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Paso Robles City Council needs to hold advisors accountable

February 15, 2024

Julie Tacker

OPINION by JULIE TACKER

In light of the recent decision by the Paso Robles City Council to stop work on raising rates on the paid parking system the council must hold their advisors accountable. It’s clear that the city manager and city attorney led them astray.

The pay-for-parking system was put in place in 2019 and has been collecting parking fees and enjoying additional revenue from parking tickets. It appears the action the council took in 2019 to implement a pay-for-parking program was illegal. If fees and penalties were collected illegally for the last five years, they should be refunded to the people who paid them.

The law firm that represents the city has errors and omissions insurance, it is they who should bear the burden of their bad advice and reimburse the city any costs for the bad legal advice they’ve accrued and the payback to its parking patrons. The city council should consider severing ties with the law firm.

Additionally, the city council should look seriously at the performance of its city manager in this context.  The city’s own website says, “The city manager directs the activities of all city departments.”

Mr. Lewis should have done his own research and not relied solely on the advice of counsel. In this light, the city should consider terminating its relationship with the city manager.

The city council has the right and responsibility to recover all expenses associated with pursuing this paid parking program path and defending the city from the challenges it has incurred from informed citizens.

Congratulations to local resident, Gary Lehrer for taking the city to task with his cease-and-desist letter, and to all those community members who have been questioning the action.

The city council should immediately engage new objective legal counsel to advise them on how to get out of the quagmire the current city attorney and her law firm have created. For the city attorney firm to investigate its own missteps is a conflict of interest.

To be paid to walk the city into trouble and then turn around and get paid to navigate the city’s way out of that trouble is a form of double billing. That double billing is paid for by the ratepayers of the city. As the fiduciaries of the people’s money, the city council should stop all work by their advisors on this matter and seek immediate guidance from an objective law firm.

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Something about the brown act I gave the lady whose company investigates parking for various cities a ride from paso to San Jose I’m pretty sure her scheme for what was needed was approved by the city council it should be public record and if it was not done in accordance to the brown act the mayor or one of the city council should explain it to Norma just to clear up who decided for us


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Norma told me last week that parking ordinance was instituted illegally


0

Some good thought provoking comments here. Ty Lewis has been city manager since 2021. If you name names, instead of entities, this fact matters.

https://pasoroblesdailynews.com/ty-lewis-transitions-from-police-chief-to-city-manager/131797/


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The conclusions are specious for at least two reasons:



  • The author says it “appears” that wrongdoing has occurred. I think there should be a more definitive conclusion before anyone starts storming the castle.

  • The conclusion that the City Manager is responsible for all actions of city employees and contractors is absurd. So if an electrician, police, or account makes a mistake thinking it is automatically the City Manger’s fault is ridiculous.


At the core of any high level decision like this is the city electeds. No telling how this smoke filled room decision was made. My guess is there is blame all around. And my guess is that we will never know! Let’s be right before we advocate for ruining a career.


-11

wrongdoing was done. There is no question.Who did it and why remains a mystery. We are assuming that the City Council authorized the illegal change but we don’t know for sure. Did the Council pass a motion but the actual zones and fees removed from the Municipal Codes? I have been told that the information was in there prior to November of 2019 but it was removed. Who did it and why? The statement is the equivalent of saying it appears that Joe Blow shot John Smith to death. We know John Smith is dead, and it looks like Joe Blow certainly pulled the trigger. That’s painfully obvious.


0

Touché Chocolate-addict!


My comment was that the author, Julie Tacker, was uncertain about the legality of the matter but was certain it was the City Managers fault. In her veal to blame the City Manager, she apparently doesn’t care if the crime was committed. To me that’s dangerous.


You, on the other hand, are certain illegality occurred but are measured in your blame. Kudos on your approach.


Your analogy regarding, “it looks like Joe Blow certainly pulled the trigger,” is why our system of jurisprudence includes reasonable doubt and a jury of our peers.


-2

Zeal not veal. sorry.


1

Julie, rational points. But through propoganda and the current officials political offiliations, people so not care if elected officials commit crimes at all and ignore it in this shock and see culture. Look at the current political situation in Washington and our own State.


10

so why don’t you contact pasocitizens@proton.me and offer to help out.


-1

I agree that Paso needs to clean house and hold those in charge accountable for their blatant disregard for the law. As well as the law firm that was paid to advise the city on these matters.

This will determine whether or not to recall the city council for dereliction of duty.


21

Julie, you hit the nail on the head :)


23

Dang your good for this County Julie!

Thank you so much


19

This is a sad example of how government is the cause, not the solution, of our problems.


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