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School chief’s wife defends contracts with district

December 23, 2011

Julie Adams

By DANIEL BLACKBURN

Rancorous relations among factions in the Coast Unified School District (CUSD) fester after the wife of district Superintendent Chris Adams angrily and publicly derided “lies and accusations about our family that pervade our district and community and affect my daughters.”

Julie Adams made her comments in a blistering, 3,200-word email received late last week by CUSD parents and other Cambria-area residents. In it, she addressed allegations that Chris Adams has been funneling district funds to her and her father-in-law through contracts for electrical work and educational consulting.

She singled out people she believes to be responsible for “making time-consuming claims” about her and her husband at school board meetings. She said those people “are involved in PTA, Site Council, Boosters, etc….”

Also, the Adams were investigated recently by district-retained attorneys after the Adams’ children’s names showed up on a list of free lunch recipients. The form filled out by Julie Adams reported their combined monthly income to be more than $26,000, but the subsequent investigation revealed no purposeful wrongdoing.

The probe was conducted by attorney Roman Munoz of the Sacramento law firm Kronick Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard, which has represented the district since 2007.

In her tersely-worded email, Julie Adams wrote, “A small group of people who have nothing better to do on Thursday evenings, at least until karaoke starts, have made it their entertainment fodder to attend board meetings and make time-consuming claims and then perpetuate the falsities at school events or elsewhere.”

Julie Adams noted in the communication that she wrote and distributed the email without her husband’s prior knowledge or approval.

While turmoil between parents and school officials is hardly uncommon, the current atmosphere at CUSD — which one parent described as “fetid” —  may have been preordained from the start of her husband’s tenure as superintendent. Julie Adams wrote in her email, “When I moved to Cambria three years ago, many told me… to be careful in my dealings with a few people.”

Speakers at board meetings have complained that Julie Adams has been profiting from the school district through her educational consulting firm. Others pointed out that Larry’s Lighting, owned by Chris Adams’ father and located in Redding, has been receiving no-bid contract work from the CUSD since 2009.

Asked about these family-related deals, both Chris and Julie Adams referred CalCoastNews to attorney Munoz.

In response to Public Records Act requests spanning three months, Munoz eventually provided documentation showing that both Julie Adams and Larry Adams have received payments from the district.

According to those documents, Larry’s Lighting was paid $21,479.09 from 2009-2011. During the same period, payments to each of the other electrical companies previously used by the district either stopped or steadily declined after 2009.

Gary Gowdy’s company was one of those; contracts from the district for his electrical services totaled $10,787.28 during the same period but decreased to virtually zero once Larry’s Lighting made the CUSD payroll.

At one meeting in 2010, district trustees agreed they had no problem with the Adams-to-Adams arrangement, that Larry’s Lighting was “saving” them money, that his work was satisfactory, and that they did not perceive nepotism to be a factor in any way.

Julie Adams owns Adams Educational Consulting. In 2009, just months after her husband was hired as superintendent, a group called the California League of High Schools (CLHS) contracted with the CUSD to conduct a three-day “Content Area Literacy Boot Camp” and several other teachers’ seminars for $21,900.

Munoz said the services provided by Julie Adams to the district “on behalf of the California League of High Schools… are considered a ‘remote interest’ under California’s conflict of interest statute.” Therefore, he added, the district “is permitted to contract for services with… Julie Adams.”

Callers to the telephone number in Long Beach provided by CLHS are informed by recorded message that they have reached “Julie Adams with Adams Educational Consulting.”

Munoz said no additional district funds have been paid to Julie Adams or to groups associated with her or her consulting company since last year.

“Our office is informed that the district has not made payments to CLMS for consulting services since early 2010,” wrote Munoz in an email.

But despite her reluctance to talk to reporters about her district business, Julie Adams did discuss the issue… briefly… in her widely-distributed email.

“Another misconception I would like to address,” she wrote, “is that I am on the district’s payroll and that my firm, Adams Educational Consulting, has made over $100,000 in consulting fees over the past three years from Coast Unified. Not true. I have gladly donated over $40,000 to CUSD in teacher trainings, materials, instructional coaching, and curriculum development and taught a portion of summer school for free.”

Then there is the curious case of the letter to the editor that appeared in The Cambrian earlier this month, ostensibly from a man named “Pedro Garcia.”

