Foothills Sentry February 2023

Foothills Sentry Page 2 February 2023 ja dtec. $ 15 95 /mo as low as SECURITY JADTEC aco# 4202 PREVENT + PROTECT 714 282 0828 | jadtec.com "OUSD finances" continued from page 1 down. You’re hiding it. This is a clear conflict of interest.” “I’m here as a taxpayer,” an- other said. “You [Ledesma] claim to be fiscally conservative, but this isn’t. It doesn’t look good for you.” Several OUSD parents noted how hard they worked to raise funds for student programs that the district “couldn’t afford.” “You are using taxpayer money for a buyout, and not for stu- dent services or education,” one shuddered. “Every parent who has ever volunteered for OUSD should be sickened by this.” An OUSD father acknowl- edged that, “I used to be con- cerned about Tim Surridge, but Ortega is the undercover influ- ence. Ortega and Ledesma had Velasquez waiting in the wings. This is cronyism, pure and sim- ple. It’s not how school boards should act.” “A shameful political stunt,” another called it. “He’s from Idaho. He’s the only person you could find? We should cut our losses now and not fund travel for a superintendent who lives out of state.” Not taking questions Trustee Kris Erickson had a lot of questions for the impend- ing superintendent. “The process in this situation was rushed, rash and outrageous, we don’t know anything about Velasquez,” she stressed. Ledesma stopped her, noting that it was inappropriate to question him because he hadn’t been named interim superinten- dent yet. “But you’re asking me to ap- prove his contract,” Erickson countered, “I have questions.” Ledesma suggested she should have asked questions and done her investigating before now. Er- ickson responded that she didn’t have time because his appoint- ment was “such a surprise.” “It was a 24-hour notice, spe- cial meeting,” Ledesma offered. “Who wouldn’t be surprised?” “If I could ask questions,” Er- ickson conceded, “I’d ask if he was interviewed by anyone? Does he have any real knowledge of OUSD? Does he have any aware- ness of California requirements? What does he think an academic audit is? You’re asking him to start an audit, he’ll be looking at programs you all approved. I’m concerned how this appears.” She also noted that Velasquez tion once the Water Board makes a decision.” Pay attention Councilwoman Ana Gutierrez suggested the city hold a public study session on the topic, invit- ing all stakeholders, including Chandler. Interim City Attorney "Wildlands" continued from page 1 Aerial view of the proposed fill-dirt dump on the Hurwitz site in East Orange. Elks join Wreaths Across America Orange Elks Lodge 1475 mem- bers and their families placed 100 wreaths on the graves of veterans at Fairhaven Memorial Park. Orange Elks member Brian Lawrence’s son Seth is seen plac- ing wreaths. On the drive home, Seth said the event “meant a lot to him, and he can’t wait to do it again next year.” Mary Binning advised against a public meeting. Better to wait un- til the Water Board makes a de- cision, she said, then we’ll know how it answered the questions. “Our status at the Water Board is as a citizen,” Binning added, noting that council members could attend the March hearing and make public comments. The permit is a discretionary action by the Water Board. It does not have to approve it. Chandler’s Sand & Gravel is the company that illegally dumped construction waste on the Sully-Miller site until the Lo- cal Enforcement Agency (LEA) issued a cease and desist to prop- erty owner Milan Capital. Nego- tiations are currently underway regarding the site clean up. Since no records were kept, no one knows what is buried there; LEA has reported the presence of con- taminants. faced a sexual harassment lawsuit in 2010 that was settled out of court by the Montebello School District. “It was 10 years ago,” she said, “but it gives me pause.” Need to know? Andrea Yamasaki interjected that she didn’t get a copy of the contract until Tuesday morning, and that she had to ask for it. She also noted that the original meet- ing agenda did not allow time for public comments, and a time slot was added only after she pointed it out. A big concern, she said, was that the employment contract did not have a cap on expenses. “There should be a cap,” she insisted. “It shouldn’t be open- ended.” Erickson subsequently mo- tioned to amend the contract, with a $1,000 per week cap on ex- penses. After some grumbling by Ledesma, who worried that Velas- quez might not agree, the motion passed with Erickson, Yamasaki, Ana Page and Angie Rumsey vot- ing “yes.” Ortega, Ledesma and Miner opposed the cap. The board went into closed session midway through the meeting. When it returned to the boardroom to address the rest of the agenda, Velasquez was seated in the superintendent’s chair.