A “deficit” is spending more than you bring in

June 18, 2014 Harbor District meeting, Agenda Item 7

Commissioner Brennan's comments on the FY 2014/2015 Final Budget:

The summary letter included with the FY 2014/2015 Final Budget paints a misleading and deceptive picture of the Harbor District's financial situation.

The letter implies that the District has $11.5 million free and clear without any outstanding obligations. This is simply not the case.

A structural operational deficit, continuing debt payments, emergency projects/repairs (such as the 2013 replacement of a leaky sewage pipe under Johnson Pier and the recent 2014 Pillar Point Harbor sewage spill/pipe repairs) and the ongoing need for capital projects puts the District in a severely constrained cash position beginning in the 2015/2016 Fiscal Year.  

It's vital that the Strategic Business Plan address the structural deficit, and be complete by the beginning of the 2015/2016 budget cycle.  

I'm voting NO on the the FY 14/15 budget because it reflects wishful thinking and does little to reduce spending.

Harbor signs new contract with divisive manager

Half Moon Bay Review  .  Mark Noack  .  June 18, 2014

What's up with Fish Buying Fees?

On April 21, 2014, I requested the 2013 Fish Buying Fee data. I wanted to review fee revenue collected monthly under the new 2012 Fish Buying lease agreements. 2013 was the first full year fish buying fees were required under the new lease agreements.  

On May 21, 2014, I received the Harbor District's fourth revised spreadsheet of 2013 Fish Buying fees collected.  After receiving so much inconsistent information I'm not sure if I'm being provided with accurate data.  Also, the fish buying fees collected (as noted in the most recent version of the District's spreadsheet) do not match the Fish & Game catch data.  It appears the District has been significantly underpaid.  I wonder why fish buying fees have not been collected accurately and why management did not alert the board about the problem?

On June 11, 2014 I received  the Harbor District's fifth revised spreadsheet of 2013 Fish Buying fees collected and April/May 2014 fee worksheets.

May 21, 2014 8:35:21am (from HR)

Fish Buying Fee data from Harbor District management  →

May 19, 2014 12:18:22pm (from GM)  

Fish Buying Fee worksheets →

May 19, 2014 11:02am (from HR)

Fish Buying Fee data from Harbor District management →

May 19, 2014 8:42:44am (from HR)

"One change, it should read Pillar Point Fishery, not Pillar Point Seafood."

April 22, 2014 4:06:30pm (from HR)

Fish Buying Fee data from Harbor District management →

June 11, 2014 3:25:28pm (from HR) 

Fish Buying Fee data from Harbor District management →

Fish Buying Fee worksheets →

Unfriendly Meeting Agenda: June 4, 2014

I'm disappointed the June 4, 2014 Harbor District meeting agenda includes Public Comment at the end of the meeting. Standard practice by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and other public agencies is to hold Public Comment at the beginning of the meeting, not the end.

I'm also disappointed that Item 19 "Commissioner Agenda Setting" is not included near the beginning of the public meeting. With the board majority enforcing a self-imposed 10:00pm "hard-stop" it will be impossible for Commissioners to place items on a future agenda and impossible for the public to comment on items not included on the agenda.

It's unlikely the Commission will be able to hold Closed Session and cover all 19 agenda items before 10:00pm.  

Meeting Location:

• Sea Crest School Gymnasium
• 901 Arnold Way
• Half Moon Bay, CA 94109

Meeting Time:

• 6:00pm

Link to Agenda PDF

Link to Board Packet PDF  -file takes time to load

Please attend the meeting

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From the Brown Act:

54954.3  (a) Every agenda for regular meetings shall provide an
opportunity for members of the public to directly address the
legislative body on any item of interest to the public, before or
during the legislative body's consideration of the item, that is
within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body,
provided that no action shall be taken on any item not appearing on
the agenda unless the action is otherwise authorized by subdivision
(b) of Section 54954.2.  [...]  Every notice for a special
meeting shall provide an opportunity for members of the public to
directly address the legislative body concerning any item that has
been described in the notice for the meeting before or during
consideration of that item.

Those two provisions taken together mean that all regular meetings must allow public comments on items not on the agenda, but special meetings only need to allow comments on items which are on the agenda.  Of course, any public-friendly agency will generally allow non-agenda comments at most special meetings.