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Where does Morro Bay’s George Leage live?

November 22, 2013

George LeageBy KAREN VELIE and JOSH FRIEDMAN

Morro Bay Councilman George Leage does not have a legal residence in Morro Bay; instead he sleeps in an apartment in his family’s sushi restaurant, Off the Hook.

Off the Hook is located in Morro Bay tidelands, an area of which the city acquired ownership through a state grant. The tidelands grant prohibits residential use of the area and requires businesses to support public access or public trust uses.

“Residential use of these public lands is specifically prohibited,” the Morro Bay Harbor Department Lease Management Policy states.

The city leases tidelands to individuals and businesses, like Leage and Off the Hook. Several years ago, Leage put the restaurant lease in his sister’s name, though he continues to manage the business. About a year ago, Leage says he began living in a caretaker unit in the restaurant.IMG_1840

“There have been caretaker units at different places around here.” Leage said. “I thought it was grandfathered in or permitted as a caretaker’s unit.”

The California State Lands Commission monitors compliance with state land grants. State Lands spokesperson Sheri Pemberton said living on state-granted tidelands is not a proper use of the land.

“It is and has been the commission position for decades that residential use of the tidelands is inconsistent with the public trust,” Pemberton said. “Residential use is a private use and inconsistent with the public nature of these lands.”

In March, Leage attended a city study session on the harbor tideland lease site rules and regulations. During the meeting, former city attorney Rob Shultz told the audience that residential use is not permitted on Public Trust lands.

Leage said he did not remember that portion of the presentation and that Schultz did not know where he was residing. Leage also said he would move if state or city officials ask him to.

“If they state to me it is not residential, I will get out of there,” Leage said.


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I have been selling Fogcutter News short. I’ve just done a little reading over there and they actually have quite a few good articles on Kool-Aid. I learned things about Kool-Aid (and the people that drink it) that I never would have known. Apparently, they also hate some woman named Betty Winholtz who apparently holds a lot of power over them and is unfairly oppressing them.


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defamation!


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They are definitely afraid of Betty. She is a community leader with a large following and one of the most loved and respected of our residents – and she is NOT on their side – but then you knew that, Slopocles :)


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LOL!!!!!!!! Loved and respected? For what?


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For things like ethics, honesty, kindness, community service – all those things that the special interest group hate mongers wouldn’t understand


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Benevolent!


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Large following? What happened to her last election??????


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If I remember right, it was very close, and the fact that someone as polarizing as Winholtz could have garnered so much support, should told you everything you needed to know about things to come and the future of Morro Bay.


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Liberal spin for “She Lost!”


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There you go, skimming again. This discussion works a lot better if we read the posts we’re replying to.


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won


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I don’t understand why they keep tossing Betty W into the mix with all of their propaganda? They are simply taking a woman they know has a love or hate relationship with residents and adding her name to everything to appeal to the haters. Lame!


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obsessed


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Slopodes?????

Why don’t you jump in your pathetic. little pink, oil burning, polluting VW bug, and take your anti everything agenda elsewhere?


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Yeah? Like where, smarty?


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I think it’s the Libs that drink all of the KoolAid. Nice try though. And Betty holds no power, just files baseless lawsuits that cost the other side undue money and hardship.


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I think she became irrelevant when she called the Police after a council vote didn’t go her way.


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If she held no power, and were irrelevant, you folks wouldn’t be so afraid of her and wouldn’t keep working so hard to spread lies about her. You’d just ignore her


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We are hardly afraid of her and she hardly has power.

She is just a nuisance to us. She has just the same power as every single Morro Bay citizen. She just decides to extort them and misuse the power.


She has also become the, “unofficial image,” for the Irons/liberal/proenvironment/anti-business group because of her involvement on past city councils.


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Reason:

Betty is Light

They are frightened of light.


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Yeah, we get that. Do read these posts, or skim them? The post read:


“…they actually have quite a few good articles on Kool-Aid. I learned things about Kool-Aid (and the people that drink it) that I never would have known.”


Get it? The articles were about Libs drinking Kool-Aid? Just forget it.


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The short-sighted misunderstanding here is in the personal pursuit of attacking Leage by political muckrakers. There exists compete blindness and unwillingness to recognize the law makes room for gray areas, and for grandfathered uses.


