Homeless worried over new Modesto ordinance

By Ken Carlson Saturday, Jun. 09, 2012 Modesto Bee
Some homeless people responded with defiance to Modesto's recently approved anti-camping ordinance. Others said it will be another hassle of enduring life on the streets. "I am just going to pray to figure out what to do," said Gary Nicholas, a Bible-reading man who has stayed in makeshift campsites near Dry Creek when he couldn't get a bed at a shelter. "People will be dealing with more tickets, more court cases." For years, Modesto police have enforced rules against camping in parks and conducted sweeps of homeless campsites. But an ordinance approved by the City Council last week will make unauthorized camping on public and private property a misdemeanor violation. Under the ordinance, it will be unlawful and considered a public nuisance for a person to store personal property, including camp paraphernalia, on public land or private property without the owner's written consent. Violators cited or arrested on a misdemeanor charge could be sentenced to jail and probation. Modesto's ordinance still will let families hold backyard camp outs, but will limit camping on residential property to five days. In addition, the city will have authority to remove illegal campsites on private property.

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Vernon Group Bound For Modesto

Written by Peter McIntyre  107.5 KISSFM Tuesday, 01 May 2012 15:27

Photo: Jack Gilroy (left) and John Topping

A special trip is planned to mark the 30th anniversary of a sister city relationship between Vernon and Modesto California.  Fifty local residents will take a bus trip to California, leaving May 11th, and returning 12 days later on a cruise from San Francisco to Vancouver. Former city councillor Jack Gilroy is among the participants. He says it's a chance to show appreciation to Modesto, at no cost to taxpayers. "Everybody pays their own way. It's awesome.We feel pretty bad because we didn't have room for the mayor. Everybody has been signed up for a long time for this trip." Each traveller is paying about $1,200, and there's also been some fundraising. Gilroy calls it a special relationship. "Thirty years is a long time to keep a relationship up, and it's amazing. A lot of people come up here from Modesto." Funtastic co-founder John Topping is the trip's coordinator. He says, "In 1982, then Vernon mayor Lyall Hanson welcomed the start of sister city relations with Modesto. Since then, there have been many delegations exchanging visits, including Vernon politicians, royalty, and high school students. Notably, Modesto slo-pitch teams participated in the annual Funtastic Summer Festival for many years." The group will represent Vernon at a May 16th civic reception in Modesto, one of six sister cities Vernon has. "As is the tradition, there will also be a slo-pitch challenge game when the Vernon Canadians will try to pound their California rivals, the Modesto Cruisers, into the dust," jokes Topping.  Also going on the trip is former Vernon mayor Wayne McGrath. The delegation will return to Vernon May 22. Vernon Mayor Rob Sawatzky calls the sister city relationship a positive thing, with minimal costs to the city.

Modesto council members spar over money, purpose of auditor

By Ken Carlson  Modesto Bee Saturday, Mar. 31, 2012 

Modesto leaders are first to admit that an independent auditor hasn't done much to root out wasteful spending and save money for taxpayers. Now, the amount of money being spent on the auditor — close to $500,000 since 2008 — is causing some faces to turn red. Two council members want to re-evaluate the position, while others expect better results from an accounting firm hired for $150,000 to serve as auditor for the next year. The contract with Seattle-based Moss Adams LLP was approved last week on a 5-2 vote, with Councilmen Joe Muratore and Dave Geer in dissent. "It's a mistake to blindly approve $150,000 for them this year," Muratore said. "We should limit our monetary commitment to them until we figure out what role they are going to play." In February 2008, city voters approved a reform package that created the Office of the City Auditor to work directly for the City Council. A city auditor position was previously in the city clerk's office. Frank DeMattos served as auditor from September 2008 until the council terminated his contract in March 2010 because he wasn't meeting expectations. DeMattos, who was paid $96,200 a year, completed an audit that concluded the city's payroll practices were "generally adequate." With the hiring of Moss Adams under an original $150,000 contract in January 2011, city officials said they hoped to use the firm's broader range of expertise to study everything from overtime pay to the performance of city departments. As things turned out, the large accounting and business consultancy firm worked on proposals to privatize Modesto Centre Plaza and the waste-water treatment plants. The two initiatives ran into political resistance, pushing them to the back burner. (more)