At least, that is the name that appeared in the newspaper under a letter containing naked praise for the district’s superintendent, Chris Adams.

The letter, in part, read: “The Hispanic community respects and appreciates all that Superintendent Adams, the school board, the principals, counselors and teachers do to meet our students’ and families’ needs. Coast Unified does far more for our children than other districts our families have been a part of.”

Efforts by parents of school children in the CUSD to locate anyone in the area named “Pedro Garcia” bore no fruit. The typed and faxed letter was sent to the newspaper without an address or contact telephone number, but was published nonetheless.

The telephone number from which the fax originated was imprinted on the transmission copy: it’s a Redding number last assigned to Chris Adams.

The “Garcia letter” took to task a parent who has criticized district administration, Lee Chamberlain.

Coincidentally, Chamberlain’s name came up in the Julie Adams email, too, when she detailed what she called his “inaccuracies” in a recent newspaper opinion piece. In her email commentary, Julie Adams mentioned the very same program praised by “Pedro Garcia” in the letter to The Cambrian, ELAC/DELAC (which provides for second language parent advocacy meetings).

Document: Julie Adams  Subject: A Parent’s Perspective
JulieAdams Letter Sd


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I have to say I am appalled at the detritus some of you are spreading. None of the accusations are substantiated with factual information. Haven’t you any thing better to do than to try and tarnish someone’s reputation? There are a lot of needs in our community, couldn’t you put just a small fraction of the effort you spend spreading negative gossip towards something positive for your neighbor. How has this family wronged or offended you that you need to be so destructive? There is no cover-up, conspiracy or corruption. The school board who approves, oversees and is ultimately responsible is made up of very competent and community minded folks that have been elected by the large majority. I know each person you are trying to bring down personally. The folks you are accusing are trying to get on with the job they have been given: that is to benefit the children in the school district. What is your agenda besides destruction? I don’t agree with all the decisions they make, but I do know they have the best in mind for the children. I can’t say that about the bunch of you. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. If you can’t be constructive with your criticisms, then maybe you should keep it shut.

I also am disappointed with Cal Coast News for fostering this dissention. I have seen various news organizations come and go over the many years I have been on the Central Coast. You too will be gone soon if you don’t get some integrity. In the long run it does matter how you play the game.


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Truthiness147- I would find it hard to believe that at this moment you have a child in this sch. district. If you don’t then you are not a parent being deceived by these two. We do have lots to do here, it’s our job as involved parents, “the back bone” of the schools (as Diane Brooks puts it) to raise our voices when we are being mislead by Mr Adams with the help of his wife. That’s great that you know the board personally, have you asked them why Chris made up this bogus Pedro Garcia? We are not bringing this family down, they have done a pretty good job of doing that themselves. We are just APPALLED that he thinks we are idiots not to call him out on it. We will not shut up now! Get informed by the people that are NOT being snowed by them.


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Everyone in Cambria and half the people in Paso already know about the problems with the Supt. and his wife.


I would be so bold as to suggest to Cambria that they stop offering such high salaries for their top employees. They are getting people who are there to collect the money and further their careers, not people who are tied to the area and want the best for Cambria.


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I agree with everything you say, Citizen, except I would like to add this.


People are people. There are no geographical boundaries on scam artists. People who live in Cambria are just as likely as people who come from whatever hellhole the Adams came from to put their own best interests ahead of the school district’s best interests. Even if it hurts the school and they have children attending the school. Self-serving people can always make up an excuse for what they are doing.


Anybody who has watched politics for, oh, 5 minutes or so, knows that.


Even ethical people–they change over time if they have access to power and financial windfalls.


Term limits, anyone?


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I think Pedro Garcia’s name should be changed to “Pedro Detritus Garcia” on the next fax.


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A note to Julie Adams:


You claim that people are making accusations against you at Board Meetings during public comment where the Superintendent and School Board are not allowed to respond because of “Brown Act” Guidelines. You ask what is their intent since they are making these false allegations in settings that do not allow for a response.


Pssssssstt. The Brown Act does not prohibit any of the Board from replying to any of the citizens concerns, statements, questions or topics that are addressed during public comment. Any board member may address any item that is shared during public comment. They may ask staff to answer the question, they may decide to agendize the item for future discussion and possibly inquire with specialists/experts, they may know the answer and simply offer clarifications, they are free to respond as they believe is necessary be it one member or every member. The Superintendent is also free to speak up (with approval from the board) and state that he has voluntarily foregone his 5% cola raise this year, in fact it would be good for him to announce something like that if it’s true and if he didn’t receive additional compensation in the form of veiled benefits.


