S. Lake Tahoe to begin searching for city attorney
By Kathryn Reed
On a morning that started out with Mayor Claire Fortier giving the State of the City address – looking back and forward – the big news of the day didn’t come until staff comments.
South Lake Tahoe will have a new city attorney by summer, if not sooner.
Patrick Enright during his comments at Tuesday’s City Council meeting said he would not ask his bosses to renew his contract that expires May 31. He had presented them with a letter regarding his intentions prior to his public announcement.
The council in October had a closed session item on the agenda to give Enright a performance review. That never came about. But the council also did not offer him a contract extension.
Patrick Enright
“It had to be up to Patrick what he wanted to do. He made the decision not to get his contract renewed,” Fortier told Lake Tahoe News after the Nov. 20 meeting. “I think Patrick had a lot of huge issues to face as city attorney. What a grueling job.”
Enright was not available for comment after the meeting.
He was hired in 2009 to be the city attorney who would focus on redevelopment, while Jacqueline Mittelstadt was hired to do much of everything else. Mittelstadt resigned in March 2010 after a contentious few months.
The idea when they were hired was that they would provide a one-two punch. That never materialized.
Enright, while never accused of wrongdoing per se, has made some questionable legal decisions that have hurt the city financially or given it a bit of a black eye.
There was the first contract with Lakeview Commons that ended up in a lawsuit and the project needing to be rebid; questions about privatizing the ice rink and how the bonds worked; a dust-up over the concessionaire agreements at city beaches; questionable advice given regarding the ongoing South Tahoe Area Transit Authority lawsuit; and ongoing issues with the successor agency involved with dissolving redevelopment.
It’s expected the council will decide soon whether it wants to hire an outside firm to recruit the future city attorney of South Lake Tahoe or if staff will do it.
“I’ll figure out the costs and make some recommendations. We are capable of conducting a recruitment,” City Manager Nancy Kerry told Lake Tahoe News.
The letter Enright gave the council says he could leave sooner than May 31; it will depend on where he goes next.
Fortier in her address to a packed room let it be known she would like to see some changes to the council. She wants electeds to be paid a livable wage so it would provide for a more diverse council.
In other action:
• On a 3-2 vote, with Councilmen Tom Davis and Bruce Grego in the minority, the parking permit idea for certain areas was scrapped, but meters will go up in select areas of town.
• Community Services Officer Bob Albertazzi, who has overseen the parking program, is retiring at the end of the month.
• Per a unanimous vote, the council has decided not to change the fire department’s structure. That means beyond the fire marshal services and longstanding mutual aid response agreements, Lake Valley and city fire departments will remain separate.
Claire, over a year ago during the layoffs you said you’d give up your city stipen and now you want a paid counsel (along with full benefits).
And give up on the parking meters, period.
Hopefully Kerry will be able to locate an attorney with a brain. One who knows about business contracts and government operation. I’d be curious to know who is taking Bob’s place. No wonder the tagging near Sierra Tract on highway 50 has not been removed. Guess his priorities are elsewhere. This needs to be removed before Thanksgiving folks. And this tagger must live in the area because I’ve noticed his tag also on the hotel sign at Carson in the past. Tagging must be erased within 24 hrs SLT. Love the parking meter idea. We need more in this town. Tourists expect them and have quarters in their cars to give us.
I was appalled at the way Mittelstadt was treated and since Enright had been hired as Assistant City Attorney, he was elevated to a position over his head. I’m sure he’ll be happier in a position more suited to his expertise.
Although tourists may not be offended by parking meters, I think locals will be and won’t patronize businesses with them. The parking garage is a good example of being shunned by locals. Happy for Albertazzi retiring – he’s done a good job and should enjoy his retirement.
when is fortier gonna leave, sparing us her illiterate remarks (see above), so the remaining council can appoint austin sass, and the city can move forward?
Who would want the job? It would take two hundred hours of reading just to understand how much you still don’t know about the hole and loop road.
Sunriser: lol…lotta truth there I reckon.
Bob: Yes! Absolutely the graffiti needs to be removed within 24 hours. How about a graffiti hot-line removal program?
In general:
Our city doesn’t need to have an outside headhunting outfit to fill the city attorney position. We are quite compentent to do a good job of getting a replacement on our own.
