Opinion and Commentary By Donna Westfall – May 20, 2024

I blew it at the City Council meeting tonight. All members were present with the exception of Jason Greenough I couldn’t find my glasses and therefore couldn’t read everything I had prepared, so herein is what was prepared:

“I’m Donna Westfall and live in the city. First,  I’d like to thank you for having a FREE yearly clean up of brush. I wish more City residents would take advantage and maintain their yards.

Next, while cleaning out a closet I came across this t-shirt. As you can see it’s to recall three city council members back in the day when I sat on the Council.

The first picture is of Kelly Schellong.  Now why would that be?

Was it because she didn’t listen to all the scientific evidence about the poison fluoride in our water for 44 years which meant it took two tries at the ballot box to turn it off?

Was it because she wouldn’t investigate when I or others would bring concerns about the former public works director to her attention?

Let’s just review a few of those concerns:

1.We were told that the city council accepted the 1 and only bid when 3 bids were required.  We were told that other contractors didn’t bid because they were too far away.  That was a lie because we; meaning me and others of the public talked to those contractors.

2. We learned that an employee at the wastewater treatment plant was fired because he wouldn’t comply with “illegal acts” by the former public works director.  This had to do with Instrumentation: which means that instead of taking care of danger levels in the waste the plant spews out into our ocean, the adjustments are made to the instrumentation to read within acceptable ranges.  That employee would not fool around with the instrumentation and tried locking out the former public works director, but was unsuccessful.

We learned that he went to Kelly Schellong who then threw him under the bus. 

To sum up; Kelly Schellong turned her head at reports and evidence and a whistleblower.  And yet when Measure S came up, the 1% sales tax, who was picked to be on the Citizens Oversight Committee?

Kelly Schellong.

And now who was appointed to be on the City Council?

Kelly Schellong.

Do you blame me for not believing what goes on at the Measure S Oversight Committee meetings since I have a history of not believing a group where all five are like-minded? 

Here’s a question?  Did the City Council ever discuss reducing expenses before approving Measure S?

Here’s another question?  Did the group appointing the Oversight Committee members ever think to approve someone that was not in favor of this tax?

Here’s the last question?   Why should someone like me, from the public, believe that the Measure S Citizens Oversight Committee is actually watching and delving into how taxpayer dollars are being spent when someone like Kelly Schellong has, in my opinion, such a bad history on protecting taxpayer dollars?

Thank you for allowing me to express my opinion.”

Now, the city states they received $2.3 million from the 1% sales tax. Remember that this tax has no ending date. It ends only when the public has had enough of paying taxes. And that has to happen through the ballot box.

Petitions are circulating to repeal this tax at the November ballot box. Only registered voters in the City can sign. We’d like 150-200 signatures to make sure we have enough. Our deadline is June 27th to hand them in to City Hall.