The Brown Act was enacted to achieve the opposite of what you seem to believe. The Brown Act requires that public business must be conducted in a public forum. No decisions or discussions involving the public’s business (that will be put to a vote) are allowed to be discussed by a quorum of elected officials outside the public view, unless it involves litigation. Then they must announce the date and time of the closed door session, state the reason and who is involved. Employee’s performance reviews are of course confidential but you’re a contractor so there is no problem discussing your actions in public as they relate to the public’s business or concerns.


I don’t know why they (the board) don’t respond to your detractors comments or questions, perhaps they don’t know what to say about it . As for your complaints about letters to the newspapers, you’re certainly free to respond IN YOUR OWN NAME.


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It seems the Brown Act is only cited when convienent. At a recent board meeting, a person questioning the board was actually told by a board member “you are asking these questions when you know we cannot reply”. Yet, when another person called Mr. Adams actions into question…he (Adams) was “allowed” to reply. This was not the case with our previous superintendent. It really makes the public wonder what is being hidden from us. Anytime a question is asked about money or test scores…Mr. Adams tells us “how complicated it is” and how he will try and “explain it in a simple fashion” so that we can understand it. This is usually followed by a 40-75 page power point presentation, hoping we will lose our focus and forget the original questions asked. We keep waiting for the board to wake up and take some responsibility for this mess we are in.


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It seems the Cambria school board and the Oceano wastewater treatment plant have quite a few things in common, one of which is that they use the Brown Act as toiletpaper.


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cmbrian, I think it is terrible what Cambrians are having to go through with their local schools and school district. Props to you all for not giving up, and staying the course.


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These nice folks must have taken a lesson from the Cal Valley CSD. They changed the time of the public meeting so that the few working property owners cannot be there. They refuse to answer any questions under the ‘Brown Act’ because their attorneys (Shipsey & Seitz) have advised them to. They have changed the forum of the public meetings, illegally. They do all kinds of things that violate black letter law, and the D.A. just smirks.

Your comment, ” they (the board) don’t respond to your detractors comments or questions” is spot on. In the case of Cal Valley, its the constant graft by our ‘elected’ officials, and the complete lack of oversight or enforcement by our county and state government. Everything in California Valley, from the Post Office to the the Food Bank, is fraught with graft & malfeasance stemming from the Board of Directors of the corrupt community, and this county looks the other way.


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Really, the similarities between the folks who run the SSLOCSD and the Cambria school board are very obvious. [[INSERT OWN PUNCHLINE HERE]]


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“…you’re certainly free to respond IN YOUR OWN NAME.”


I think she has the Maria Kelly syndrome: wants to submit multiple letters using different author names, but isn’t clever enough to carry it off.


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A note to Julie Adams:


You claim that people are making accusations against you at Board Meetings during public comment where the Superintendent and School Board are not allowed to respond because of “Brown Act” Guidelines. You ask what is their intent since they are making these false allegations in settings that do not allow for a response.


Pssssssstt. The Brown Act does not prohibit any of the Board from replying to any of the citizens concerns, statements, questions or topics that are addressed during public comment. Any board member may address any item that is shared during public comment. They may ask staff to answer the question, they may decide to agendize the item for future discussion and possibly inquire with specialists/experts, they may know the answer and simply offer clarifications, they are free to respond as they believe is necessary be it one member or every member.


The Brown Act was enacted to achieve the opposite of what you seem to believe. The Brown Act requires that public business and discussion must be conducted in a public forum. No decisions or discussions involving the public’s business are allowed to be discussed by more than two elected officials outside of public view, unless it involves litigation. Then they must announce the date and time of the closed door session, state the reason and who is involved. Employee’s performance reviews are of course confidential but you’re a contractor so there is no problem discussing your actions in public as they relate to the public’s business or concerns.


I don’t know why they (the board) don’t respond to your detractors or their comments, perhaps they don’t know what to say.