For example, the Fairmontt Reservoir along the L.A. aquaduct includes a full-time reservoir keeper–a caretaker–who lives on site. The reservoir keeper is necessary to the operation of Los Angeles’ water supply. But having a resident caretaker in no way dilutes the use of Fairmont Reservoir as public serving, nor does it make the reservoir property a residence.


The situation at Off the Hook is not as clear cut, but obviously there are kitchens, back offices, and other ancillary spaces that are not open to the public but necessary to serve the public serving operation of the restaurant. A caretaker space fits that role.


In addition, a pre-existing non-confirming use is grandfathered no matter what rules are imposed later.


The venomous attacks on Leage refuse to even contemplate that a thoughtful review might determine the use does conform to the rules. Multiple levels of review exist: administrative review by staff, quasi-judicial review by planning commission and council, and judicial review by multiple levels of court. Can you say with certainty what all these levels of review will determine?


All I see is word play from biased political opponents desiring to gain political advantage. This narrow-minded word play stems from reading one bit of text and then falsely believing no other considerations will matter to an administrative or legal finder of fact.


Leage believes he is there properly. He stated he would leave if it is determined otherwise. Malicious and vindictive parties are attacking him just to cause grief for no real gain to the public. They only seek to right a “paper wrong” to hurt Leage. There is no end that will truly benefit anyone.


The maliciousness directed for no other reason than to cause personal pain to Leage here is a disgusting display of personal vindictiveness from Mayor Jamie Irons’ camp. One more reason to recall this ugly mayor who is dividing a city.


RECALL MAYOR IRONS. CALL (805) 464-8798 or email: recall@morrobayforward.com to sign the petition.


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No amount of verbal fancy footwork and attempted sleight of hand changes the basic fact. He is violating City policy and State law – not good for anyone, but especially not good for a Council member.


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Dismissiveness is a form of illogic and false argumentation. I presented facts that absolutely challenge your phoney and hateful crusade against Leage. You have not brought ration or sense to thus discussion. It appears you have nothing credible to add beyond vituperous finger pointing.


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Nice try, but another failure on your part. One does not attack someone for allegedly being dismissive by being dismissive in return – at least not if you want anyone to take you seriously.


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Dismissive in return where? You failed to address any pints i made and did not add anything new to the debate. I discussed why he did not violate any law and you simply restated your foregone conclusion. There exist two views here. I backed up my view with evidence and example. Rebut my position by addressing it on-point, not arguing in a circle.


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mbactivist Kevin Rice (who also doesn’t hide behind a fake name)

put together an intelligent response and took into account all the issues.


Your response was a two sentence, “no your wrong,” with no reply to any of the issues Kevin Rice addressed.


What was he suppose to say to that?

I’m tired of listening to your petty comments.


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Anonymous commenter using a fake name complains that another Anonymous commenter using a fake name is not answering someone else’s comment in a satisfactorily way. lol


Then calls them out…

mb20 says: “I’m tired of listening to your petty comments.”


First step do not click the “reply” button.


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That’s true. I’ll give him that much – he’s braver than me. Now if only he had some common sense to go along with his forthrightness.


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And you know that how? Are you an expert on these matters or is it more of your speculation like the estimated costs of the Water treatment plant?


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Try reading the city policy and state law. As for the treatment plant costs, it’s not speculation. It’s based on expert opinion from a number of people in the field. The numbers given by the consultants appear to have been “cooked” to give political advantage to the special interest group, but they will not hold up as the true facts come to light – something that is going to happen quite soon


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Tin foil conspiracy. Please bring substance to the debate, not surmise.


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Number of people in the field, who are making a guess and have not actually spent the time and work that the hired consultants did. There is no way without seeing the sights and actually putting in serious hours they can come to that conclusion.


And the consultants were appointed by Irons council so there should not be any political advantage of the, “special interest group,” as you call them.


If anything the consultants would be putting the numbers more in Irons favor.


Luckily they didn’t do that (I don’t think.) but if Irons could fire them for not making the numbers in his favor he probably would…


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go directly to jail


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“Ugly Mayor”… I wouldn’t call him traditionally handsome, but he’s a good looking guy.


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I wasn’t speaking to looks, but he does remind me of the 1950s George Wallace era.


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Ah, the old “You-do-the-things-you-say-we-do” trick.


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The experts are the consultants who have expertise and experience thst self described actjvists lack. The city policy and state law provide no estimates and government has no expertise at things other than destruction of jobs and confiscation of private property.