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Modesto council considers changing city slogan - To call Modesto 'Family Owned and Operated'

Monday, Aug. 08, 2011 By Ken Carlson Modesto Bee:

If City Council members give approval this evening, Modesto could be branded as a community with small-town values and a big-city arts and entertainment scene. The brand, "Modesto: Family Owned and Operated," and an associated logo would be incorporated into the city's economic development, government, civic outreach and tourism campaigns. Not everyone thinks the slogan conveys the intended message, however. Developed by Commonwealth Modesto, the marketing tool is supposed to combat the effects of bad press on the city's image; for example, when the city does poorly on national "Best and Worst Places to Live" surveys or is tagged the "Car Theft Capital" of the country. If approved, the logo would be placed on city stationery, business cards, vehicles and tourist promotions, and could be used in campaigns to promote Modesto. For almost a century, Modesto has been identified with the motto on its arch: "Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health." But officials have tried to come up with something more contemporary. "The vision is that Modesto provides its own brand of big city arts, culture and entertainment combined with small town friendliness, family values, an outdoor lifestyle and an intense sense of community," City Manager Greg Nyhoff wrote in his report to the council. The city has not released an estimate on the cost of changing its logo. Employees would use current letterhead and business cards until supplies run out; city vehicles would not carry the logo until they are replaced.

Modesto spending plan is up for approval

Modesto Bee Staff Reports Monday, Jun. 06, 2011
 MODESTO -- The Modesto City Council could approve a $336 million budget Tuesday, with cuts to personnel in public safety, community development, parks and recreation, and public works.  To close a $9.7 million general fund deficit for the fiscal year starting July 1, the proposed budget relies on $5.4 million in expense reductions, plus money carried over from the past year.  The city has proposed cutting more than 30 positions. More than half of them are vacant; the others would be eliminated through retirements and layoffs.  Council members want to fund the salaries of a senior planner, along with two employees who work at the McHenry Museum, positions that were penciled out in Mayor Jim Ridenour's budget released last month. Ridenour has come back with a proposal to fund the museum positions by taking $62,000 from the City Council's budget and requiring support groups for the museum and McHenry Mansion to raise $40,000. The council also needs to resolve a disagreement over four vacant police positions. Some council members want the Police Department to replace four officers who departed in the past 12 months; Ridenour and Chief Mike Harden are in favor of leaving the positions unfunded to save money.

The council also will consider these items:
• Filing written comments to support the re-licensing of the Don Pedro dam by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Water released from Don Pedro Reservoir is treated to supply drinking water for Modesto residents.
• Approving a severance package for city employees who are laid off. The package would include four to eight weeks of base pay and health benefits, based on years of service.
• Adding 16 positions to the Modesto Fire Department as part of the merger with the Stanislaus County fire warden's office and Salida Fire Protection District
The City Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the basement chamber of Tenth Street Place, at 1010 10th St.