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The people with all the angnst up here are the people involved! To imply that they don’t have anything better to do is pedantic. We spend a large majority of our time raising money for this district to pay for things they can’t supply. The reason we are unhappy is because we are involved and have to watch this crap. I wish I could tell you the story of Mrs. Adams painting her daughter’s jr high locker bright pink…she says she didn’t know better, just like she didn’t know you couldn’t send a fraudulent letter to the local paper. Really!?

We deserve better.

The Tribune needs to act like a periodical and not the school district’s newsletter.

Bill Morem…can you hear me? I am calling you out. Are you a newsman? Have you spent your life in the news business to be duped in the end by this crap? Make it right! Try investigating, leave the ad sells to the sales department.


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“I wish I could tell you the story of Mrs. Adams painting her daughter’s jr high locker bright pink…she says she didn’t know better”


You’re not serious? This is something that a young child would do. Even the jr high students know better than to paint school property. The locker is on loan, now they will forever have to be certain that it goes to a girl. No doubt the pink locker gets plenty of attention and SCREAMS…..I”M SPECIAL.


It would appear that this woman is lacking in plain common sense, particularly when it comes to considering the possible consequences of her actions. Between sending an accusatory, plaintive, self serving (with plenty of condescending remarks) e-mail to the families in the CUSD and the nonsensical excuse for filling out FREE LUNCH applications (that accidentally end up in the qualify pile) and the Pedro Garcia faux pas, what else is one to think except that she is a reactionary “dunderhead”. Actually, after that hot pink locker episode, I’d say she has a screw loose. Is it any wonder that her daughters are having problems? She would do well to take a close look at herself and seek some psychiatric counseling rather than write contentious e-mails blaming everyone else. Sorry to be so blunt but the pink locker is just way too telling……..


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While complaining about this mess in Cambria……………

Evidently none of you have been following the saga at the South County Sanitation District.

Wallace was not only getting $80K per month as the ‘leader’, but, with the aid of his cohorts was able to by pass any outside bids and award his company the contracts for any work necessary to be done at the SCSD plant.

Isn’t it wonderful to live in an area where everyone in authority is so intertwined that justice for the perpurators of wrong doings seems impossible to accomplish.

$26,000 a month and her kids are getting free lunches. Please….. Whoever awarded that injustice should be relieved of his duties.


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Julie Adams letter is a clear attempt to pass the blame for her own conflict-of-interest-laden deal wiht the district (through her husband, the superintendent) on to ANYONE and EVERYONE else….even the mythical (but so of-the-people-sounding) Pedro Gomez.


From Julie Adams’ point of view, although she fraudulently broke state conflict of interest regulations, she did nothing wrong…it is the people who are criticizing her about it who are wrong for criticizing her. And why are they wrong? Because the are old-timer Cambrians, because they belong to certain school-supporting groups, and other issues which have nothing to do with Julie Adams breaking state conflict-of-interest regulations. It doesn’t matter who is doing the criticism…it is the validity of the criticism that is pertinent. And after the Adams pulled their Pedro Gomez stunt, I don’t believe they are credible, nor do I believe they can be trusted.


In JulieLand (like Disneyland, except more childish), Cambria citizens who take the time to attend school board meetings, where they can have 3 minutes to air their concerns to the board, the citizens are wrong for doing it. She believes they should talk to her about her lack of ethics and contract-by-sleeping-with-the-superintendent conflicts of interest.


Really? When Charles Manson was ID’d as a strong possibility for being the mastermind of the Tate-Labianca murders, should outraged citizens gone to talk to Manson about it? Or would approaching the governing body in charge of dealing with Manson’s crimes be a better, more effective approach?


It makes no sense to go to the perp to discuss the perp’s transgressions/crimes, especially when the perp has made it very clear they think everyone else in the world are responsible for the mess they’ve created by their lack of honesty and ethics, which resulted in them breaking California State Code regulations on conflicts of interest.


Enough of Julie Adams’ attempts at blame-shifting. We need to get the state auditor in to do a REAL investigation. I don’t think Cambrians should have to deal with her nonsense anymore.