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Oh, BullyHater, you must not watch our city council meetings.That’s one of the nicer things the Kathwellians have called him. “Wormy” and “You stink” (to his face) are a couple of my all-time favorites.


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Regarding incidental caretaking instances, there is also a caretaker quarters in the hills near Lake Havasu at the Copper Basin Reservoir, the “intake header” for the Colorado River Aqueduct of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. If the posts are correct about the OTHER MB waterfront caretaking occupancies, and their many years of such practice, this attempt to trash Leage is a complete non-event, and it should be so.


sign the recall, please,


unless you want to see something like my $ 24,941 Los Osos assessment appear on YOUR Morro Bay tax bill.


Didn’t you Morro Bay people learn ANYTHING from the extreme behavior of recently-elected officials? From Chuckie? From Tacker? Now from Irons dooming the common sense “in situ” upgrade of your WWTP ?


THINK, folks as to WW, Irons is YOUR Tacker. You just do NOT want to pay for the wastewater insanity of Mayor Irons. LEARN from the behavior of Councilperson Leage, and the debacle of your neighbors to the south, and DON’T LET a penny-ante challenge about a sensible, brain-equipped Leage influence you.


I’m disappointed to see take such a hostile position against a non-event such as Councilperson Leage continuing (did someone post 40?) forty year practice of caretaking in that structure.


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Hey George! Can I come over and crash at your place? We can exchange secrets on how to “camp out” while circumventing city ordinances making it illegal. It would be a hoot!


Bottom line; this is moral terpitude that betrays the public trust inherant in his position and should be addressed by those he is entrusted to serve.


I have a suggestion: have all city counselpersons and supervisors sign a document at the end of all meetings they are in attendance of stating they we’re aware of and understood all that was brought foward and discussed. The “Aw shucks! I don’ t remember” defense sure wouldn’t be as pervasive!


Just sayin’…


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What if they forget signing it? Memories can get real bad when people get caught forgetting things.


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The pay out to the City Attorney and the potential pay out to the City Manager ought to really tell the story. Where else would you get a “benefit” like this unless you were in a position to create it yourself. I personally admire the new city council for what appears to be cleaning house. Morro Bay will survive and probably will be better off than now. McKinney left Atascadero with $141,000 after manipulating the process. I think they were actually starting to catch up to the guy. No one shed a tear when he left. The so called highly respected city manager left, what will Atascadero do? Well it appears that Atascadero is doing much better than before. The bottom line is that the City Manager and City Attorney work at the will of the City Council. Evidently the elected City Council wishes to make a change and that is their choice and why they were elected by a majority of the people.


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Please stop assuming things. Read these 4 stories and you will see that the severance for City and possibly the City Manager are in-line with what all other municipalities do. When you hire a person and their employment is at the “whim” of politicians who change every 2 years, you provide them with an inducement to take the job.


That is normal in the public sector. These 2 people (Attorney & Manager) are receiving run-of-the-mill settlements.


The real issue is that we should prevent politicians, who have zero experience running anything except their campaign, from firing professional employees without cause.


Then we can do away with these severance packages, and also do away with these “Napoleonic” politicians.


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“Then we can do away with these severance packages”. What’s wrong with doing it now?


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great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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It is called employment contracts and is pretty standard for people in that position obtain? I you think Atascadero is thriving, you should take a drive down El Camino Real some day.


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You know, people, all this wrangling about state laws and such really isn’t necessary. City of Morro Bay officialm documented policy says that the tidelands grant lease lands administered by the City are not for residential use. It doesn’t say “unless it’s a caretaker unit”. It says “residential use” period.


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ONCE AGAIN: “caretaker” isn’t “residential”


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Where would a caretaker reside, then?


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See above.


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No thanks. Too much work.


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Exactly. Lazy small-mindedness is the false basis of this entire sham.


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Damn, it’s SUNDAY! Day of rest? Can I get back to you on Monday? Would that be alright?


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Give us a link to an official policy here Kevin. You keep throwing your 2 cents in here (and asking for proof from everyone else), why don’t you provide some of your own?!?!


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I would like to see the link also.


I don’t really care though what happens with this.

It doesn’t affect me, it won’t ever affect me, and is just a distraction.

It will be determined if he can or can’t live there and then he will or will not move… big whoop


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You continue to hold a right-wing view that everything is black and white, when the matter has yet to even begin any of the numerous levels of review that i discussed. You or I are not the ultimate finders of fact in this matter. I presented an argument with examples. The most substantial evidence is the existence of several similar caretaker units. The status quo holds a tremendous amount of weight. You bring a paper statement, and i believe you are misinterpreting and overstating the term ‘residential use’. I, and others, have already explained that.