Consider shared or part-time city managers

Modesto Bee Editorial Thursday, May. 12, 2011

It's easy to list reasons why a city could not get by with a part-time city manager or why two cities could not share a city manager.  The job is too demanding. The top executive needs to be available full-time and then some. A city manager working for two elected boards would have divided loyalties. But these days, when money is tight and the public expects more efficiency from tax-supported entities, the idea of small cities using part-time or shared city managers deserves consideration. Oakdale proposes to try it out, by hiring a part-time interim city manager through 2011-12. A committee is considering candidates now. Money is a big factor in this experiment. Oakdale, which has already reduced police positions and is looking at more public safety cuts, might be able to get by paying an interim part-time city manager about $75,000, with no benefits. That's less than a third of the $232,000 in total compensation for Steve Hallam, the city manager that the council just let go. Who are the likely candidates for a part-time city CEO job? Recent retirees or people who are willing — or even eager — to wear two hats. Oakdale's acting city manager is the part-time fire chief, who is also a retiree. Ceres' interim city manager is Art de Werk, who continues as public safety director/police chief as well. Escalon has a part-time city manager and a part-time police chief. Riverbank is relying on a part-time city manager until the fate of longtime city manager Rich Holmer is resolved. Holmer was placed on paid leave at the end of March, with no public explanation of why. Another idea tossed out for consideration is whether the neighboring cities of Oakdale and Riverbank could share a city manager. They are already partners in animal services. Sharing a city manager could be much more difficult, because it would require two city councils to agree on the same personality and then to share that person's time equally. In either scenario, there's also a risk that without a full-time city manager, elected officials would start micromanaging their agencies, resulting in some of the problems we saw last year in Hughson. Nonetheless, these are unusual times demanding unusual approaches, and the private sector has many cases where CEOs oversee multiple entities. While we don't think organizations as large as the city of Modesto or Stanislaus County could function with a part-time CEO, we think it's reasonable for smaller governments to consider it.
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Oakdale Population in July 2009: 20,497.
Riverbank Population in July 2009: 20,684
Modesto Population in July 2009: 202,747
Ceres Population in July 2009: 42,667

Modesto Council goes to paperless agendas City spends $13K on iPads for top officials.

Ken Carlson Modesto Bee: Dec 9

Vernon's Sister City Gets iPADS

 The digital revolution has done away with paper at Modesto City Council meetings. Council members are now reading their agenda documents on the 9.7-inch displays of iPad computers. The city spent $13,000 to buy 16 of the small touch-screen computers for the mayor, council members and department directors, who received the devices last month.The iPads replace the paper agenda packets that include the reports and support documents for matters before the council. The packets were often 400 to 500 pages."It has eliminated a lot of leafing time," Councilman Dave Lopez said. "It's a lot of paper savings. You are talking about a ream of paper for each person."Features allow council members to go to the page they want with a finger touch or search for a phrase in a document. The iPads are being used at council and subcommittee meetings.Officials can check their city e-mail or search the Internet through the wireless connection at Tenth Street Place or any location with Wi-Fi service, said Kevin Harless, interim chief information officer."It's made it more cost-effective and easier to manage this huge amount of information," Councilman Joe Muratore said.Harless said the city should recover the purchase cost of the iPads within 15 months. The city will avoid the cost of copying and compiling the packets and having an employee drive the packets to council members' homes the Thursday before council meetings.

Councilman White escapes recall

Kevin Valine Modesto Bee:
 RIVERBANK -- City Councilman Jesse James White has dodged another political bullet. For the second year in a row, a group trying to oust him from office failed to gather enough signatures on recall petitions. Riverbank Citizens for Fair Change needed to turn in at least 2,185 signatures to City Hall on Tuesday night. The group turned in 2,156, and the city disqualified 73 of them, leaving the group with 2,083 signatures.

One of the recall leaders said that while she is disappointed, she is encouraged that nearly 25 percent of the city's voters signed the petitions.  "That's a huge number," said Dotty Ny-gard, who also is one of the nine candidates running for two council seats Nov. 2. "The city spoke loud and clear. They are saying the same message: Jesse doesn't represent them anymore. They want him to step down." White said that's not what he is hearing."They tried to recall me twice and failed twice. That's the bigger message," he said at a restaurant as he celebrated with his family Wednesday afternoon. White has at times exasperated and frustrated other council members and city staff, such as when he blocked the city from applying for grant money at a recent council meeting or opposed a sewer rate increase the city says is needed for repairs and upgrades. He said he is the only council member willing to question city staff and who is a watchdog of city spending. White, 21, has been a lightning rod on the council since his November 2008 election. (more)