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For three years we have been watching this superintendent and his wife rise to the fame of disgracing themselves. It has affected our community, our teachers, staff, and our children. He is the first superintendent that has cost our district so much money to help defend him from all the crap he gets himself into. His lies, cheats, and bulling is why “this small group of parents” (as his wife puts it) calls him out on, it’s not because they have nothing better to do, it’s because they are the group of parents that are on top of what’s going on in our district. Every community has them. They are the one’s that ask the questions, they are the one’s that are involve in the community and especially in all the campuses, they are the one’s that are in PTA, Boosters, Site Council, Coaching, they are the fundraisers, they are the ones that volunteer in the schools, attend school board meetings when need to, they are the one’s that are the movers and shakers, they are the executers of it all, cause if they don’t, who will. This small group of parents, past and present have pave the way for other parents to step up and help volunteer in the years to come in all the aspects to make our schools and community succeed. Not to mention all the teachers and staff. Our schools are so lucky to have such a great vast parent support. It’s great for the success of our children.


Mrs. Adams allegations that these parent have nothing better to do then to air out their concerns at board meeting, really? Where else are we supposed to do that? That is WHY there is such a thing as School Board Meetings. They are NOT just for the board members to discuss issues amongst themselves. But, unfortunately because these two (the Adam’s) have brought so much controversy, is why we question them/him. I am not going to sit here and name every single negative issue that he has created, to the point that attorneys have to be hire to defend him, way too many. But this latest outrage has really gone too far. Their cry for supporters stooped so low that they had to create a bogus person to help support their desperate need to be deceiving. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, let me catch you up.


In the continue struggle to put down the lid on a out spoken parent regarding questions of meetings not being held for ELAC, (a Latino parent group) the Adams decided to create a faults Latino parent, yes, “a fake person”. They named him Pedro Garcia, to come to their defense. Really? So, this parent wrote a letter to the editor and the Cambrian (without verifying its validity) published it. If you have lived in Cambria for more then ten years and are involve in the schools and the community in a town where the population is approx 6000, YOU KNOW PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE! And if you don’t, you’re not far from knowing someone that does. So, the Cambrian was very much in caring to share the copy of this letter that was faxed in. So, the header on the top reads ” Dec 09 11 09:28a Chris and Julie (XXX) XXX-XXXX” ( at this moment I won’t type out the #) so with some PI’s involved it was found out that the number belongs to the Adam’s in Redding Ca. (they still have their Consulting Co. there and family). The Cambrian informed us that they did contact the Adams to question if they indeed fax this letter; they denied doing so and claimed they had been out of town on that date. Things that make you go… hummm…. How could this happen? How did this happen? Who did it?

Did Pedro Garcia give the Adams the letter to have them fax it? Or did Pedro Garcia get educated in some real grate school that taught him how to write so flawlessly? Or did the Adams help him write it? But, how will they deny any involvement- this time?


Furthermore, has Pedro Garcia really been reading all the “View Point” articles going back and forth from the parent, board member and the superintendent himself? Has Pedro Garcia attended Board meeting to be informed of the situation in question that he speaks of and comes to the defense of the superintendent? Did Pedro Garcia sign in as an attending parent of one of the ELAC meetings and there is proof that he was there? And who is Pedro Garcia’s children or child? Will Pedro Garcia show up at our next board meeting? ELAC meeting? NO, cause he does not exists! It’s all NO, to the above questions, they HAVE been verified!


Mr. Adams, you HAVE done some good things in our district and schools. But now your deception has out weighed the good. Why are you not focus on continuing that? You and your wife have in fact become the exact description of the people your wife labeled as “the small group of parents”. You HAVE better things to do. Focus on the good.


Did the Adams think for one minute that the header would reveal their name? Did they ever think the Cambrian would make a copy of the fax and give it to the parent that was investigating the letter in question, simply because they ARE Latino and wanted to meet Pedro Garcia to let him know that Mr. Chamberlain is in favor and is just asking question regarding the program that services the Latinos parents.

I don’t think this time the Adams thought about executing this LIE all the way through with out getting caught. I don’t know how they are going to explain this one, I am sure the lawyers are helping them scramble for a good answer. How will the Adams explain this one? And how much will this cost the district? Again! It is our right to ask questions, IT IS OUR RIGHT!


