From: [email protected]
To: Clerk; [email protected]; Luz Molina; Marcus Bush; Jose Rodriguez; [email protected] Subject: Re: COMMENT FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 8:51:12 AM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders.
Dear Mayor and City Council,
My name is Diane Grace & I am here as a concerned parent and grandparent, and community volunteer.
Because we are headed into the holiday season I wanted to share with you an excellent info pamphlet created by UC San Diego School of Medicine entitled .. "Driving High is a DUI".
It reminds us that 56% of drivers in serious injury and fatal crashes test positive for at least one drug. THC, tetra-hydro-ca-nab’-inol, the hallucinogen in marijuana, is the most common drug detected.
In California it is illegal to drive under the influence of any impairing substance, including marijuana.
The signs of cannabis impairment in drivers include:
Slowed reaction time
Lane weaving
Trouble controlling speed
The "Driving High is a DUI" pamphlet warns that Edibles affect people differently than vaping and smoking.
While both result in a intoxication, the effects of edibles are delayed.
With edibles, users may consume more than intended before feeling any effects, resulting in higher levels of impairment.
According to SANDAG information, the age initiation of marijuana use in San Diego County is now 12.
It is very important that all messaging from adults states clearly the harm associated with marijuana smoking, vaping and consumption, and driving.
General Comment - Diane Grace
That is NOT the message that the billboards all around National City are conveying about marijuana use…that needs to change now.
Thank you.
Diane Grace
From: [email protected] on behalf of eSCRIBE.Admin To: Tonya Hussain
Subject: Public Comment Approval Request
Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 1:35:20 PM
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User Ted Godshalk has enter the following comment(s):
I am against 9.6 and 9.7 SCI went on spending time and our money, until the first $60,000 was put into an agreement, but then that spending limit was overshot by another $40,000.
Unapproved spending. You should question SCI and consider their contract deeply. How did no one at City Hall stop this? How did you miss the Warrant Registers for unapproved work? Why do you not require an UPDATE of the city’s cannabis work and costs. When will you stop throwing our city’s money into this Money Pit?
for Approving the Second Amendment to an Agreement Between the City of National City and SCI Consulting Group to Provide Cannabis-Related Management and Monitoring Services. in Regular City Council Meeting 12/5/2023 6:00:00 PM Please log into eSCRIBE to review the submitted comment(s).
Item 9.6 - Ted Godshalk
From: Ted Godshalk
To: Public Comment
Subject: Public Comment for item 9.6 from Mr. Ted Godshalk Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 1:35:22 PM
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Public Comment for item 9.6 from Mr. Ted Godshalk:
Council,
Do you know the definition of a "Money Pit?”
Often this term is used in conjunction with a house or building. The house may have serious visible signs of damage that are clear red flags- warnings that things are worse going forward.
Some of us in the community have long warned you of the unexpected costs associated with allowing Cannabis and marijuana products to be sold in our city. You have approved applications, and you have been sued for the process.
We warned you about this.
You have hired legal help and consultants. You had to fire the first consultant group, HdL. Only two members of this Council have voted in favor of the weed sellers. Most of the rest of the people who were here in October 2021 are gone. Sotello, Rios, Raulston, Winney, Quintero, Parra, Yano, Bell, Ryan and more have left the City of National City.
This contract with SCI for services with cannabis application management is an example of the money pit that is staring you in the face. City Manager Raulston signed up SCI to cover for the Hdl vacancy with a small contract for which he did not bother to get the approval of City Council. Mr. Raulston set up a system which gave his office the control of the cannabis program. This is a system that rewards the regulators with job security. Until they jump. And you let him, or did you encourage him? Have you been insulating yourselves from the smell of the weed? When we had several interim City Managers, the consultant SCI went right on spending time and our money, until the first $60,000 was put into an agreement, but then that spending limit was overshot by another $40,000.
Unapproved spending. You should question the way SCI operates and consider their contract deeply.
