Although it came before the Santa Barbara County Supervisors as a simple election certification matter, the apparently still raging Rincon septic-to-sewer conversion debate found new life this week as the supes voted 3-2 in favor of tabling a recent homeowner vote to approve the conversion until June 17 amid allegations from three public comments claiming that the April annexation vote was plagued with harassment and intimidation. (All three comments came from opponents to the proposed conversion.) The supes will now wait for the Local Agency Formation Committee to officially sign off on the vote, scheduled for June 5, before possibly launching their own investigation into the matter.
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I haven't been able to view the video of the meeting yet but these Rincon anti-Heal the Ocean, anti-clean up Rincon sewer people have proved to be relentless. Ben Weiss and his neighbor Bill Taylor are rich newcomer/transplants throwing around their money and pseudo-science to try to thwart the long hard work of the locals behind this beach cleanup. What I don't understand and I hope the Independent investigates, is how they got to Firestone. This is an issue as far to the 1st District as it gets and yet an administrative action to certify the vote is sabotaged by the 3 North County Supervisors without any staff support for their action? That does not just happen by chance. Good Karma that the same day, Firestone's handpicked successor goes down in flames. Hurray the Firestone reign is over. In the meantime it would be very interesting to find out what really went on here. Suddenly Centeo the cop is an expert on Prop 218 and again, without any staff support. You think he just dreamed that up on his own? Very fishy. Inquiring minds want to know!
sbreader (anonymous profile)
June 4, 2008 at 11:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OK I just watched the meeting on this and speaking as someone who has been following Santa Barbara area local politics for decades, that was weird and clearly the Rincon richies got to Firestone and Centeno, they didn't just come up with those arguments on their own. It is also almost unprecedented that on an Administrative matter from the 1st District, the 3rd District Supervisor takes the lead in sabotaging a vote certified by the County Elections Office. This is the North County Supervisors ganging up against the South County and a popular South County based environmental group, Heal the Ocean even when County Counsel is telling them they have no legal authority to do so and they have no staff support whatsoever for what they did. This is the ugliest of the North County against South County interests I have seen in a long time and thank God it is soon going to end with Firestone going out to pasture and his handpicked successor going down in flames. The speakers upon whom they supposedly based their action were three people from the same household, a long time opponent of the ocean water quality improvements that were approved by the vote, and the infamous Mr. Taylor. Politics really can be ugly especially when practiced that way by rich people with selfish motives.
sbreader (anonymous profile)
June 5, 2008 at 2:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
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