Management of the City of Morro Bay
from Roger Ewing
It is time, said the walrus to the flea, to change our ways and set us free!
Since the mid-90s, Morro Bay has been governed not by the City Council, which we the people elect, but rather by a bureaucracy under the control of a City Manager. Prior to this change, made by the Council at that time, we had a government under the control of a Council with help from a City Administrator and a management staff that did as the Council directed.
The difference between a city manager and a city administrator is determined by the level of activity a city council and mayor wish to have with the governance of their community. A city manager functions best with a council more interested in using a reactive approach with staff than with a city administrator who serves at the behest of a proactive council.
Morro Bay was a different city then . . . a city that was small-town, quaint, and a treasure on the Central Coast with its laid back, unique ambiance. But with a city manager in charge, the politics of the "quick buck" became the norm, dominating our existence and opening the door to rampant building from outside developers without regard for the consequences. The Morro Bay we see today is the result . . . unsold, oversized homes sitting empty, half completed commercial projects rotting in the fog, and a city budget that is teetering on the brink.
For sure, the downturn in our economy is partially linked to the worldwide financial collapse. But, in my opinion, the true nature of our dilemma is due more to the greed and selfishness of a few, protected by the direction of our management staff - a staff that does not, by the way, live in Morro Bay, nor has a vested interest in pursuing the quality of life that most of us moved here to enjoy. I cite two recent examples: 1) staff's pursuit of establishing an RDA (Redevelopment Agency) based on the "blight" of residential properties in Morro Bay, which was fortunately tabled by a wiser City Council; and2) at the Sept. 8th meeting of the JPA (Joint Powers Agreement between Morro Bay and Cayucus), staff was determined to use only old, familiar technology with the Waste Water Treatment Plant upgrade, delaying reclamation, which has short-changed our future. The stunned silence from the packed hall at the end of that vote said it all . . .
For years, I have observed our management staff ignore the will of the people by neglecting to provide proper notices of important meetings or deliberately introducing confusion to the notification process. Our City Council and our Planning Commission have repeatedly asked that staff reports include more data pertinent to the project at hand so as to make an informed decision, yet staff continually ignores these requests, prompting one to believe a deliberate disconnect exists with the citizenry.
We live in a small community, with a work force that is dedicated to bringing out the best of Morro Bay, yet we have a management staff whose pay is commensurate with a county salary. I don’t mind anyone being paid a decent salary, but am forced to ask: just what is it we have received for these high salaries and bloated perks and why must we continue down this road? I think it might be prudent to consider a change. Maybe it's time to initiate the process by which we are, once again, governed by our democratically elected representatives . . . with the help of a city administrator.
Respectfully,
Roger Ewing
Egret and Heron image in banner by Mike Baird. |
