Murietan Ted Hart was critical of a letter sent to county officials by Mike Martel, board president, in connection with a recent development proposal. |
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Martel resigns RMA board presidency
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Published
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Mike Martel, elected president of the Rancho Murieta Association board in December, resigned the position Tuesday night, saying he couldn't give the job the time it requires. Earlier in the meeting, he was challenged about a letter he wrote, without board approval, that could be read as supporting a recent development proposal.
The two events are not related, Martel said Wednesday. "I just couldn't keep up the pace," he said in an interview, adding he has a new job and is working longer hours and traveling. "I didn't want to give it up. I like setting the agenda, being involved."
Director Jack Cooper was elected president Tuesday night to replace Martel, who will continue as a director. Also at Tuesday's meeting, Martel announced that Director Donni Quinlan had resigned her board post.
Earlier in the meeting, Ted Hart, a member of the Rancho Murieta Development Concerned Citizens Committee, which has fought current development plans, criticized Martel for writing a letter to the county that seemed supportive of recent plans to develop outside the western edge of Murieta. The letter, written Feb. 7 to at least four county officials, was not discussed by the RMA board in public session.
Hart read from the letter, quoting Martel: "The association supports the inclusion of the Murieta West planning area properties and their projects in the environmental document associated with the current general plan update." The letter was signed by Martel as RMA board president.
"I'm not here this evening to debate the merits," Hart said. "… My purpose is to question the legality of the letter" and to emphasize the letter never appeared on the board's agenda. "The board never voted any authorization for the president to write this letter," he said.
Martel said the letter was written during the transition from the previous board president, Paul Gumbinger, but said, "It was my decision to author the letter."
When Martel said he gave board members a copy, Hart countered, "You put this into their box after it had already been sent. … Some of you did know about it. The members didn't know about it. This needs to be corrected now."
Hart asked Martel to immediately send a second letter to county officials who received the first, "stating the letter from the president was sent in error and the county should disregard the letter." Hart said county officials believe Martel's letter represents the association's support.
A month before writing the letter, Martel appeared before the county board of supervisors to oppose other Murieta development projects, which have been in the pipeline for six years and are nearing a final county decision.
Martel did not address the topic at length while Hart was at the speaker's podium Tuesday. Later in the meeting, he returned to the topic, but didn't respond to Hart's request to withdraw the letter.
"In my view, we have a difference of opinion," Martel said. "…One of the reasons I wrote the comments that I did was I wrote letters to Caltrans about making sure we get the mitigation for the highways. … I attended 18 different school board meetings to make sure that RMA was represented in the school. …"
He said the Mutual Benefit Agreement the RMA signed with developers is missing proper funding for the Escuela gate, the North Gate -- "all the things that we need to do." He added, "The intent of the letter was to make sure whatever projects that they (the county) approve or disapprove they consider mitigation costs and effects on the association."
The Murieta West proposal, which surfaced publicly last spring, was put together by Murietan John Sullivan. Representing a group of area land owners, Sullivan developed a plan for hundreds of homes outside the county's urban services boundary. He hopes to get the proposal included in the county's planning update for the coming 25 years. The county is still working on the update.
Said Martel at Tuesday's meeting, "Mr. Sullivan's proposal came before this board a couple times. He met with me, Paul Gumbinger, the general manager and with every board member individually. ... The difference in my opinion with the proposal for Murieta West was the Andersons (and other property owners) were involved with this community for over 30 years" -- and not outside developers.
Here is the full text of the letter:
The Rancho Murieta Association has been briefed by representatives of the Murieta West Planning Area about their development plans, and their interest in adding park land, open space and trail systems to Rancho Murieta. An important element of the proposed projects is the proponents desire to annex into the Rancho Murieta Association. As the homeowners association of record responsible for parks, recreation and maintenance, the Association supports the inclusion of the Murieta West Area properties and their projects in the environmental document associated with the current General Plan Update as it is forwarded to DERA.
The Association also supports the East County Visioning for major improvements and upgrades to Scott Road and Jackson Road (SR 16). As you know, a portion of the proposal for Murieta West includes transition properties between the current "Murieta Hills West and Murieta Hills" East projects currently being reviewed by the Board of Supervisors and the Sacramento Valley Conservancy properties to the north.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Respectfully,
Michael Martel, President
Rancho Murieta Association Board of Directors
There were at least four copies of the letter sent -- to Supervisor Don Nottoli, Planning Director Robert Sherry and two other planning officials.
Gumbinger, the previous board president, said Wednesday that he doesn't think the letter actually supports the project -- it only supports including the project in the county's environmental impact study for the general plan update. Gumbinger is recovering from surgery and did not attend Tuesday's meeting.
About the letter, he said, "There is absolutely nothing in support of the development. ... I don't think the board has to review every letter the president writes."
On Wednesday, General Manager David Stiffler said Martel talked with him before sending the letter to the county, but he didn't offer counsel.
"That's a board member's decision. … I try not to get involved in those particular things," Stiffler said.
Cable TV plan update
The RMA board approved the hire of a member of the Communications Committee to install equipment for the changeover to digital programming for cable TV. The changeover was supposed to take place in January but the equipment was delayed until this month.
Committee chair Mel Standart said Justin Jordan will take a leave of absence from the committee to work as a consultant and do the necessary installation work. He would return to the committee at the end of the $4,500 contract, Standart said.
Last year Jordan carried out a similar contract.
Resident John Weatherford protested hiring a committee member for a project that was developed by the committee, saying it constituted a conflict of interest and a "slippery slope" the association has been down before.
Martel disagreed, saying the situation was different from previous ones because the cable upgrade plan was already developed and had been approved by the board. The vote was 4-1 in favor of awarding the contract to Jordan. Director Bonita Jones voted against the motion.
A $25,000 contract for marketing new cable services wasn't discussed at the board meeting. The expense was included in the 2007 budget and the Communications Committee recommended the expenditure at its March meeting.
Director Chris Pedersen said the Finance Committee decided to table the request until the cable services are in place.
May is the new target date for the switchover to digital programming, Standart said.
Weatherford once again gave a presentation to the board on the cable system's failure to meet business plan expectations. Weatherford said the impact to the budget is now close to $10,000, and the loss of 10 to 12 premium channel subscribers a month since January is a trend.
He predicted more subscribers will leave when the premium channels switch from analog to digital.
Weatherford said his goal is to prepare "fellow shareholders" in the corporation for the possibility that the plan won't work.
Martel again described the cable operation as one of the few ways the RMA can generate revenue. Weatherford said he would be pleased to be proved wrong.
Expanding emergency radio coverage
The board approved expanding the existing no-charge lease for radio facilities at the RMA TV tower site on Stonehouse Road to improve emergency coverage for the community. Full radio coverage would eliminate "dead spots" that can cause emergency fire and police communications to be lost, the board was told by Patrick L. Groff of the county Office of Communications and Information Technology.
Planning for July 4
The board approved a contract for the fireworks show on the Fourth of July.
Martel said the Recreation Committee is giving consideration to charging for visitors' passes on the Fourth to pay for additional security on that day. Assistant General Manager Danise Hetland said it would be the board's decision.