Recall boots three Hughson councilmen from office

Modesto Bee Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010

HUGHSON -- Voters in Stanislaus County's smallest city resoundingly voted to remove three councilmen accused of corruption from their seats. With all precincts counted in Tuesday's special recall election, nearly 90 percent of voters called for the removal of Councilmen Thom Crowder, Doug Humphreys and Ben Manley. The question for Manley was moot because he resigned earlier this month. Taking their places will be, respectively, George Carr, 52, a technical analyst for AT&T; Jeramy Young, 38, a Modesto police sergeant; and Jill Silva, 46, assistant chief probation officer for Stanislaus County.(more)

Recall and replace Hughson trio

Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010 Opinion - Modesto Bee Editorials

For far too long, the people of Hughson have put up with a City Council plagued by petty politics, conflict and dysfunction. Tuesday, the city's 3,000 registered voters will have an opportunity to recall a trio of controversial councilmen and replace them with three new faces. There are two basic issues on the ballot. First, residents will decide whether to recall Thom Crowder, Doug Humphreys and Ben Manley, whose name still appears on the ballot even though he resigned earlier this month. Each vote will be separate.

Then, voters will elect the people who will replace council members should they be recalled. Two people are vying for each seat, with the top vote getter in each contest winning. That is in contrast to a regular Hughson council election, in which candidates run at-large and the top vote-getters in the field are elected. We've always been cautious about recalling elected officials, believing that action should be reserved for cases of egregious behavior that disrupts the ability of the elected body to carry out its duties. But that is exactly what has happened in Hughson over the last year — and especially since December, when the Stanislaus County civil grand jury issued a scathing report that concluded that Crowder, Humphreys and Manley violated the Brown Act, the state open-meeting law, by conferring on issues over e-mail and plotting to remove the city manager. The grand jury also found that Crowder violated the Fair Political Practices Act in promising to use political influence while seeking another the job.

The grand jury said all three should resign; they refused. In the months since, Hughson council meetings have become something of a circus, with many 3-2 decisions. The city has been functioning without a permanent city manager and still does not have a formal budget for 2010-11. Most of the city's nearly two dozen employees appear to be working admirably in the midst of this conflict. Construction is under way on a water treatment plant, and maintenance is being carried out. But many things are not getting done, and they won't until there's a major change in the council. We urge citizens to vote "yes" for all three recalls. Manley is already out, and Crowder, often the ringleader in the problems, did not file to run in November. Humphreys can be reasonable at times, but also has demonstrated a hot temper that interferes with his ability to work cooperatively with his colleagues.

City needs to heal. Four vying for council seats in recall election share their views, goals

Patty Guerra Modesto Bee Aug. 13

Four people vying in a Hughson City Council recall election agree on a lot of the issues the community is facing. But they were most vocal about one: the need to heal a city torn apart by bickering and accusations over the past several months. George Carr, Gary Houx, Jill Silva and Jeramy Young offered their views at a Bee editorial board meeting Thursday evening. Candidates Billy Gonzales and Michael Osguera did not attend. Incumbents Thom Crowder and Doug Humphreys, targeted by the recall, also were invited but did not attend. Crowder has said he is not going to fight the recall effort. All of the candidates stressed the need for transparency: Crowder, Humphreys and Councilman Ben Manley — who since has resigned — were accused in a Stanislaus County grand jury report of breaking state meeting law and conspiring to fire then-City Manager Joe Donabed.