Ask yourself this; if you know something is going wrong, wouldn’t you question it? This is Mr. Adams first superintendent job, he is a rookie. Cambria, we were his guinea pigs. And he failed as a leader for our schools. And this is why there has been SO much controversy with parent (the movers and shakers) and the superintendent. These district board members (some of them) have not done us justice; they have not served us, our teachers, staff or our children. First time in the history of my 23 years of living here and being involved have I come across such bureaucracy. He has created so much corruption in just THREE years. What the heck? Julie Adams has not been involved in any organization to date, with a smile. How can she question those that do? Who is she to question anyone? I dare you. We have worked our butts of for our schools for you to just come here to pass judgment. That is so UNGODLY and last time I checked, God does NOT judge anyone or anything. Shame on you!

Adams family, your integrity and trust is lost and gone, move on. You are destroying your reputation and resumes.


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Mr. Adams is a rookie and we are definitly his guinea pigs. What is interesting is CUSD paid a lot of money for a search team to find this gem for us! Plus, he does not have a Ph,D, but gets paid as though he does. Maybe we can pay for him to go to school and get his doctorate before he moves on??


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Dan, you can do better than this. Your article raises legitimate issues about the possibility that nepotism played a role in assigning contracts for services to the superintendent’s wife. You raise legitimate issues about the possibility that a no-bid contract for services of a specified amount may be a conflict of interest. But under what code? You should have asked Munoz this. (Although you’ve got a rat’s ass in Hell of getting free code citations from the lawyer who works for the district you’re investigating….)


Anyhooo….I’m just the critic, not the JOURNALIST who broke a major fraud scandal in the real estate industry and probably used the Fair Political Practices Act as his pillow for a year.


Somewhere in the Education Code, as well as the “Public Contracts Code” ( is there really a Public Contracts Code, Santa?…), if you want to spend a month looking for it, there may be a specific section of law which tells you what degree of relationship the person receiving a financial benefit must have to the person awarding the contract, BEFORE that relationship becomes a conflict of interest. So, what is that degree of relationship? Which section of the law points that out? And what is the power of each player–the contractor and the person awarding the contract–to affect the money being exchanged?


As for Cambria politics, don’t get me started. There are two things you can do in Cambria, regardless of your economic class: you can play power politics by character assassination; or you can drink. And if you live there long enough, one or the other of these will get you. The one that doesn’t make you a victim, will make you. Get it?


The Gowdys have been in Cambria for a long time, if memory serves me right, and if they lost their contract with the school district, no doubt they are hurting. But I doubt they are hiding in their lair and licking their wounds. They are fighting back. And while this particular battle is personal, and both families economic security is at stake, the problem is, there is an overabundance of nasty, sniping, scandal mongering between people who have NO stake in the contract, and who probably don’t even have kids that go to school there anymore.


Be brave, Dan. Dive in, head first, and bring back that pearl. Bring back the exact code section which describes the degree of familial relationship in this contract situation which is the section the parties to the contract must adhere to. What are the obligations of disclosure for each party?


In other words, put up or…….


Since it’s Christmas Eve for God’s sake, and I sure as Hell am not going to plow through the Codes today, I will hit two birds with one stone by proferring some information about lawyers and judges, and what constitutes “conflict of interest,” for them when money is involved. You can extrapolate from there, until you FIND THAT CITE TO THE FACTS IMPLIED BY YOUR ARTICLE. Here goes:


Attorney Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.7:

A conflict of interest between a lawyer and client occurs if the representation of one or more clients “will be materially limited by the lawyer’s responsibilities to another client…by a personal interest of the lawyer.”


This, from the ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct, regarding judges:


Canon 3 (2007 ed.):

“A judge shall disqualify…herself in a proceeding in which the impartiality of the judge might reasonably be questioned, including but not limited to instances where…”

“(c) the judge knows that he…or the judge’s spouse, parent or child…or any member of the judge’s family residing in the judge’s household, has an economic interest in the subject matter…or in a party the proceeding, or has more than…de minimus interest that could be substantially affected by the proceeding….”


And it doesn’t stop there. In fact, it gets so convoluted, it reads like the Book of Genesis with all the degrees of relationship, and the relationship to the spouses of the relatives, third parties, and their relatives, etc., etc.


I expect most rules and regulations to read the same way when the law attempts to keep contracts and the bidding process from becoming corrupt, rather than fair, equal and open. Regardless of what forum you are in, whether it is law, or education, or real estate, there is a specific code section which applies to just this situation.


So, where is this standard by which you are judging the awarding of the contract to a business of which the wife of the superintendent is an owner or member? If the turkey dinner doesn’t put you into a coma, looking for that section of the regulations will. But YOU brought it up, and YOU should find it, BEFORE you suggest that some illegal act has been committed. Okay?