As to a “living wage” for council memebers, it makes good sense.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
BTW, Chief Slowroller, contact me via email: scottblumenthal@verizon.net
The paid parking item was slipped in on the council agenda during Thanksgiving week.
Several people wrote in letters of opposition, several people spoke in opposition to this as well. The reasons cited by the police department are false. The only reason the city wants this is to generate money, not control parking. The money generation will come through some monies collected at the kiosks but more will come through tickets.
Tahoer Advocate, it will take more than several people to stop a vote that the majority of the city council and city manager want. Several people are not even close to a lot of people. People need to stand up in force to sway any elected body to listen to them. Next time try getting more than a few people almost all of which were businesses. I think there was one-two non-business residents who actually spoke against it. Perhaps the voters were for the parking meters and thats why they did not show up.
I recently went to the Monterey aquarium.
Lots of city parking meters and enforcment, swipe your credit card..2 hours parking, No big deal!
Bill Swim:
I agree with your comments. With the exception of South Lake Tahoe or maybe at large shopping malls, anywhere else one goes you need to pay for parking, especially in tourist destinations. The population of SLT is only about 20,000 people but that amount increases dramatically with visitors to our area, many of whom use our roads causing extensive wear and tear along with our police and fire services, most of which are paid for by the locals in our community. The plan isn’t to implement metered parking City-wide; it will be limited to the high tourist areas. I say let the visitors to our community start contributing a little more by dropping some coins in a meter or swiping their credit card, and I’d be willing to bet that the locals in this town are smart enough to know where the free parking will be.
And as far as comments that the City is doing this to generate money, of course they’re doing this to generate money. The City needs revenue to operate and after reducing the staff by almost one-third I don’t see where they’re going to find much more to cut. Revenue is needed to help pay for snow removal, fire and police services and if the local citizens don’t want to have their taxes increased then the money needs to come from somewhere. If someone wants to park in a metered area then let them pay for it; comps and freebies are limited to the casinos, or at least they were once, but even those have been vastly reduced.
Happy Trails Patrick!
“Don’t balme you a bit”
May the wind always be at your back,sunshine on your face!
4-mer-usmc, as I see it the issue with metered parking in just specific areas (such as Regan Beach) will just push MORE people seeking street parking in the surrounding neighborhoods. And as a spoiled , somewhat long time local, I personally refuse to pay to park OR patronize any business that I’m required to pay to park at(only park at Heavenly Village Parking structure when we go to a movie and get validated).
Biggerpicture:
Not paying for parking is certainly your prerogative. For me, if there’s a meter in front of a business that I want to patronize and it costs a small fee for me to park, I’d rather do that than walk a block or two just so I can park for free. I tend to look for the simplest, quickest and most convenient way to do things with my limited time and am willing to pay a small fee to that end. Plus, I don’t have a problem paying my fair share toward the City’s services and I’d rather pay small incremental amounts in this manner versus having my taxes increased. Like I said before, the times of the freebies are over.
4-mer-usmc,
I agree with you 100%! Happy Thanksgiving all!
I believe a criteria for a new City Attorney would require someone who is willing to throw his integrity right out the window.
The big problem is the city did not notify anyone in the affected areas, Tahoe Keys Homeowners, Lakeside Homeowners, Ski Run BID, and the Al Tahoe Area. How would you like a parking meter in front of your business or front yard? We need to see the net return on this project not the gross. Locals will feel the pinch with the ticket revenue and more ticket writers.
If parking meter do anyone justice,why hasn’t Walmart, target,casinos,other major successful companies install them there?
The whole idea of drive-up ,customer friendly shopping has a reason,they don’t want divert possible cash flow away from a business area.
Major cities with large population have to have it ,cost to clean streets,pick up trash,cigs butts,keep somewhat of riffraff at bay.
People wonder why so many go to the other side the state line,kinda of a no brainier,”SERVICES”.
The whole idea is to get the meters in and then go to the businesses, motels, vacation rentals, and homeowners and tell then to get parking permits. The area is about 70 blocks in the city not counting the 1500 plus homeowners in the keys who have already objected to the meters. We can not even make money from a parking garage in the middle of town and busiest part of town.