City Web site has documents for investigation
While an upcoming inquiry into the failed 2005-06 Town Center development process might not provide proof of criminal behavior on anyone’s part, the probe will uncover enough ugly politics to disgust most Yorba Lindans.
Individuals would have to pass on information contrary to their self-interest for a criminal prosecution to occur. But documents released by a former downtown developer reveal a dark side of behavior not in keeping with the city’s professed standard of gracious living.
Greg Brown, whose former firm held an exclusive negotiating agreement with the city, provided the documents, which include notes he took at closed-door council committee meetings and e-mails involving developers, consultants, lawyers and council members.
Much of the material details disreputable activities familiar to residents shopping at city grocery stores in December 2005 and January 2006, when petitions circulated to reverse higher density Town Center zoning.
The documents are now on the city’s Web site, but the 112 pages aren’t in chronological order, making the sequence of events difficult to follow.
To access, go to www.ci.yorba-linda.ca.us, click on “city council meetings” under “quick links” and click on “agenda” for May 6. Scroll down to click on item 15, click on the document name in upper right corner, click on “all pages” and scroll to the documents.
E-mails to Brown from Dennis DeSnoo, a consultant hired to thwart the petition drive, are especially disturbing. Brown has said city leaders told his firm to hire DeSnoo, an allegation denied by then-City Manager Tammy Letourneau.
DeSnoo bragged about his “15-year history of successful elections in Yorba Linda,” including all of the then-current council. He worked for Ken Ryan and Jim Winder in 2000, Ryan and Keri Wilson in 2002 and Allen Castellano and Mike Duvall in 2004.
Open-meeting law violations are apparent, since knowledge of events at closed-door council and council committee meetings was passed on to insiders who didn’t attend.
And attaining Castellano, Ryan, Wilson and Winder approval for a developer-funded letter to residents opposing the petition drive without prior action at a public meeting might violate a prohibition against serial meetings.
Interestingly, Councilman John Anderson pegs the cost of the downtown debacle at $4,422,692, noting some of the expense could be applied to a future project.
A FINAL NOTE
The May 6 council meeting was not good for developers. Anderson said the Old Town Yorba Linda Partners firm is included in the Town Center probe, and Jan Horton called DeSnoo, Brown and former Brown partner Michael Dieden “snakes.”
Also, council adopted a new policy regarding developer requests to delay scheduled public hearings. Continuances won’t be granted automatically, and developers will be told to attend at the advertised time.
Previously, developers would phone in delay requests and not show up at the meeting, to the dismay of residents who arrived ready with testimony on the proposed developments.
Individuals would have to pass on information contrary to their self-interest for a criminal prosecution to occur. But documents released by a former downtown developer reveal a dark side of behavior not in keeping with the city’s professed standard of gracious living.
Greg Brown, whose former firm held an exclusive negotiating agreement with the city, provided the documents, which include notes he took at closed-door council committee meetings and e-mails involving developers, consultants, lawyers and council members.
Much of the material details disreputable activities familiar to residents shopping at city grocery stores in December 2005 and January 2006, when petitions circulated to reverse higher density Town Center zoning.
The documents are now on the city’s Web site, but the 112 pages aren’t in chronological order, making the sequence of events difficult to follow.
To access, go to www.ci.yorba-linda.ca.us, click on “city council meetings” under “quick links” and click on “agenda” for May 6. Scroll down to click on item 15, click on the document name in upper right corner, click on “all pages” and scroll to the documents.
E-mails to Brown from Dennis DeSnoo, a consultant hired to thwart the petition drive, are especially disturbing. Brown has said city leaders told his firm to hire DeSnoo, an allegation denied by then-City Manager Tammy Letourneau.
DeSnoo bragged about his “15-year history of successful elections in Yorba Linda,” including all of the then-current council. He worked for Ken Ryan and Jim Winder in 2000, Ryan and Keri Wilson in 2002 and Allen Castellano and Mike Duvall in 2004.
Open-meeting law violations are apparent, since knowledge of events at closed-door council and council committee meetings was passed on to insiders who didn’t attend.
And attaining Castellano, Ryan, Wilson and Winder approval for a developer-funded letter to residents opposing the petition drive without prior action at a public meeting might violate a prohibition against serial meetings.
Interestingly, Councilman John Anderson pegs the cost of the downtown debacle at $4,422,692, noting some of the expense could be applied to a future project.
A FINAL NOTE
The May 6 council meeting was not good for developers. Anderson said the Old Town Yorba Linda Partners firm is included in the Town Center probe, and Jan Horton called DeSnoo, Brown and former Brown partner Michael Dieden “snakes.”
Also, council adopted a new policy regarding developer requests to delay scheduled public hearings. Continuances won’t be granted automatically, and developers will be told to attend at the advertised time.
Previously, developers would phone in delay requests and not show up at the meeting, to the dismay of residents who arrived ready with testimony on the proposed developments.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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