Okay!


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Would Pedro Garcia please step forward?!


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oto,


THE HELL WITH COMPLICATED CODES!


Deducing it to the irreducible primary, is the fact, that can you spell “N-e-p-o-t-i-s-m” and “C-o-l-l-u-s-i-o-n” that is blatantly referenced in many ways within this article? Sure we can!


Are these acts mentioned above ever correct under any circumstances when you’re a part of the hierarchy, as in the case of the “Adam’s Family?” (Sorry Dan, I had another opportunity to use that reference) Ethically, no they are not!


No, we don’t need any stupid codes, but just the fact of “collusion” and “nepotism” that inundate this story to the point of ad nauseam will do just fine, thankyouverymuch!


If you reference the bible again to show that things can be convoluted, as you did with the book of Genesis, barring the TWO CONTRADICTING CREATION NARRATIVES WITHIN, I would suggest that you use the book of Revelations! This book is more apropos to being the most convoluted book within the bible, bar none! You’re welcome.


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QUOTING OTO: “Since it’s Christmas Eve for God’s sake, and I sure as Hell am not going to plow through the Codes today, I will hit two birds with one stone by proferring some information about lawyers and judges, and what constitutes “conflict of interest,” for them when money is involved. You can extrapolate from there, until you FIND THAT CITE TO THE FACTS IMPLIED BY YOUR ARTICLE. Here goes:”


What the heII does conflict-of-interest codes for lawyers and judges have to do with the contractor wife and contractor husband of Cambria school superintendent, Chris Adams? You can’t extrapolate codes for judges and lawyers and apply them to first-degree relatives (son and wife) of Chris Adams.


Following a scandal occurring a couple of years ago in SLO County’s Public Works Department, SLO County adopted a conflict of interest code “patterned after the state Government Code. Both require financial disclosures by elected and appointed county officials and specific employees. The state code prohibits county employees from benefiting from any contract approved by his or her department.”


The state code (87300-87313) can be found at:

http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/cacode/GOV/1/9/7/3/s87302


I believe all lesser governing/administration bodies are required to have codes that are at least as stringent as the state’s code.


Since the Cambria School District has shown itself incompetent to investigate its own malfeasance, fortunately, we can now more easily turn to the State to investigate. Starting 1/1/2011, the state auditor has broad new powers to investigate the misuse of taxpayer funds by cities and counties, signing legislation in response to the City of Bell financial scandal.


The measure, AB 187, allows the auditor to independently launch an examination of local government agencies, including special districts, to determine whether they are at risk of fraud, waste or mismanagement.


The state auditor has a program to identify government programs with a high risk of fraud or waste, but the law has limited it to state agencies. Previous to the enactment of AB 187, the state auditor could only investigate the finances of local agencies if directed to by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.


Subchapter 5. State Board of

Education — Conflict of Interest Code


§ 1 8600. General Provisions.


The Political Reform Act, Government Code Sections 81000, et seq.,

requires state and local government agencies to adopt and promulgate

Conflict of Interest Codes. The Fair Political Practices Commission has

adopted a regulafion, 2 Cal. Code of Regulations Section 1 8730, which

contains the terms of a standard Conflict of Interest Code, which can be

incorporated by reference, and which may be amended by the Fair Politi-

cal Practices Commission to conform to amendments in the Polidcal Re-

form Act after public notice and hearings. Therefore, the terms of 2 Cal.

Code of Regulations Secfion 18730 and any amendments to it duly

adopted by the Fair Polifical Pracfices Commission, along with the at-

tached Appendix in which officials and employees are designated and

disclosure categories are set forth, are hereby incorporated by reference

and constitute the Conflict of Interest Code of the State Board of Educa-

fion, except as provided below.

Designated employees shall file statements of economic interests with

the agency. Upon receipt of the statements of members of the board, the

agency shall make and retain a copy and forward the original of these

statements to the Fair Polifical Pracfices Commission.

EXCEPTION: As provided in 2 Cal. Code of Regulations Secfion 18730(b)(1), the

definitions contained in the Political Reform Act of 1974 shall apply to the terms

used in this Code except that neither the term “investment” nor the term “business

entity” shall operate to exclude any private school in California, whether or not

such school is operated for profit.

