Front Page  »  

Supervisor scolded for ignoring the public

March 29, 2012

As part of her public comment, Julie Tacker scolded San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill for utilizing his electronic pad  instead of focusing on public speakers during open public comment. Several attendees have recently complained about Hill’s lack of attentiveness to the public while texting and using a tablet during comment periods. Supervisor Frank Mecham said in an email to Tacker that he finds it rude to be texting on cell phones when someone is speaking.

Adam Hill during public comment


Loading...
Subjects:
Related:


134 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

As any politician knows, and any good mother will suggest, there ARE plenty of people who SHOULD be ignored for good reason. It’s better to spend the time doing something productive than wasting time and effort and putting the spotlight on things that are not helpful.


0

Talking about what Tacker did (or has done) in Oceano is irrelevant. Anyone could have pointed out that Hill was not paying attention to public comment. I don’t know much about Oceano and what’s going on there, but there’s no question that there’s an issue with how supervisors are receptive to public comment. To me, public comment is free lip service. It gives people the impression at the authorities are listening when they’re not.


Someone mentioned that the board is “accessible.” I couldn’t disagree more. Residents in Los Osos have requested meetings with Supervisor Gibson. He ignored the e-mails. He doesn’t return phone calls. County staff doesn’t respond to public records requests. Gibson offers office hours at Sea Pines on the second and fourth Thursdays, but he answers questions that only he wants to answer on his terms. The County has shut out Los Osos except when it’s convenient for them to promote and educate/indoctrinate residents. They’re not accessible at all. They don’t listen. Tell me I’m wrong, and I’ll tell you the sky is green.


0

TheFacts, your post simply shows how long that you have been away from Los Osos. Gibson’s office hours have been last Thursday of the month for a l-o-n-g time. He has brought count staff with him often to answer questions. I guess your sky will just have to remain green as many, many of us get prompt and courteous replies to our questions, both in person and on the phone. I liken many of the questioners to buzzing flies. Annoying in that they ask the same questions over and over and over, surely not expecting a different answer. No, they just don’t like the answers they got, so continue with repetition to harass.


0

“Repetition to harass” is your middle name, Lynette.


Contrary to your creepy assumption about “how long I’ve been away from Los Osos,” I am a resident but have not attended office hours. Friends have. And I got the days confused with LOCAC meeting dates. And no, the County has not been courteous with their replies. Many people received none at all.


0

The only person that, in my opinion, is renowned for ignoring the public and their requests it Texiera…terrible! He has his few that are his good ol’ boy and girl friends in Nipomo and the rest can go jump off the Mesa as far as he’s concerned.


0

““Repetition to harass” is your middle name, Lynette.”


I don’t know Lynette but she has been very polite, she hasn’t been combative and has simply been giving her side of this issue. You just lost the debate with that snarky remark.


Lynette’s assessment is dead on. ‘TheFacts’, I find your moniker very ironic.


I have spoke before the supes and I have watched many of the meetings. They have almost always been attentive and polite but they are human and once in awhile they might get distracted but that is rare.


0

Thank you Typoqueen, I appreciate your willingness to speak out.


0

You should have quit after, “I don’t know Lynette…… Polite???? Wow.


0

TF: Gibson does his office hours the same day as the LOCAC meeting.


0

More interested in your opinion about our story ,

less interested in your opinions of other folks posting here.

Comments about moderation on the website are never welcome

in the comment thread .

!!! or ??? —–Email thank you.


0

I’m not clear on the “love” (defense) for Adam Hill expressed by Typoqueen, her assertions that LO speakers shouldn’t call out one Supe or another is irrelevant. Imagine the fear for LO folks, the project WILL change that community forever and many will have to leave. I see Tacker comes with different issues each time she speaks, some of the others seem to be stuck on their message. You really have to listen to hear the subtle differences, there are so many issues relative to Los Osos.

The Brown Act doesn’t require a speaker to speak to one or all of the Board, the board may have policies in place for speaking but they do not supersede ones right to speak openly to any topic one might choose. To single out a board member who is distracted or rolling ones eyes is also permissible, but may be wasting the speakers precious seconds and not be worthwhile.


Typo, I watched OCSD too, did you see the gyrations their legal counsel goes to to give Geaslin retroactive pay…which is clearly unconstitutional. To avoid the retroactive nature of the previous contract approval, Geaslin will now be paid $145,000 over the next 8 months! For a little district running out of money, that is a crime. OCSD citizens apparently are in love with Geaslin and he can do no wrong, the board needs to be objective; it’s the people’s money they’re playing with and this is not a game.


