Audience weighed in

When Ishmael Trone, co-chair of the Fair Oaks PAC and the former Developer Selection Committee spoke during public comment, it was in line with an e-mail distributed prior to last night's meeting (bold text as per original):

In an effort to keep the Pasadena and Altadena community aware of the politics surrounding the Heritage Square Development, please see attached flyer announcing the most important meeting thus far.

To date, the mayor has outright said the community and certain city staffers were not intelligent enough to select the RIGHT developer for the project.

Hired an Orange County investigator to create a report to validate his assertion that the process was manipulated by city staffers and community members to favor the Bakewell Company, thus creating a smear campaign upon volunteer community members and his own staff. The report cites no manipulation noted. The entire report is inconclusive as no community members were interviewed, only certain city staffers whose names were not mentioned!

Has said openly that all 5 committees were wrong in their selection.

Has met with the owner of Century Housing prior to the announcement of their departure as a partner with the Bakewell company.

Has denied the winner of the RFP process the opportunity to enter into a exclusive negotiation process.

And finally, has no concrete explanations for any of his actions, as noted by his responses at the recent Town Hall Meeting at Jackie Robinson on September 19, 2007.

THE BAKEWELL COMPANY IS SET TO INTRODUCE THEIR NEW PARTNER FOR THE HERITAGE SQUARE DEVELOPMENT.

THE CITY MANAGER IS SET TO ANNOUNCE HER RECOMMENDATION TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS OR START ALL OVER.

THIS IS THE MEETING WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.

YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED!!!!!

Ishmael Trone,
Co-Chair: Fair Oaks PAC
Co-Chair: Heritage Square Developer Selection Committee
Director: San Gabriel Valley Black Business Association