City Attorney: Investigators checking allegation that city employees placed residents at Golden Avenue group home
City Attorney James F. Penman said Wednesday afternoon that personnel in his office are interviewing an individual who believes city officials have placed residents at a group home that's under investigation following the discovery of unsanitary conditions there.
"We have received at least one allegation that a city department may have been placing people at this home for some time," Penman said. "We're interviewing the individual who is making that allegation today."
The Police Department is investigating to determine if any felonies occurred at the group home, which is in the 2800 block of Golden Avenue. Lt. Dan Keil said detectives are looking for things like financial issues, licensing problems and whether medication was illegally dispensed among residents.
Keil said he had not heard of any allegations that anyone in the city's employ made placements at the group home.
"I am not aware of any direct placements at these facilities," Keil said.
Keil added that investigators were checking to see if any of the Golden Avenue home's residents were wards of the court or placed in conservatorship.
He also said any placements at any group home would typically be made by a county agency, not a city department.
Jim Morris, chief of staff to Mayor Pat Morris, similarly said that city departments are not supposed to place individuals at residential facilities. The only exception he mentioned is relocation assistance that he said is administered through the City Attorney's Office.
Penman also said he is displeased that a meeting that had been scheduled to involve his office, as well as members of the Police, Fire and Code Enforcement departments has been postponed.
The meeting, initially set to have taken place Wednesday afternoon, is now postponed until Monday because City Manager Charles McNeely is on vacation. Penman said he is concerned that the delay could impede the parallel investigations being conducted by police investigating potential felonies and other city staffers checking for misdemeanor or municipal code violations.
Catherine Pritchett in the City Manager's Office confirmed that meeting had been rescheduled but added that she sees absolutely no reason for the postponement to affect ongoing investigations.
The city's Code Enforcement Department was not part of the city's initial response to the Golden Avenue home because of budget cuts. The department is closed on Fridays.
Marianne Milligan, the department's deputy director, said Code Enforcement officers were dispatched Tuesday and have already issued a notice of violation. Observed code violations include razor wire around the home, the conversion of an aviary into living quarters and trash and debris around the residence.
Milligan said there are no records of any prior complaints of code violations at the Golden Avenue home. She said the house is in a neighborhood that was annexed into San Bernardino in 2006.
6 Comments
Leave a comment
About SB Now Blog
Andrew Edwards. E-mail Andrew here.
Ms Milligan!!!!!!!!
"GIBBERSIH"
Your department couldn't find a record of complaint if it was pinned to your nose.
I and 3 neighbors filed complaints for almost 2 years on some squatters on vacant land,and when the last complaint was sent to the top( even by passing the councilman,and a clerk), it was found that your web site was sending code complaints to the building department who did not pass them on to your department. They did have the complaints on record. 2 years of dropping the ball. You might look there now!
Between PD not making reports ( thus reduction in crime) and your department ignoring complaints due to some foul up in your illustrious system,= no foul, no blame right?????????
AMEN!!! If Ms. Milligan didn't find complaints it's because she had them deleted to remove embarrassment of her department. Too bad her staff has to live with her incompetence and the taxpayers pay big for that incompetence. She is Pat's golden girl, go get em Marianne! You'll be city attorney soon!!! NOT!!!
Did you say that our new city manager MacNeely is on vacation? Didn't he just start working for the city in June? He doesn't even have a year on the job and he already has accrued vacation time? Boy do I feel like a working stiff!
MacNeeley just happened to call in from where he was vacationing to postpone the meeting called with the city attorney, PD, and code enforcement? Wasn't this meeting called to continue the investigation into the illegal group home on Golden Ave.? Isn't there a deputy city manager? Isn't that why we have 2nd in commands so that the business of the city can continue without interruptions? What are we paying these people? Boy do I feel like a peon!
How can the spokesperson for the city manager's office state that even though the meeting has been postponed it will not impede the investigation? How can she say this? Everyone knows that investigations into alleged crimes are time sensitive, especially when people may be victimized. Boy do I feel like someone is trying to pull the wool over my eyes! No way!!
If I had the actual "name" of this group home, I'd be able to dig up what the connection is...I have my ideas, but I would really, REALLY appreciate knowing the "name" of the group home, not just the owner's name...Any ideas, Andrew?
to: 2nd ward voter said:
POW!!! You hit the nail on the head!!!!!
Great comments and Amen!!!
A team of comedy writers could not come up with a script to top this.
Mentally disabled people are discovered living in former chicken coops where they have been padlo0ckred at night.
People living nearby say they've complained to the city time & again & been ignored.
Police officers hold an after-the-fact press opportunity to explain that it's not so bad. (Don't pay any attention to those strange trains with boxcars crammed full of people that are headed toward mysterious "factories" with smokestacks, folks. All is well, the chancellor knows best.)
A sweeping conference of city department heads to address the situation can't be held because the city manager, weary after an exhausing three months on the job is on vacation.
It's a wonder that everyone in City Hall isn't worn out from all the effort they put in camouflaging their mistakes.
This show is brought to you courtesy of Mayor Disoriented & Sonny Airhead, the same guys who were napping at the switch when pettet gun shootouts were being held by city staff members to teach kids how to steer clear of lives of crime.