City to weigh a waiver for development fees

Ken Carlson Monday, Aug. 09, 2010 MODESTO BEE:

In an effort to stimulate a stagnant business climate in Modesto, city leaders have considered a temporary suspension of the capital facility fee charged to commercial development. City staff studied the idea and recommend no more than a six-month suspension. The city's economic development committee will discuss the fee waiver today. A report from Brent Sinclair, community and economic development director, says the city could lose $375,000 if fees are discounted by 50 percent for six months. The city uses the fee revenue to pay for roads, parks, fire stations and police facilities. The report says the suspension won't affect the funding of daily city operations but could delay projects that rely on development fees.The economic development committee first considered the fee waiver in May after receiving a written proposal from real estate developer Niniv Tamimi. The developer thought it might encourage business expansions and create jobs in a county where the unemployment rate tops 17 percent.

At the same time, city officials are reviewing the fees charged to residential, commercial and industrial development, because of the economic downturn and declining land values. The process could result in a 16 percent reduction in residential fees and 6 percent drop in retail project fees effective Aug. 22, based on the cheaper cost of buying land for parks and road improvements. Further fee reductions could go into effect by Jan. 1. Sinclair's report says the development fees could be reduced by an additional 20 percent or more.

Hughson council meeting protested. Crowd rails against three members, fearing a rogue hire

Modesto Bee Patty Guerra Saturday, Jul. 31, 2010

HUGHSON — Rumors ran rampant that three rogue City Council members planned to appoint a city manager during a special meeting Friday night. A crowd filled the council chamber, and several residents implored the councilmen not to do it. The mayor joined the fray, warning the three councilman, all facing an Aug. 24 recall election, against taking such action. But the council didn't hire a new executive or take any action. Why the meeting was called remains a mystery.

One thing is certain: They'll talk about it again in another special meeting Monday. Before the council went into closed session, residents questioned the three members' motives and took them to task for scheduling the meeting. The agenda item stated only that the council was meeting to "discuss City Manager appointment." "You three cannot be trusted to do what is right for this city," Dianne David told Councilmen Doug Humphreys, Ben Manley and Thom Crowder. "Let this consulting firm that we paid $16,000 do its job." At the council's regular meeting Monday night, Crowder said it wasn't fair that the recruiter the city hired to sort through applications dismissed one from a former city manager. None of the other finalists have experience as a city manager, he said. Crowder didn't give the applicant's name, but the prevailing belief in town is that he was talking about Dave Whiteside, who had served as city manager until 2001. The three tried to appoint him as interim city manager last year, but he declined the appointment. The council later rescinded the notice of termination for Joe Donabed and he returned to serve out his contract through May.

Mayor Ramon Bawanan sent a statement to be read at Friday's meeting. He and Councilman Matt Beekman did not attend. Bawanan apologized for missing the meeting, saying he was hosting a family birthday party. He went on to warn the three councilmen against taking any action or making any changes to the recruitment process, cautioning that it would only further delay the hiring and potentially open the city to lawsuits. Crowder, Humphreys and Manley have accused the mayor of delaying the hiring. The three face a recall election Aug. 24 after the Stanislaus County civil grand jury found they conspired to fire Donabed. Humphreys, who called the meeting, said he had no plans to hire anyone Friday. "We're by no means appointing a city manager," he said, adding that the meeting was to address a "benign, clerical" issue that had to be handled before the city manager interviews begin next week.

It wasn't clear at the conclusion of the meeting what that issue was. City Attorney Dan Schroeder gave this statement at the session's end: "The reason for closed session is because more than one complaint about the process had been received by the members of the council and the city's recruiting consultant. City Council is scheduling a further special meeting for at the conclusion of the ad hoc committee meeting Monday at 8 p.m. in council chambers."

