My news item on Topix:
Santa Cruz News - Topix
The Measure K Committee met on June 15, 2009 and accomplished as little as possible thanks to the transparent subterfuges of chair Mary Lou Goeke, who is also an executive director of United Way and therefore the hand-maiden of the local chamber of commerce. Obviously aligned with Mary Lou are vice-chair James King, who suggested they discuss cutting the meetings from twice a year to once a year, and member William Christie, who provided the 3rd vote to accept the so-called report.
This was the first meeting of Tony Madrigal's appointee David Partida. He mostly listened, saying little if anything. But when he voted firmly and without hesitation against approving the report, it was obvious he had been paying attention.
The most telling point for me was when Anita Henri requested some sort of information about these 123 marijuana arrests or citations, beginning with how many were arrests and how many were citations, and chairwoman Goeke decided at the next meeting they would look at 1 (one) sample of the information that could be provided according to the city attorney's interpretation of state law.
Keep in mind, it was the city attorney that represented the police department against Measure K with the result that sections requiring a separate report to be filled out by the police for marijuana arrests and requiring the police to provide any other information to the committee were striken from the ordinance.
Measure K was passed by 68% of Santa Cruz voters.
Eric Rice and Larry True have previously resigned in disgust. Larry True stated, "I joined the committee looking for a way to serve the community ... I feel like the committee is no more than a rubber stamp for the police department."
Two members were not present, Caroline Hawkins and Candi Jackson. Ryan Coonerty's appointment to the committee has yet to be made.
The next meeting is scheduled for 5:30pm December 14, 2009.
Given the committee has been stacked by the city council with members hostile to Measure K and to oversight and civilian review of the police department, I expect the committee to vote to meet only once a year and to quash any attempt to verify or examine the numbers provided to it by the police department.