Artist's rendering of new Emeryville Center for Community Life
Artist's rendering of new Emeryville Center for Community Life
Enomoto Questions Committee’s Role and Responsibility for Future Emeryville Center for Community Life (ECCL)
Long-time Emeryville resident Shirley Enomoto said she had complained for months that the Measure J Citizen Oversight Committee (COC) lacked a clearly defined role and appeared to have little or no power, or respect, from the educators and city council members who appointed it. To no avail. After getting no meaningful response to her concerns, Enomoto resigned from the Committee “with a heavy heart.”
“It’s very obvious to me that the City/ Schools Committee still does not know or want to say what the role and responsibilites of the COC are,” Enomoto said in her resignation letter, which she submitted to COC Committee Chair Brian Carver. “They seem very reluctant to give any control to the COC and appear fearful that the Committee wants to “approve” expenditures rather than simply review them, which is one of the committee’s principal responsibilities.”
Enomoto said that of the five meetings she attended, more focus, time and attention was given to community engagement than to expenditures. There were lots of refreshments, she said, but no meaningful action. Bottled water and pizza or sandwiches were always served, despite the meeting only lasting an hour or two.
“Half the food wasn’t eaten. It seemed like a waste of Measure J money,” Enomoto said.
She added that Board of Education Member Cheryl Webb had “chided” COC members for not having a grasp of the issues, yet the Committee has received little or no information ‘to get a grasp of.”
Measure J requires an oversight committee and according to a separate website set up by the City exclusively for the COC, the duties and rights of the Committee are set forth in Prop 39 and include:
- To inform the public
- To review expenditures
- To prepare an annual report summarizing proceedings and compliance with established regulations
- To form a steering committee for work associated with Measure J
- To ensure community engagement
- To provide monthly updates to the City / Schools Committee
But Enomoto said that when she was on the Committee, it had yet to see one paid invoice, although all 2010 expenses had been paid. No itemized invoices were given to the Committee, she said.
Enomoto said there are several questions/concerns about the Committee that she would like addressed, including:
- It appears that Emeryville Unified School District staff is giving more attention, and money, to the Fellows program than to the COC (the Fellows Pilot Program is a 9-month program for Emeryville residents and business owners to “help broaden community dialogue around the design and implementation of ECCL,” according to the Fellows application. The program runs from Sept. 30, 2011 to June 15, 2012). Measure J allows the Fellows program a budget as well as a small stipend to members. The COC, meanwhile, has no budget and members do not receive a stipend.
- Shamelah Davis was an administrative assistant hired with Measure J funds even though Measure J stipulates that “no administrative salaries” will be paid with Measure J funds (Davis apparently quit after two weeks).
- Hayin Kim, director of youth and community outreach, and Roy Miller, Emery Unified School District architect, were formerly paid by the school district but are now being paid with Measure J funds, despite the Measure J clause cited above. When were they hired and what are their salaries?
- Why are there 17 members on the COC when oversight committees in other cities comprise between five and seven members?
- It appears that Measure J money is already being spent “like water,” including $62,000 for “interim housing” for the fellows, $25,000 for “events,” and an unknown amount for salaries. Only after they asked did Committee members find out what the $62,000 was for. The Committee should not have to question large expenses such as this, but rather receive this information up front.
According to information on the COC website, “Measure J includes stringent fiscal accountability guarantees,” such as the COC, to “ensure all funds are spent properly. NO Measure J funds can be spent on administrators’ salaries, pensions or benefits. ALL funds will be spent for Emeryville schools, and cannot be taken away by Sacramento.”
Other members on the COC are:
Lisa Carlisle
Brian Carver, Chair
Elizabeth Cooley
Mitchell Fine
Ronald Henry
Judy Inouye
Joy Kent
Marcelline Krafchick
Dave Martinez
Barbie Robinson
Andrea Sanchez-Cortez
Charlie Schuman
Rodney Wong
Kelly Maddox
Tom Rauch
Frank Aalbers
For more information about the COC and Measure J, click here.
(To comment on this story, or to read the comments of others, click on the story headline to go to the story page, then scroll to the bottom.)
I have heard nothing but good things about Shirley Enomoto’s civic-mindedness and urge her to stay on the COC. Brian Carver has a very strong, take charge personality and there should be a counterbalance on the COC, particularly someone who has her eye on the important issue (“follow the money”). At the community meeting Brian was lobbying for some tennis courts instead of all basketball courts at the ECCL, a fair comment as an ordinary citizen but one that might get too much deference since his wife is running for council while he sits on both the ECDC (daycare) advisory committee and on the COC. Shirley, if only half the members of COC are showing up we really need your participation and PUBLIC reports here.
mr. webber: i don’t see any difference between a tennis court versus a basketball court (why not both since there will be plenty of space!) and why that should make any difference in jac asher’s campaign for city council. also, who said half the members are showing up? i did say that half the food provided at these short meetings was not consumed.
but thank you for your compliment.
shirley enomoto
Central to the resignation of Ms Enomoto is the lack of oversight. For those committee members that are not cheerleaders, this is what the lack of oversight for the oversight committee nets: disillusionment and resignations.
For a another reporting of this check out the Emeryville Tattler THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2011
story: “School District Counsel Investigates Possible Misuse of Bond Money”
mr. webber: i don’t see where a tennis court versus a basketball court has anything to do with jac asher’s campaign for city council. why not both?
and i said nothing about half the members showing up. i did say that half the food provided at these short meetings was not consumed and is a waste of taxpayers’ money.
but thank you for the compliment
shirley enomoto