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Original Posting: Council candidates start campaigning in Hughson

Council candidates start campaigning in Hughson

Patty Guerra MODESTO BEE :
HUGHSON -- It's summertime in a midterm year, but campaign season is gearing up in Stanislaus County's smallest city. Signs have sprouted up around town, committees are gathering to plan and candidates are going door to door ahead of the Aug. 24 election that will ask residents if the majority of the City Council should be removed and if so, who should take the seats. Jeramy Young canvasses neighborhoods and talks to voters."People have been very supportive," said Young, who seeks the seat held by Doug Humphreys. "A lot of the people are fed up with the way local politics are going.The recall targeted Humphreys and Councilmen Thom Crowder and Ben Manley after a Stanislaus County civil grand jury report in December found the three had broken state open government law by conspiring to fire then-City Manager Joe Donabed. The grand jury further found that Crowder tried to use his elected position to secure a job with a competing company that had considered buying Hughson Ambulance, which he owns.

One of the first goals is education; the candidates said they've heard from some people who aren't familiar with the upheaval in the city. Others said they thought if enough people signed the recall petition the councilmen would lose their seats. The petition only got the matter before voters. The largest signs in town promote the recall itself; others advocate specific candidates. None of them represent the incumbents. Humphreys refused to comment; Manley said he hadn't decided what, if anything, he would do to fight the recall. "If I do something, it'll be in the next week or so," he said. Crowder said he's done. He's not fighting the recall, and if he makes it through the August election, he won't run to keep his seat in November, when his term concludes. "Let them do what they want. I leave with my head held high," said Crowder, who claims the grand jury targeted the three councilmen and ignored bigger problems at City Hall. "I feel good about what I've done. But I'm through. This whole process has left a horrible taste in my mouth."

But first, Crowder said, he has one more task to complete: helping hire a city manager. The council started interviewing candidates earlier this month; he, Manley and Humphreys voted to continue the plan to get somebody on board by the middle of August. Mayor Ramon Bawanan and Councilman Matt Beekman wanted to wait. Crowder said the job of finding a city manager is too important to leave to what could be a brand-new council; the terms of Beekman and Bawanan also end in November. "You'd have people with absolutely no or zero experience, who have never worked with city managers in the past," he said. "I think we're more qualified as a city council to make that decision." On Monday's agenda, Bawanan wants the council to consider appointing a committee of residents to interview the job candidates. Crowder is against it. "I don't think that's within the mayor's purview," Crowder said. "I don't think that's appropriate at all."

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Don Quixote Note: Hughson is next to a Sister City of Vernon's; Modesto.

Incorporated: December 9th, 1972
Population: 6,127
Elevation: 122 ft.
Area: 1.65 square miles

Hughson is the smallest incorporated city in Stanislaus County, but has grown from a population of 3,259 in 1990 to 4,920 for 2002. Hughson is situated to the East of Ceres, to the North of Turlock, and to the Southeast of Modesto. Hughson is also home to the annual Hughson Fruit and Nut Festival.

Modestan visits Canadian sister city

(Wayne Emde Photography) - Brenda Brannon, centre, of Modesto California, takes a moment to pose with Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Reg Burgess, left, and members of the Vernon, British Columbia detachment during Canada Day celebrations in Polson Park. Brannon, a member of the Modesto Sister Cities Board, was making her twentieth visit to the Canadian city.

Published: Saturday, Jul. 3, 2010 - 1:05 am Sacramento Bee
Brenda Brannon, center, of Modesto, poses with Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Reg Burgess, left, and members of the Vernon, British Columbia, detachment during Canada Day celebrations Thursday in Polson Park. Brannon, a member of the Modesto Sister Cities International board of directors, was making her 20th visit to the Canadian city. Modesto has five sister cities. Aside from Vernon, they are Aguascalientes, Mexico; Khmelnitsky, Ukraine; Kurume, Japan; and Vijayawada, India.

Modesto committee looks at building fees

Modesto Bee; Monday June 14

• The Ceres City Council, meeting at 7 p.m. today, is expected to lower to its public facility fee schedule based on decreased construction costs and declining land values -- some of the same factors under consideration in Modesto. As proposed by staff, the impact fees for a single-family home would drop from $25,298 to $20,520, almost a 19 percent drop.

