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AG mayor seeks restraining order on public speaker

October 10, 2014
Mayor Tony Ferrara

Mayor Tony Ferrara

By DANIEL BLACKBURN

Arroyo Grande City Council members met Wednesday morning to “discuss” hiring a private investigator who  apparently had already started his job, and Mayor Tony Ferrara angrily asked for a restraining order on outspoken critic Otis Page.

According to the agenda, the council was meeting to discuss hiring a private investigator from Ventura to look into a employee scandal and alleged cover-up. However, city employees said the company had already been selected, the private eye was hard at work, and the meeting was a “sham.”

Several city employees said officers who had first-hand knowledge of a recent city government scandal were contacted for interview appointments by Sintra Investigations in the days before the special council meeting, which had only the one item on the agenda.

Sintra Investigations will be looking into the late-night City Hall rendezvous on July 3 between City Manager Steve Adams and a subordinate employee, Teresa McClish, as well as the council’s handling of the issue. The incident was first reported by CalCoastNews on Aug. 19, and since then numerous Arroyo Grande residents have expressed dismay at the response by Mayor Tony Ferrara and his council mates in meetings and in letters to council members.

Ferrara, responding to one resident’s email asking the council to approve an independent investigation, recommended his fellow council members not reply to the resident.

“No need to reply,” Ferrara said in an Aug. 21 email to council members Tim Brown, Jim Guthrie, Joe Costello and Kristen Barneich, and copies to Adams and McClish: “This is an FYI. I wanted you to know where I’m coming from. Not about to take this crap from anyone.”

About 25 citizens attended the rare morning session, many criticizing a “lack of transparency” by city officials, a failure to fire Adams, and the already-completed deal with Sintra.

Resident Page said both the meeting and selection of the investigator was “a sham” as the council had already hired the firm. Ferrara then ordered microphones and public broadcast television cameras to be turned off, and demanded that a police officer escort Page from the council chambers.

A visibly irritated Ferrara asked a nearby police officer if he could “get a restraining order” against the outspoken Page, a police department employee confirmed. Ferrara was then informed that it was unlikely he would be able to secure a restraining order against Page.

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Emails to Council PRA 09-22-14 by CalCoastNews


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Don’t know about the rest of you, but this sure makes me miss Ira, have to believe he’s very proud of our efforts.

Boy, oh boy, would he have something to day about this whole affair!


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Great quote from SCANDAL

“Do not be defensive! it makes you feel guilty.”.

Mr. Adams??????


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Mayor McCheese ,


You seem to have angry feeling towards old men who ride trikes in the village with little bell , my advise is pick on someone your own size,sounds like more of a control issue???


sounds like this media is getting to him ,yes by all means Free Otis!


The mayor is lashing out beware!!! who is next the hamburglar ????


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Perhaps the Mayor is gonna lash out at the admin services gals who cannot process his receipt for payment fast enough…..

Hmmmm.


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I’m not buying what he’s trying to sell.


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In 2012, the Sintra Group produced a report in Santa Barbara which one person referred to as a “whitewash”. The jury believed the criminal allegations, the Sintra Group did not.


“…Sintra is the same firm the city of Santa Barbara contracted to investigate allegations of misconduct by Police Chief Sanchez after Mesa resident Wayne Scoles was arrested June 27, 2008, following a verbal altercation with the chief. While a Santa Barbara jury dismissed the charges against Mr. Scoles, the city has kept Sintra’s report on the matter secret as well.


“In an interview for this story, Mr. Scoles, who now lives in Oregon, said he received a letter from the city stating that Sintra found “no substance” to his allegations. But he questioned the basis of that conclusion. “The jury believed me,” said Mr. Scoles, “which is why I was found not guilty. But this consulting firm staffed by former police officers didn’t.”


“Mr. Scoles called Sintra’s report in his case “a whitewash.” ”


http://peterlance.com/wordpress/?p=1414


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Well that’s encouraging…not.


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I wonder why the Sintra Group took Steve Hendricks off of their website? (He is still featured on their downloadable brochure.) Is there a connection here?


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So my observation of last nights Arroyo Grande council meeting, open comments, were that those who attended in favor of supporting the council and Mr. Adams were:


1) older citizens

2) Village business owners

3) members of the AG in Bloom or Historical Society

4) past council members (whose daughter sits on it now!)

5) retired employees (enjoying their nice pensions)


So, that tied into Tony’s rude letter to MandJ, shows that his supporters are mostly retirees and friends of Tony and his special interests.


We need to get out there and show what the “common person” feels about being mislead by our current leadership


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Agreed, still waiting for a current employee step up to expel the glories of Mayor Ferrara and Mr. Adams. If everything is so great at city hall, as the council wants us to believe, why wouldn’t even one current employee speak out? You would think all those talking about the problems would upset them and they would want to set the record straight, but no not one current employee has spoken up.


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What is Tony hiding? Why is it so important that he offers a bridge to Adams til his 55th birthday for his fatty pension. That’s in 9 months folks. And with a 10.5 percent raise!


What are the employees saying?

How do they feel about having the elected MAYOR running the city instead of an administrator?


What will CCN public records search reveal about what is going on?


Sad insider we need you.


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surferdude, what do you know about Adams’ getting a pension in 9 months? Tell us more!


If this is true, that would explain why Adams kept his notice “open”. If it is true, we the taxpayers need to be sure he is gone before 9 months, as that would be a big old CHEAT of the system!


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No kidding! Nothing is coincidence with our current cast of council, characters. Since Steve is such a nice guy, it only stands to reason that they would want him to be able to retire with benefits based on his brand, spanking new pay raise!

Can I see the Ferrara clap folks? Everybody waive those hands!

Thank you very much for your cooperation!


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Great question surfer.

Must be so much fun working at city hall, who can you trust?

Steve lied, Tony let him lie, Tim Carmel confirmed it was ok for Tony to let Steve and Tony lie…and all the council had to do was nod. Way to step up gang.


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Nope, they only whisper, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

You can’t help those that won’t help themselves!


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My God

What has Ferrara done?


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I do not know what they have done, but I know they are very worried about the huge amount of public records requests that are going to keep on coming.

Does the Clerk feel frustrated with Adams mistake revealing his out of office personal relationship. – what a pain for her.


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Congrats. You just described the demographics of AG.


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