Roger Clark
The La Jolla Association
The La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) is recognized by the San Diego City Council to make recommendations to the San Diego City Council, the San Diego Planning Commission, the San Diego City staff and other governmental agencies on land use matters. LJCPA standard operating procedures and responsibilities are outlined in San Diego City Council Policy 600-24 and LJCPA Bylaws. The purpose of San Diego City Council Policy 600-24 and the San Diego City approved LJCPA’s Bylaws are to identify responsibilities and to establish minimum operating procedures governing the conduct of the LJCPA when operating in its official recognized capacity for the City of San Diego.
With this in mind I read the recent article written by the President of the LJCPA (who is a resident of Point Loma) titled; “Community View: Acknowledging errors leads to improving the process” with great interest. I have concluded; the article in the La Jolla Light outlined “His View” not the “La Jolla Community View”. The LJCPA review process is broken and is not working for many reasons. Here are just two reasons as it relates to this article;
1. “Votes taken on agenda items shall reflect the positions taken by the elected or appointed positions of the planning group,” according to San Diego City Council Policy 600-24. On August 4th 2011, by an 8 to 4 vote the LJCPA voted to appeal Mr. Crisafi’s project. The President and only the President of the LJCPA is responsible to report LJCPA’s vote to the City of San Diego Project Manger in an official correspondence or a letter. This assures the LJCPA actions are included in the report to the decision makers. This was not done.
2. The President insinuated there was confusion as to who would file the LJCPA’s appeal, Mr. Cristfi, Mr. Merten or Mr. La Cava? There is no confusion according to City of San Diego appeal procedure (Information Bulletin 505); “When a recognized Community Planning Group (LJCPA) files an appeal, the Appeal Form must be signed by the current Chair or President of the applicable group”. This was not done.
According to San Diego City Council Policy 600-24 and the LJCPA bylaws; “In cases of alleged violations of the LJCPA Bylaws or San Diego City Council Policy 600-24 by a Trustee, the Board of Trustees shall conduct an investigation consistent with 600-24 and the LJCPA Bylaws” . The Community View is; we will wait for the results of the investigation by the Board of the LJCPA Trustees.
Related Topics:La Jolla Community Planning Association, LJCPA, Tony Crisafi, Phil Merten, Joe La Cava, appeal