How did no one at City Hall stop this? How did you miss the Warrant Registers to pay SCI for unapproved work? Why do you not require an UPDATE of the city’s cannabis work and costs so far? When will you stop throwing our city’s money into this Money Pit? Ted Godshalk
From: [email protected] on behalf of eSCRIBE.Admin To: Tonya Hussain
Subject: Public Comment Approval Request
Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 12:16:09 PM
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User Ted Godshalk has enter the following comment(s):
This request should be viewed as one step toward making Cleveland Avenue safer for all users. In the last two weeks, we have had two serious accidents due to speeding, poor sight lines, and other reasons. More than just "No Truck Parking" signs needs to be done. PLEASE
READ MY EMAIL SENT TO THE CLERK FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING FOR MORE DETAILS.
for Installation of “No Parking Vehicles Over 6’ High” signs to prohibit parking for oversized vehicles in front of the property at 2240 Cleveland Avenue. in Regular City Council Meeting 12/5/2023 6:00:00 PM
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Item 9.13 - Ted Godshalk
From: Ted Godshalk
To: Public Comment
Subject: Public comment for Item 9.13 from Mr. Ted Godshalk Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 12:18:08 PM
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Public comment for Item 9.13 from Mr. Ted Godshalk
I think item 9.13 is very important for my neighborhood. Item 9.13 involves the no truck parking signs for Cleveland Ave and West 23rd Street. The new neighbors at 2240 Cleveland Ave. provide an important service to our region and deserve a safe environment, as we all do.
Several years ago, there was a similar remedy at Cleveland Avenue and West 22nd Street.
Trucks have long used the public streets in the area for "long term storage,” abandoning the truck for many days. When truckers want to sleep in the truck, they often idle all day and night, causing a noise nuisance and an attack on our air quality. Police and Parking enforcement has always been sparse in the area. Look at the See- Click- Fix reports.
In addition, the sight lines are minimized by trucks using on public spaces like this and in the last two weeks we have seen two high speed accidents on this street, with drivers being hospitalized and parked cars involved. I am concerned that the Bayshore Bikepath extension on McKinley Avenue, the closure of a large segment of Tidelands Avenue, the BNSF fuel station, and the Port District’s BEV charging station at 19th Street will aggravate the truck and employee parking in the entire area. A real hard look at all of the synergy of these developments must be taken. In the immediate time frame, more has to be done on Cleveland to make it safer. This parking change is one step.
I HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL SUGGESTION: At the time West 22nd Street and Cleveland had signs added, white parking stalls were added to the street. I’m surprised to see that the City Engineer did not include this on Cleveland as part of this remedy for the new neighbors we have there. This small modification provides a visual cue to truck drivers to keep going down the street.
Can you add the painted stalls along the Cleveland side in this request? Ted Godshalk
From: [email protected] on behalf of eSCRIBE.Admin To: Tonya Hussain
Subject: Public Comment Approval Request
Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 12:11:56 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders.
User Ted Godshalk has enter the following comment(s):
Please read my email concerning the City Manager contract. There are important questions National City's residents should hear from you and answers given in public. Don't try to handle this in the usual top-down fashion you have made with the last few executive decisions.
It is too important.
for Verbal Report-Out of Salary and Benefits in the Employment Agreement of the City Manager as Required by the Brown Act. in Regular City Council Meeting 12/5/2023 6:00:00 PM
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Item 11.4 - Ted Godshalk
From: Ted Godshalk
To: Public Comment
Subject: Public comment for Item #11.4 from Mr. Ted Godshalk Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 12:08:02 PM
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Public comment for Item #11.4 from Mr. Ted Godshalk:
Council and Mayor,
I request that you continue this item to appoint Mr. Ben Martinez to the next meeting so you can ask the following questions and provide the community with answers. 1- The staff report does not discuss the salary history of the City Manager position. Is the guaranteed raise, so early in the employment term warranted? Does this salary put upward pressure on other city positions?
2- There is no documentation of the salary comparisons with other public agencies. 3- There has been no review of the City Manager’s office operations for many years, while there have been other adjustments to other departments. Are there new "Best Management Practices" and more equitable procedures that need to be implemented? Does the City Manager’s office consume a proper percentage of the city’s budget? Are there proper checks and balances on the authority the City Manager has? What public involvement will this City Manager provide that we have not seen lately?
4- The public has never been adequately involved in this important matter going back to the time Mr. Raulston was first promoted to the position. How can you involve the public more in the selection of our City Manager?
Please continue this item to a future meeting so these questions can be offered and answered.
Thank you,
Ted Godshalk