If Leage is wrong, he stated he would move. There is nothing criminal not even malfeasant here. Tell Mayor Irons to stop this hatefulness.


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Would you please stop all this blather about “special interest groups and “old boy

network”. I have been in business in Morro Bay for 20 years and try to stay active in the

business community. I have yet to see or meet these people.


Please document cases where they have done things detrimental to the city.

I was involved in a group of business people that voluntarily chose to stop using

sandwich-board/sidewalk signs because they cluttered the sidewalk. Also took

newsstands off the embarcadero because they were obstructive and unattractive.


Please provide facts or stop looking for the conspiracy that is not there!


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I think that’s a good question. I don’t have an actual definition in front of me, but to me, what we are, or should be referring to, when we say “good ‘ol boy network” is a way of doing things between members of an in-group who have power over a long period of time, and keep it by continuing to look the other way and do favors for each other. A good-ol-boy network, or system, at least in my eyes, is not secret gatherings of the in-group where they get together and discuss ways to keep down the out-group, keep themselves in power, while accumulating more and more wealth. It just happens after awhile, when ANY group has a lot of power and a lot of money for a long time, it becomes a normal way of doing things and people that are part of this network, not only don’t even know they’re a part of it, by necessity, they don’t even believe in the concept. It happens on the Left, but not nearly as much, because they don’t have the money or the psyches for it like the Right does, which is why the Left doesn’t stay in power as long – they don’t have the aggressive natures of the Right – but they are learning.


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Anyone wishing to sign the recall petition for Mayor Irons should call: (805) 464-8798 or email: recall@morrobayforward.com. Someone will bring it to your door and thank you for your help in saving the City of Morro Bay.


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Hey, wait a minute – that’s the phone number to Fogcutter “News” – I just Googled it. There has to be some mix-up, a “news” organization wouldn’t never be so partial as to back one group of readers against another. I’ll Google it again – maybe I was a digit or two off.


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No, it’s not. You’re mixed up.


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I figured. Maybe something’s wrong with my Google. I’ve tried it ten times now and the results page keeps coming up Fogcutter News, Fogcutter News. Oh well, back to the drawing board …


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I give up. I’m taking my Google in to have it looked at.


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No mix-up It’s all I get too http://fogcutternews.org/how-to-find-a-recall-petition-to-sign/

posted by Dan Reddell


It seems Dan, fogcutter and http://saveourcityfoundation.com/our-mission-statement have a issue with some morro bay people (501c?).


http://www.linkedin.com/in/bayshorerealty

“For the past decade, I have owned a unique single family residential lot in Morro Bay that I planned to build my home on. It is one of the few places on the Central Coast where the mountains joion the sea. It is known as Cerrito Peak. Environmental fanatics and some of the neighbors have been fighting every attempt to obtain a building permit. ”


This recall is more bad blood going back many years and I don’t know why people think fogcutter is news, it’s PR outreach from a PAC.


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Fogcutter definitely is not a newsite and I dont think pretends to be.


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cognitive dissonance fogcutternewsdotcomm LOL


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Lol “is the discomfort experienced when simultaneously holding two or more conflicting cognitions”


One cognition does not a cognitive dissonance make.


Also fogcutter news is just like adding truth or reason to a username, using the word “news” does not make it so, and besides when I said PAC I meant it “All donations are tax deductible. Save Our City, Save Our County, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)4 organization.

http://fogcutternews.org/donate-here/


501(c)4″These groups are allowed to to participate in politics, so long as politics do not become their primary focus.”


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well said Word.


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“Fogcutter News – Bringing Truth into the Light”… news is literally in their name. They are EXACTLY trying to be a news site.


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Where in the dictionary is news defined as non-PARTISAN? I see lots of news stories on that site. Looks like news, just like SLO Coast Urinal.


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rag sheet


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Yeah, except for the word “News” right there in its NAME. Did you skim over that too?


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Nice detective work, slophocles


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If you want to save Morro Bay, ignore these characters, who are members of the small special interest group that is mad about losing control of the City – control that they used to the advantage of the old boy/old girl network.