• The Ceres council also is expected to approve new contracts with four employee groups, each of whom accepted a 10 percent reduction in their compensation through a variety of methods. The Ceres Fire Fighters Local 3636 agreed to forgo all holiday pay and uniform allowances and take a 2 percent reduction in salary. The Supervisor/Confidential Bargaining Unit will forgo pay for 12 holidays and have 13 unpaid furlough days. Ceres had to lay off employees for the current year but is hoping to avoid further layoffs for 2010-11 through employee concessions and other cuts.

City Council meets for 1st time after White arrest

Kevin Valine Modesto Bee:

RIVERBANK -- Councilman Jesse James White could get a scolding tonight when the City Council meets for the first time since his May 14 arrest on drug charges. The city has moved the meeting from the council chambers to the community center in anticipation of a large crowd. By Wednesday, the city had received nearly 50 inquiries about the meeting since White's arrest. White, 21, did not return a phone call Sunday. But he said last week that he would not resign from the council. "How can he feel like he represents us when we feel he isn't," said Dotty Nygard, one of the founders of Riverbank Citizens For Fair Change, which launched an unsuccessful recall attempt last year against White and his grandfather and fellow councilman, Dave White, claiming the two were not fit to represent the city. "He needs to own up to what he did," said Nygard, who plans to attend tonight's meeting.

Dave White, 71, won't be at the meeting but said he supports his grandson's due process rights "My advice to him is it used to be innocent until proven guilty," White said Sunday by phone from southern Illinois. "I don't know if that works if you are a newspaper or not, but innocent until proven guilty." Mayor Virginia Madueño, Councilwoman Sandra Benitez and Councilman Danny Fielder have called for White to step down. He does not have to resign. But he would be removed if he were convicted of a felony. He was arrested May 14 on suspicion of misdemeanor possession of marijuana and felony possession of cocaine after a probation search at his home. He also was arrested on suspicion of violating his probation.Authorities have said small amounts of the drugs were found during the search, enough to be considered for personal use. The Riverbank Police Department has sent its report on the arrest to the Stanislaus County district attorney's office for review.

White has been a lightning rod in Riverbank politics since his election in November 2008. A grand jury last year recommended that he resign from office because he was not registered to vote when he applied to run for his council seat. That report preceded the failed effort to recall him and his grandfather.He has verbally sparred with city officials during council meetings.

Riverbank councilman, assembly candidate arrested on drug charges

Modesto Bee Rosalio Ahumada May 15:

RIVERBANK — Jesse James White, a city councilman and Republican candidate for state Assembly, was arrested Friday afternoon on narcotics charges during a routine probation search at his home. White was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana and cocaine along with violating probation, said Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson. It was unclear how much marijuana and cocaine was found. Christianson said the amount of drugs found was enough to be considered for personal use, but not enough for distribution or sales. Authorities on Friday were conducting routine probation searches, an enforcement effort done to monitor people on probation. White was on a list of probationers to be searched. Christianson said the terms of White's probation allow authorities to search him for narcotics. In 2007, White was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to court records. He pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of "wet and reckless" driving. In that case, court records show, White initially was charged with possession of marijuana. He was sentenced to three years of informal probation and a six-week education program. Christianson said marijuana and cocaine were found in White's home and marijuana was discovered in his vehicle. White was being held at the Stanislaus County Jail on Friday evening. His bail was set at $10,000.

White was elected to the Riverbank City Council in November 2008. He is one of six Republicans on the June 8 ballot seeking the party's nomination in the 25th Assembly District. White has been a lightning rod in Riverbank politics. A grand jury last year recommended that he step down from office because he was not yet registered to vote when he applied to run for his council seat. That report preceded a failed effort to recall him. Riverbank City Manager Rich Holmer said he did not know whether the arrest would affect White's ability to serve on the council. Holmer has asked the city attorney to check.Dave White, Jesse James White's grandfather and a fellow member of the City Council, said he had not heard about the arrest when The Bee called.

