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    • 08-07-09

    Contract with Monterey is a done deal

    In the face of burgeoning costs for a preferred in-house model, the City of Pacific Grove will instead contract with the city of Monterey for building services

    “This model will cost approximately $150,000 less than an in-house model,” said Jim Becklenberg, Director of Management and Budget. He also indicated in his staff report that a contract service model such as the one be proposed following with the City of Monterey would afford Pacific Grove more flexibility and take less time to implement than would an in-house model.

    Another factor in the decision was the need to provide continued customer service at a level that Pacific Grove’s people have come to expect. The current, interim model uses a contract with Monterey for Chief Building Official services. Monterey also provides plan check services. Building inspection services are provided with an outside company, Precision Inspection company, Inc. City staff performs application intake duties, while every aspect is overseen by the City’s Chief Planner.

    Back in April, the City Council was shown proposals for contract services and opted to accept the proposal from the City of Monterey while continuing the interim plan until now. Becklenberg told the Council that he and staff are confident that Monterey will provide the full range of services requested in Pacific Grove’ request for proposals, and in fact will improve on some areas.

    Monterey will:

    The agreement will be effective from September 1, 2009 through June 30, 2013 with a 180-day termination required. With revenues expected to be $364,000 for fiscal year 2009/10, and a total cost of $402,000 for the contract services, the cost to Pacific Grove would be $129,000 after subtracting $273,000, which represents the 75 percent of the permit revenue retained by Monterey.


    Library tax heads for fall ballot

    The Pacific Grove City Council has approved a resolution declaring a fiscal emergency requiring the urgent enactment of a special parcel tax to “preserve the public health, safety and welfare” of Pacific Grove - to wit, save the library. The legal declaration of the existence of a fiscal emergency is not required to place the special tax on the ballot but was directed by the city council at its July 15, 2009 meeting. The city council voted to call a special election.

    The new parcel tax measure will read: PACIFIC GROVE LIBRARY FUNDING MEASURE (designation to be determined ) Shall the City of Pacific Grove Library Funding Measure be approved to enact an ordinance to create a Special Parcel Tax and limit that revenue to the sole purpose of maintaining and improving services at the Pacific Grove Public Library? Read more…»

    The resignation: Cort and Council under fire

    By Marge Ann Jameson and Cameron Douglas

    Stunning his constituents - and most of the rest of the Monterey Peninsula — Mayor Dan Cort has offered to resign in the face of what appears to be a narrowly based recall effort on the part of some disgruntled citizens.

    Many in Pacific Grove awakened Tuesday morning, August 4, to the mayor’s email, which stated that he himself had received an email from David Dilworth threatening that if Cort did not resign by 11:45 a.m. that morning, Dilworth would go forward with a recall campaign. Cort stated that he believes it was an attempt to keep him from voting on the Police Officer Association contract on the council agenda for the August 5, 2009 meeting. Read more…»

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