Re: “A City Council That Ignores the People”
Hi, Les Greenberg. Thanks for the tirade that was full of lies, half-truths and innuendos. I would expect nothing less of you!
You asked why I wanted to disturb the peace and quiet of Farragut residents.
You obviously miss the point, as you often do. I personally would like to see the Farragut residents have the same parking protections as all of the residents of the streets that currently have the now standard residential parking restrictions of limiting non-permit holders to park for two hours, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Here are a few of my reasons:
- It upsets me when I see elderly members of our church choir having to walk two or three blocks to a Thursday night choir practice when there are 12 EMPTY parking spaces within 200 feet of the choir room.
- It upsets me even more when an unsuspecting person, who lives in his car, gets a $ 65 ticket when he misread the confusing signs on Farragut that say “No Parking” from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and they think it reads 8 p.m. to 10 a.m. The $65 he had to spend on the ticket would pay his entire food bill for a week. In this instance, he was parked for less than 30 minutes. However, a resident of Farragut Drive called the police within five minutes of when he parked. Grace Diner, who offers free meals to the homeless and the hungry each Monday night from 4:30 until 6, paid the ticket rather than have the man struggle even more than he does already.
- It’s also aggravating to see a mother, with two young children, having to hustle them three or more blocks to a La Playa Nursery School meeting at our church when there are 12 EMPTY parking spaces within 200 feet of the church.
The residents of Farragut Drive were offered the now standard parking restrictions in place of the current overly restrictive hours that they now have.
Instead of accepting this offer, you chose to sue the city, and cause them to spend several hundreds of thousands of dollars defending their actions which were legal based on the fact that you lost the lawsuit and the appeal.
This is clearly on you, even though you continue to try to shift the blame to me and the city.
You are the attorney for the residents on Farragut Drive You are the one who goes to the courthouse and files the action.
Neither Grace Church, nor the city of Culver City has ever suggested that the residents of Farragut Drive have no parking protection.
If you look at a parking map of the city, you will see that there are no other streets within a mile of Farragut Drive that have the same restrictions as your block on Farragut.
What makes this block of Farragut any different than the block of Farragut that is closer to the schools? Or any different than Franklin Avenue, which also abuts the church property and dead ends at the schools? One of the differences is that your official photographer, John Heyl, is constantly taking pictures of cars and the people exiting those cars, even when they are parking on a Sunday when there is no parking restriction. This is the same John Heyl who said several times on a Channel 4 news video that he just wants to be “left alone.”
I have to assume the residents who live on the 10700 block of Farragut Drive knew they were buying a house on a street that has three schools on one end, an active church on the other end, and a park in the center. Why wouldn’t they also assume there would be traffic and pedestrians using the street and sidewalks? If they want to be left alone, maybe they should have chosen a more rural setting in which to live.
Mr. Smith, a member of Grace Lutheran, may be contacted at kenandjoz@ca.rr.com
Gee, Ken, so nice to hear from you even though you recognize that I am an attorney and have defamed me in my trade or profession by accusing me writing some unspecified “tirade” that you claim is “full of lies, half-truths and innuendos.” By the way, I do not represent ALL the residents on Farragut, but I represent some on limited issues.
You finally admit that you “wanted to disturb the peace and quiet of Farragut residents.” Really, Ken, it was obvious and we knew it, but it is nice to have your written admission. You have no right to dictate which parking restrictions apply to Farragut. This is a legal issue between Culver City and residents of Farragut.
Ken, we offered the City a get-out-of-jail-free card to avoid any legal fees in the first Brown-Act lawsuit. The City told us to take a hike. So, we hiked to the courthouse. Don’t blame us that your protégé is not more sensible with the City’s treasury. We have not lost the lawsuit. It is on appeal.
Your “reasons” are most interesting. You claim that there were 3 instances in 34 years where someone was inconvenienced by the Farragut Parking Restrictions. You do not identify the persons allegedly involved or the dates of the instances. It is hard to argue with such vague allegations. I seriously doubt that you see “elderly members … having to walk two or three blocks….” Your vision must be better than 20/20. Do they have a car? If so, why don’t they apply for a handicap sticker? If they don’t have a car, then what difference is it to them (or you) if any space is available on Farragut? Someone misreads a sign and you imply that it is the Farragut residents’ fault? (It is nice you paid the ticket, but you are not the only person who does good deeds.) Who is the “mother, with the young children”? (Same questions asked with regard to the “elderly members,” above.)