Riverbank's mayor calls for civility

By Kevin Valine MODESTO BEE:

RIVERBANK -- No more bad words and no more insults. Mayor Virginia Madueño wants to put the brakes on boorish behavior at council meetings. Tonight, she will ask council members to look at hiring a facilitator to help council members treat each other with respect."We don't have to agree," she said. "But can we conduct our business in a more diplomatic way? I think so."

The council often is divided on issues with Madueño, Vice Mayor Sandy Benitez and Councilman Danny Fielder on one side and Councilman Dave White and his grandson and fellow council member Jesse James White on the other. Bad behavior and bad feelings have been part of recent meetings. At the April 26 meeting, Dave White accused City Manager Rich Holmer of repeatedly whispering to him that he was a "f-ing liar." Holmer's response was "of which you are." White called for Madueño to remove Holmer from the meeting. Holmer stayed, but Madueño -- who said she did not hear the alleged comments -- admonished Holmer and the council. Holmer later apologized, saying "I do apologize to Councilman White for anything I said that wasn't true." White accepted the apology. White's accusation came after he and his grandson blocked an agenda item that would have increased Hol-mer's annual vacation from four to five weeks. Holmer asked for the extra week during his recent annual review. He said city employees receive five weeks after 15 years with the city. Holmer will have 15 years in September. After the Whites blocked that, Holmer leaned over to White and whispered to him as the two sat side by side at the dais.

Madueño's attempt at harmony could be tested tonight. The meeting's agenda includes an item from Holmer that would end the policy of letting one council member place an item on the agenda of a future meeting. Under the revision, a council member could not place an item on an agenda unless a majority of council members agree. Jesse James White said at the April 26 meeting that the proposed change should be called the "Jesse James ordinance" because it was an attempt to stop him from putting items on agendas. In an interview, Holmer said the change is "minor streamlining." He said if a majority of the council doesn't want further discussion on an item, they can decide when the request is made. He said that saves the time it takes to put the item on a later agenda, do a brief staff report on the item, make photocopies and have an unnecessary discussion. Holmer added that council members still can have an item placed on a meeting agenda by talking with him before a meeting. Madueño said she would like to hold workshops with the facilitator if the council agrees. She's also considering asking council members if they want to review the council's code of conduct at a future meeting.

She said the council may want to consider adding more teeth to the code to discipline council members, staff and audience members who don't behave during meetings. She said one remedy could involve having the person leave the meeting until he or she cools down. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers, 6707 Third St.

Modesto council starts auditor hiring process

Leslie Albrecht MODESTO BEE Tuesday, Apr. 27, 2010

Modesto is on the hunt for its next City Hall watchdog. The City Council meets tonight in closed session to discuss appointing a new auditor to keep tabs on how taxpayer money is spent at Tenth Street Place. The council needs to replace auditor Frank DeMattos, whose contract was terminated in March after 18 months on the job. Council members said DeMattos didn't uncover enough inefficiency at City Hall."We just didn't get what we wanted," Councilman Dave Lopez said. "We want someone who will find redundancies in jobs and find any taxpayer money that's being wasted out there."The auditor position was created when voters passed Measure M, a package of government reforms, in February 2008. The auditor answers directly to the council instead of another city employee, such as the city clerk or city manager.

In DeMattos' first year, he focused on hiring new financial auditors and getting his office up and running. He released an audit of the city's payroll practices, calling them "generally adequate." Council members said in November that DeMattos wasn't meeting their expectations. They wanted audits that examine how city departments function and whether taxpayer money is used wisely, council members said. DeMattos earned $96,200 a year. He received three months' pay as part of his severance package. The city could save money by contracting for the position, Councilman Joe Muratore said. An outside consultant working under contract also could deliver more bang for the city's buck, Muratore said. "I'd rather see a scope of work laid out in advance where we can hold a person accountable and say, was that scope of work accomplished or not?" Muratore said.