0

Bored Watcher, not all Los Osos folks fear the project, but fear instead any further obstructionism that will make the project any more expensive than it has now become. The collateral damage from the last stoppage still exerts its cumulative effect. Most of us would like to stop instead the steady stream of septic effluent that filters down into our only water supply, our aquifers. (And no, it does not go through “magic sand” as some would have you believe.)


0

Very well said. BTW I just watched that part of the OCSD meeting (Tacker scolding the district members and calling Edwards an @$$h*!!. Geez they are such a pain, really miserable people.


You’re right though, I know a Los Osos couple that live in the area that are going to be paying quite a bit extra now because of the obstructionism caused by a handful of people. But they know that it has to be done, a magic fairy is not going to come and clean up the poo and other nasty waste seeping into the ground. Does it cost too much, yes but that’s just the way it is and it won’t get any cheaper by delaying it even more. I’m always amazed at how much things cost. To put a two stall bathroom in a public park can range from $400.00 to a mill$$, it’s crazy but that’s just the way it is.


0

A clear case of the pot calling the kettle black.


0

Count me as one that gets tired of the Tacker/Edwards complaints. That’s also a good reason I should never be on the BOS or OCSD, because it’s essential that as a paid board member you are attentive and courteous to any speaker, no matter how tenacious or ridiculous in their presentation. It’s part of the job and can be as annoying as h***. I assume their obsession with Oceano is their hopes for the airport land. I’d guess they will NEVER be successful there, and the OCSD would have no part in that decision, I believe. One has to wonder why people subject themselves to this treatment, but thankfully many good people do.


0

It’s refreshing to hear someone make these remarks. Yes, most of us would never want to tolerate the abuse that is thrown at our elected officials yet we are right there to do the throwing. You are correct when you say that many of these people are good people whether you agree with their politics or not. They are really there to help the community and not line their pockets. So sad that most people do not see this.


0

I’ve heard this about the airport land and I’ve seen Edwards advocating to develop this land. Do you know if he owns any property near the airport? I don’t get why he’s so interested in developing that particular plot of land, theres plenty of other areas that can be developed, that piece of property doesn’t seem like it’s going to be changing anytime soon. I agree with the rest of your post as well, I certainly don’t have what it takes to deal with these people. There would a recall after my first meeting, I know that I would get angry/nasty to people like Tacker so I give these board members a lot of credit for helping the community (even if they make mistakes) while putting themselves through this abuse.


Anyway, do you know if they have some type of connection with that airport?


0

I think the county owns/runs it. They get money from it and it’s for emergency use, I think.

I’m perplexed as to why T/E spend their time confronting govt. entities.

Lol at your recall comment.


0

Disgusted, you are correct, the County has authority over the airport and 1 1/2 – 2 years ago they had this topic on their agenda. They said that the airport would remain an airport. Some people just won’t take no for an answer, much like some just can’t accept that we are going to get a sewer.


0

There a few people who are obsessed with Julie Tacker, and their obsessions really have nothing to do with this video. The fact of the matter is that the BOS is not listening to people who speak at the podium. Rarely is there any dialogue between people at the podium and the board. There is no outreach of any kind.


0

I have always found most of them to be very accessible either at the podium or in their offices. Because they don’t want to waste time with useless chit chat when people are at the podium does not mean that the speaker hasn’t been heard.


0

She’s the quintessential April fool.


0

And you, sir, are the master of name calling. If this is the best you can do, it’s time to grow-up.


0

Regardless of your opinion of Ms. Tacker, anytime a member of the public takes their time to go to a meeting, wait their turn, and take the time to speak, the people elected should at least appear to take an interest in what is being said, and I would never consider it “waste time with useless chit chat” less those elected became “useless chit chat”. As much as they would want us to respect them, they should show us respect by paying attention or at least faking it. I am not a big fan of Ms. Tacker but certainly not going to be voting for Mr. Hill.


0

I have found that the more I grow on in years, the more I value my time. Spending time watching someone “faking it” and hearing someone else pronounce the same thing over and over in a condescending manner really should not be encouraged. Faux attention breeds more attempts at attention getting. How about we just get down to business and quit the games.


0

If as you say “faking it” and faux attention should not be encouraged then for you the majority of politicians should go. I have a different opinion, if a person, and lets say a person you detest, wants to attend every single public meeting and spend their alotted time saying the same thing over and over, as long as they do it with respect, I feel the least our elected officials can do if sit there with respect and listen. Should the speaker start with insults or such then the official should call for them to be removed but not bury their head in the sand, I mean I-pad. Officals burying their heads in the sand seems normal and hasn’t helped us and should be stopped. If that takes voting them out then so be it . I’d would be all for “getting down to business”, but eleted officals don’t ever seem to want to do that, they normally just want to apease their financial supporters and get relected.