NOTE; Authority cited: Sections 87300, 87304 and 87306, Government Code.

Reference: Secfions 87300 et seq.. Government Code.


——————


http://sgc.ca.gov/docs/cof/CaliforniaGovernmentCode87300-87313.pdf

CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODES 87300-87313


87300. Every agency shall adopt and promulgate a Conflict of

Interest Code pursuant to the provisions of this article. A Conflict

of Interest Code shall have the force of law and any violation of a

Conflict of Interest Code by a designated employee shall be deemed a

violation of this chapter.

87301. It is the policy of this act that Conflict of Interest Codes

shall be formulated at the most decentralized level possible, but

without precluding intra-departmental review. Any question of the

level of a department which should be deemed an “agency” for purposes

of Section 87300 shall be resolved by the code reviewing body.

87302. Each Conflict of Interest Code shall contain the following

provisions:

(a) Specific enumeration of the positions within the agency, other

than those specified in Section 87200, which involve the making or

participation in the making of decisions which may foreseeably have a

material effect on any financial interest and for each such

enumerated position, the specific types of investments, business

positions, interests in real property, and sources of income which

are reportable. An investment, business position, interest in real

property, or source of income shall be made reportable by the

Conflict of Interest Code if the business entity in which the

investment or business position is held, the interest in real

property, or the income or source of income may foreseeably be

affected materially by any decision made or participated in by the

designated employee by virtue of his or her position…….

…..(c) Specific provisions setting forth any circumstances under

which designated employees or categories of designated employees must

disqualify themselves from making, participating in the making, or

using their official position to influence the making of any

decision. Disqualification shall be required by the Conflict of

Interest Code when the designated employee has a financial interest

as defined in Section 87103, which it is reasonably foreseeable may

be affected materially by the decision. (continued)


——————


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All you have to do is go to the California State Attorney General’s office and look up conflict of interest for public officials. Then write or email and see if a Superintendent of Schools is covered under this law.


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Citizen,

That’s my point: It’s the nature of the entity that determines what code you look at. MM’s blog gives general information about “conflicts of interest,” but it too, has nothing to do with the Cambria situation.


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http://ag.ca.gov/publications/coi.pdf


STATE OF CALIFORNIA CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Page 17


———-

BEGIN QUOTE:

———-


C.Step 1: Is a Public Official Involved?The Act applies to “public officials.” (§ 87100.) As that term is used in the Act, itencompasses not only elected and appointed officials in the ordinary sense of the word, but alsoany “member, officer, employee or consultant of a state or local government agency,” including“other public officials who manage public investments.” (§ 82048; Regulation, § 18701, subd.(b)(1).)2Virtually all officers and employees at every level of state and local government arecovered, including officials of all special purpose districts in the state. The definition of “publicofficial” also encompasses non-employees who are “consultants” because they perform certainduties much like employees. (Regulation, § 18701, subd. (a)(2).) However, judges and certainother judicial officials and the State Bar are expressly excluded from the disqualificationprovisions of the Act, although economic disclosure provisions are applicable to judges and courtcommissioners. (§§ 82048 & 87200; see Chapter III for additional information on the economicdisclosure requirements.)The terms “officer” or “employee” have their ordinary meaning under state law, but theFPPC has specifically defined the terms “member” and “consultant.”


—————

END OF QUOTE

—————


In other words, yes, school superintendents are covered.


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Ummm let me get this straight, Mrs. Adams has issues with citizens/parents/employees of Cambria coming to a board meeting and voicing their concerns? If this cannot be done at a board meeting, can she please direct us to the appropriate venue? I was under the impression that school board meetings are open to the public, with a public hearing section on the agenda, that allows anyone to speak on a topic that is not on the agenda.


Also, Pedro Garcia, if you are out there, could you please chime in on this whole situation??


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EXACTLY. The chance for the public to address the board at meetings is specifically for citizens to bring to the board concerns, and present them in a public venue.


Julie Adams’ idea that it is somehow wrong for citizens to exercise this right is patently absurd, as her assertion that it is wrong because she can’t publicly address them in that venue because of the Brown Act.


Well, excuse me, but she is full of you-know-what. She doesn’t sit on the board. She wouldn’t be able to address a citizen’s complaints to the board, anyway, because she isn’t on the board.


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