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Solomon out as Paso Robles chief

March 20, 2012

Lisa Solomon

By DANIEL BLACKBURN

Lisa Solomon has stepped down as chief of police of Paso Robles following a tumultuous two months of relentless accusations by her own officers of sexual misconduct.

An agreement between her and the city calls for payment “within five days” of a lump sum to her in the amount of $250,000.

City Attorney Iris Ping Yang read a brief statement following a 40-minute closed session that was held after the city council’s regular meeting, acknowledging the separation. Council members left without comment.

Solomon termed her action “early retirement” and in a letter to the council blasted what she called “recent attacks on my character by unscrupulous media sources and self-serving individuals.”

CalCoastNews reported in late January that Solomon was being accused of sexually touching at least four of her officers in social situations, often in front of other sworn police personnel. Since then, other allegations from current and former officers have surfaced.

Solomon said public comment “has reached a level of indecency so great, I will no longer subject myself, my family, or my colleagues, to such invasions of privacy.”

City Manager Jim App praised Solomon after the meeting, calling her “a great asset” to the city and “a dedicated public servant.” He said he was personally distressed by Solomon’s departure.

“She has been a big part of this city for 24 years,” he said. His comments were the first regarding Solomon since the scandal broke.

Several officers told CalCoastNews Solomon emailed her former staff and said she had elected to take an early retirement. However, the officers said she is not able to collect her retirement for seven years and this is not early retirement.

Solomon’s last official day will be April 2, but she has effectively left her post and will not return. Her city-paid health benefits will cease on that day.

Capt. Robert Burton will act as interim chief until a search for a new chief can be completed.

The agreement with the city reads in part, “(Solomon) desires to leave employment, due to recent events which she believes, through no fault of either party, have caused damage to her reputation and other adverse effects.”

As part of her release, Solomon has agreed not to sue the city for any reason.


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Why is it that cities and corporations pay employees who are fired for misdeeds? Fired is supposed to be punishment for f—ing up, not a winning lottery ticket! How much more is the city going to pay out to the officers who where abused? They shouldn’t have given her a dime.


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…or have the amounts that the city has to pay out to the officers come directly out of the money paid to her…


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Careful. City of Morro Bay is looking for a new chief, and their council is likewise incompetent.


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I hear Arroyo Grande may be as well!


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Hey! Not AG. Ferraro is bad enough.


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So are these cops going to sue the city over the sexual harassment allegations and the ticket quota thing?


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I had to laugh when Paso’s attorney Yang aka “Potsticker”? told KSBY’s Nancy Chen she expected better from her when Chen made and honest mistake and mispronounced Yang name. Got news for you Yang, you coulden’t have said it better regarding your job performance as an attorney.

Now off to go fondle my coworkers boobs, them new Ferrari’s are sure slick.


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This development is proof of the effectiveness of the voice of the people. Lisa Solomon is just one of many that needs to be relieved of their duty. Let’s keep this momentum going. Jim App, Iris Yang, Duane Picanco and the City Council? You are all next. You have proven to be self-serving and a liability to the city and it’s people.


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Do you guys have candidates to replace them?


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Giving solomon $250,000 is just another a criminal act in itself.

Another example of the fleecing of the city coffers by this inept city council.


Having to listen to app (who himself has less credibility as a city employee than solomon) about the virtues of our (ex) chief of police is a continued insult to the intelligence of everybody in our city. app is just as responsible for this black eye to our city and should be dealt with in the same manor.


I just wish this event had happened a little closer to election time, so the hiring of the new chief of police could be made by our new city council and city manager.( I know, that is assuming we actually act at election time). The next police chief will always be suspect in my mind if this existing group of pin heads choose the next chief.


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Looks like the “Fat Lady” finally “Sang”!!!


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You are absolutely correct, if Mr. App is still the City Manager in the recruiting process we have gained nothing. He will still pick another pinhead that he can control – just look at all the losers working as managers now. An IT Manager that would agree to dispose of emails after 3 months, a Human Resource Manager that keeps track of who attends employee negotiations and provides it to Mr. App, a Planning Manager that allows Mr. App and the Council to provide favorites to their cronies and the mess that Mr. Apps and Public Works have cost this City. Do we even want to talk about Ms.Yang, the right hand of Mr. App’s in all this wrongdoing. Fire all the pinheads, starting with Mr. Apps, then elect a new mayor and council, and just start over. My God, what a mess!


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They can say all they want about how she came to them and quit because of the stress or whatever. Don’t believe a word of it. All the city is trying to do is cover their ass. Why would ANY employer give you 250k because you quit? What grounds could she sue the city on? The city never made any allegations towards her. I am sorry, but the lazy ass doesn’t deserve a dime. The true story is the city fired her and gave her severance pay. They made up this story just to make it sound like feel sorry for Lisa. I call bs Mr. App. You are next with you union spying emails.


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Yo Standup: ref your question “Why would ANY employer give you 250k because you quit?”


My guess is that the lovely meter maid has the juice in form of saved emails (you know ..the ones that are now missing). Plus she probably has pictures and videos and other goodies that point to one giant hot tub of misdeeds. i bet that the grant money she got with dummied up crime stats was something that App had his finger in and that the Council welcomed with open arms.


So that said, its all the reason to load her plate with 250, 000 green backs and send her down the yellow brick road


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Let’s make a clean sweep of the city council and get rid of App now. My thanks to the excellent reporting by this publication.


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remember those old car derbies where all the cars would drive backwards and try and smash up every other car and last car still moving won?


It’s what comes to mind when I think of politics and government in North County.


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You’re being too kind.


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