0

kayaknut, I’d bet most of us would agree with your statement, “lets say a person you detest, wants to attend every single public meeting and spend their alotted time saying the same thing over and over, as long as they do it with respect,” but the problem i see is that respect doesn’t always accompany these speakers to which you refer.” The verbiage has become too often one of name calling.


The real question to discuss might be why doing the same thing over and over with the same lack of desired results continues? All I can fathom that it is done for punishment at this point.


Also, calling for removal has only escalated the verbal abuse.


0

I just got though watching a section of the last OCSD meeting. Why you people listen to anything Tacker says is beyond reason. Wondering why Tacker and her boyfriend are causing so many problems for the OCSD has been a topic of discussion with many people. What a meeting, I suggest that anyone who wants to know about Tacker’s motives should watch that meeting. Apparently Tacker/Edwards are still bringing litigation against the OCSD. What was also apparent is that her and her boyfriend (Edwards) are up in arms because they offered their services as ‘consultants’ to the OCSD at a sum of $60,000 but Oceano declined to use their ‘consulting services’ so they are bitter and in reality that is the underlying reason as to why they suing the OCSD. If you don’t use their ‘consulting business’ then they will find a reason to sue you, harass you and make your life miserable. It sounds like blackmail to me.


Julie Tacker, have you no shame. I am in Hill’s district and I don’t care how many of you defend her actions and how many of you say that the BOS owes it to Tacker as a member of the public to be respectful and attentive. That woman has cost this county a fortune. I couldn’t care less as to what Hill was doing on his iPad but I’m sure that what ever it was that it was more productive then listing to Tacker. Yes I know that we are forced to let her speak but in my book we should not be forced to show someone even an ounce of respect that has damaged this county as much as she has. Giving Tacker attention is a waste of our tax dollars. If it’s not violating any laws then my only wish is that the next time she speaks that all of the supes would hold up their electronic tablets and start reading them with a big smile as she speaks.


Although she’s not supposed to address individual district members, Tacker also publicly chastised Mary Lucey for her rolling her eyes while she was talking. Tacker is going after the wrong person, Lucey is no shrinking violet, she’s liable to give Tacker a piece of Oceano ‘consulting’ free of charge….


0

Thanks Typo, I couldn’t have said it better myself. The last meeting they pretty much were told to hit the road. A member of the audience called Edwards an A**Hole and Tacker gets up and says she is the only one who has the right to call him that. Then another speaker says if Julie wants to call Jeff that name it sounds like a perfectly good name to him! hysterical!! Oceano has had enough of their harrassment and told them in no uncertain terms to beat it, so we will see what they do next. Miserable people……


0

Wow, was that televised? I haven’t had a chance to watch the entire meeting but I’ll look forward to seeing more of it. They won’t leave Oceano alone, they are like that creepy little Chucky, they will keep coming back. They can’t do any more damage to LO so they’re moving on to destroy Oceano. I wish that they would just move, for some reason I can see them landing in Oildale.


I know that the supes don’t read CCN, but I will put my request out to them that they do something to show unity by protesting Tacker’s actions. As I said, perhaps simply smiling at her (she pitched a fit at the last meeting because Gibson smiled). I know that is childish so they won’t do it but there must be some way that officials can express their disgust with Tacker and Edwards behaviour.


0

Oceano meetings are a real treat to watch if you are in to comedy and you know what a real CSD meeting should look like. That whole bunch is a joke!


0

I have often used up work vacation days to speak at board meetings or turned down overtime. Both equal hundreds of dollars just to get 3 minutes.


PAY ATTENTION FOR 3 MINUTES.


It doesn’t matter who is speaking, nor if they come every week, nor if they are flat looney. There is no excuse. It’s part of the job. Do it or leave.


NO EXCUSE.


0

When the supes become robots or sociopaths and therefore are able to totally have no feelings or emotions then I can agree with that but seeing that they are human I feel that you are asking an almost impossible feat. That being said, we really don’t know what he was doing during those 3 minutes. He might have looking up something pertaining to what she was saying. Of course that might be stretch but it might be true so what’s this all about, why even waste time over it when there were important issues on that agenda? If you knew for a fact that Hill were watching missile launches then you would have an argument (even though in this case I really wouldn’t care) but we just don’t know.


0

Interrogating people on what district they live in is irrelevant. Adam Hill votes on agenda items affecting residents in and outside of his district.


0

In Adam’s case, it’s a Diss-trict, and he knows no bounds — he’s offending in the north county as well as at home.


0
1 2 3 4