As the Stomach
Turns.” It seems to me interviews should be held soon to those who responded
to the city's request for lawyers or firms to apply for the city attorney
position for the City of Banning.
