News for San Bernardino, coming in fast and heavy like a thrash metal rhythm ...
The City Council, acting as the Community Development Commission, authorized Economic Development Agency officials to begin redevelopment efforts for "The Meridians," a cluster of Westside apartments that are regarded as hotspots for crime and other problems. The apartments will likely be razed, and the EDA will be obligated to help current residents find new homes.
The council again redirected Measure Z funds for the Police Department. Earlier, the council voted to divert sales tax revenues from SBPD's helicopter program to finance six sworn officers' positions. However, the council again changed its mind Monday and opted to fund five nonsworn positions. SBPD doesn't lose any cops with the move but financing the civilians' jobs reinstates five positions that were on tap to be excised from the Police Department's budget.
In other personnel news, the council accepted several staffers' voluntary demotions as means to preserve jobs during this lean budget year.
Acting City Manager Lori Sassoon after the close of the long meeting that the council and Police Chief Michael Billdt are scheduled to meet in a special closed-door session meeting on Wednesday.
The police union has voted no confidence in Billdt and union president Sgt. Rich Lawhead spoke at the close of the meeting to repeat the union's demand for a change in leadership and call for outside intervention in the management of SBPD.
Billdt did not speak at the meeting. He has said he wants to resolve the rift with the rank and file and continue to be in charge of the city's crime fighting operations.
Andrew Edwards. E-mail Andrew here.
Andrew,
You missed the biggest story of the night. The Police Department's civilian employees who are part of a different union than the officers have now conducted a survey of their confidence in Billdt. Their representative Mike Yandell anounced the results tonight at the end of the council meeting.
114 polled
106 no confidence
8 confidence
**Breaks out the Metallica and Dio to celebrate good news: we get our PD employees back** YAY!
Thats nice of the general unit president to worry about the police chief what he need to worry about his general unit members that are being laid off or as the city calls it volentary demotion those two words have a nice ring to them don't they. Our jobs farmed out to contactors and he's worried about a no confedence vote of the police chief. Come on people let wake up the cities a mess and lets fix it save these peoples jobs and pass out some of Esters magic tea leaves and clean house and start over again.
Thats nice of the general unit president to worry about the police chief what he need to worry about his general unit members that are being laid off or as the city calls it volentary demotion those two words have a nice ring to them don't they. Our jobs farmed out to contactors and he's worried about a no confedence vote of the police chief. Come on people let wake up the cities a mess and lets fix it save these peoples jobs and pass out some of Esters magic tea leaves and clean house and start over again.