Ken, I just don’t believe that you are telling the truth. Even if you are, that should not be the basis for “want[ing] to disturb the peace and quiet of Farragut residents.” First, handicapped persons should apply for and get exemption stickers if they have cars. Second, you have refused to explore off-site parking options. Third, the sign-reading problem won’t repeat itself. Fourth, why did the church construct a building without any parking? Fifth, why did you grow the church to where you accommodate 3 other churches and 59 weekly activities without any parking? Why?
Bottom line, the Church does not have any need for additional parking. You are concerned that Franklin and Farragut should have the same parking restriction. We have encouraged the Franklin residents to apply for permit-only parking to protect their street from being the Church’s parking lot. Why should we suffer because they will not act to protect themselves?
When many Farragut residents bought and improved their homes, they relied upon the Farragut Parking Restrictions to offer them protection from the Church and other issues. Let me repeat, when Farragut residents bought and improved their homes, they relied upon the Farragut Parking Restrictions to offer them protection from the Church and other issues.
The “left alone” issue refers to being left alone from your cravings to punish us when the church has absolutely no need. Ken, 3 instances in 34 years, does not justify the anxiety you are causing the Farragut residents and the expense you have caused and will cause to the City.
You can stop this silliness. Just tell you political protégé that you have come to your senses and want to be a good neighbor.
P.S. Why isn’t the City asking the Church to pay the $35,000 for the useless “traffic study,” which is designed to fail?
Les, you haven’t a clue what being a “good neighbor” means. You’re so called get-out-of-jail free card included an admission that the city council violated the Brown Act. Apparently the judge who through your case out of court for lack of merit, not once, but twice, agreed that the city did not violate the Brown Act.
That’s 2 for the good guys. I hope you are enjoying all of the comments on the various facebook posts about how selfish some of the residents of the 10700 block of Farragut Dr. appear to be. The fact remains, if the residents of any other block in the city applied for the same hours of restricted parking that were mistakenly given to your block (and I don’t mean that literally, though apparently you do), the city would have to do a parking study in order to prove whether or not they deserved those restriction. That’s never happened on Farragut Dr. Why is that block so special??
Is being a “good neighbor” giving away long-standing-hard-earned legal rights? Or, is it standing up to government officials who belong in Central America?
Use of the get-out-of-jail-card free absolutely does NOT include an admission. The Brown Act letter required states, “In order to avoid unnecessary litigation and without admitting any violation of the Ralph M. Brown Act….” (Government Code, § 54960.2(c)(1).) It further states, “[A]n unconditional commitment shall not be construed or admissible as evidence of a violation of this chapter.” (Id, 54960.2(c)(4).) The problem is that information you and other politicos receive comes through too many filters who are trying to protect their backsides from their errors in judgment. Ask me. I’ll tell you the truth. They won’t and will cost this City an unnecessary $1million in legal fees, and, then try to blame me for their improper acts and errors in judgment. There are some real incompetents in Culver City’s government. How they handled Brown Act I is an example. We begged the City Council to walk without paying any legal fees.
Can you get me a copy of the “facebook posts”? I’m not allowed on the site. It is very undemocratic. But that’s Culver City. Come on Ken, be a good neighbor.
What evidence do you have that the Farragut Parking Restrictions “were mistakenly given to your block”? This same City Council grandfathered us in November 2013. On September 8, 2014, in response to badgering by Weissman, the City Engineer wrote “I’m not comfortable saying that as it is possible that a parking impact analysis of some sort was conducted when the original restrictions were put in place. Unfortunately, unless we find more information, it is really hard to say for sure one way or the other.” On September 23, 2013, the Traffic Engineer stated, “Farragut, west of Overland. We would not propose to change that. … These are all locations that have very specific impacts, that have been quantified in the past, and we would not seek uniformity in these locations.” (Video Transcript [VT] at 53:10 – 55:20; emphasis added.) So, do you know more than the experts?