They wasted millions on a sewer plant project that was doomed from the start. The Coastal Commission would never have approved it. Read the staff report at

http://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2013/1/Th23b-1-2013.pdf


Irons simply made sure that no more money would be wasted by supporting the CCC staff’s recommendations.


The special interest group’s claims regarding dismissal of City staff are equally nonsensical and misleading. Save Morro Bay. Support Jamie, Christine and Noah, the first Council majority in decades that is protecting the interests of ALL residents.


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Tell you what. You come to my door (the passenger door of my SUBARU WAGON) with that recall petition and a set of keys to a barn, a shed, a duck boat, a lean-to, a dungeon, an attic, an upside-down treehouse – anything, and I’ll sign your recall and you won’t have to even thank me for helping save the City of Morro Bay. Oh, and bring a turkey too.


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In the People’s Republic of California we ignore Federal Laws all the time. We have approved the legalization of Marijuana for “Medical” reasons. We ignore immigration laws in the state and Federal Level. The President has decided to ignore the law that he championed (Affordable Care Act) and is ordering companies to violate the law by offering forbidden policies. I could go on and on. Somehow, George’s un-permitted residential use seems to fail in comparison.


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Gollee, I guess that makes it OK then. Cool. Since other people are ignoring the law, I can too. Anarchy sure will be great. I won’t have to pay taxes or register my car or stop at red lights – because after all, as probiz says, in the People’s Republic of California, we ignore laws all the time.


Of course, there might be just a few problems. If we can ignore laws because someone else is ignoring them, bank robberies, murders, and other crimes will skyrocket, but hey, why should the perpetrators have to follow laws against such things when other people are violating the law too. Fair is fair, right? Brilliant argument, probiz.


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You’ve got a real edge to you this morning, mbactivist1.


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Thanks!


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pure rhetoric!


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Could you be more specific, coocoo?


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Meanwhile, lets really look at this. One of two things will happen:

A) The building is not to code and League moves somewhere else.

B) The building is to code and League continues living there.


If you can be homeless and run for city council he obviously can be on city council.


Let’s look at the source of this report: an anonymous tip.


The Recall effort was put together by a group willing to put there name behind the effort.

For three very legitimate reasons:


1. Complete mishandling of the WWTP withdrawing it before the CCC could make a decision or offer insight. Costing Morro Bay up to 60 million dollars.


2. Firing of a skilled and competent attorney for full severance and no cause without a plan of replacing him.


3. Firing of a skilled and competent city manager (for future full severance or more)

without a plan of replacing her.


4. 30+ closed session meetings in his term (there had been less then ten in the past 5 years), despite running on “transparency.”


Please look at the facts, go to city council meetings, and come to your own findings on the issues. Those for the recall have nothing to hide. Really ask questions. We are confident the truth will lead you to supporting the recall. Not some anonymous tip that George League is breaking some code that doesn’t affect anyone.


All of Jamie Irons mistakes did and will affect you if you are a Morro Bay citizen.


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1. The CCC would never have approved the plant. Read their staff’s report

2. and 3. Many residents have complained about those two for years and have cited specific problems. There are undoubtedly more that we don’t know about, but that the Council does.

4. The closed sessions are commonly called for real estate, legal matters, and other transactions that MUST be discussed in closed sessions. They must also be called for personnel issues. The number of closed sessions only indicates that there has been a lot of this type of business for the Council to handle. Remember, Irons is the one who brought the harbor lease negotiations out of the back rooms and into the public view.


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1. mbactivist did you watch that CCC meeting?


The plans as previously shown were going to be denied, then the city council went and worked on adjusting and working with the CCC. If that waste water treatment plant was denied then we would have worked with the CCC to find something that works with both there needs and our needs. And it would have cost at least 30 million less.


If you actually watched the meeting, which you either didn’t do OR blatantly choose to ignore the facts. They were astonished that Irons would do that, blamed him for trying to place the blame on the CCC, and said that they wanted to work with us on coming to a solution and that he waisted every thing they had worked to do for the last 10 years.


The sad thing is that now its pretty difficult to reverse those mistakes and will take a few years (get recall in June, rebuild trust with CCC that it won’t be withdrawn again (they might just not work with us anymore).


2. Which problems were these mbactivist?

At the city council meetings it sure seems like the majority of people in the community were not complaining about Schultz or Leuker. Actually an overwhelming majority supported them.


3. The last councils had 10 times less closed session meetings, for someone who ran on, “TRANSPARENCY,” he fails in many ways to do that.


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