Fillmore City Manager Yvonne Quiring

There was a shake up at City Hall on Tuesday that only a few had expected. The City Council had scheduled the annual evaluation of both City Manager and City Attorney to take place during a closed session of the Fillmore City council on September 28th at 5pm. Another joint meeting was scheduled later that evening at 7pm with Fillmore Unified School District at Fillmore High School cafeteria. But when an unexpected bombshell was presented at the beginning of the 5pm session, the closed meeting was canceled and the meeting remained open.
The shakeup began when Scott Lee, a former Mayor and City Council Member, read the Council a letter signed by thirty-two of the City’s thirty-seven fulltime employees. It read: The Management and Represented employees of the City of Fillmore are writing this letter to inform the Council of its displeasure with City Manager Yvonne Quiring, …. the employees have no confidence in Ms. Quiring’s leadership, and our concern for the general welfare of the City under her direction.

It went on to state that the employees are being micromanaged, belittled, intimidated, given unclear direction, harassed, fear retaliation for informing Council of the current status of their working environment and that her contradictory management style consist of speaking kindly before a group of employees, then holding closed door meetings wherein staff is unfairly berated bringing the morale of the entire City Hall to a now intolerable low.
Quiring was hired October 2009 and previously worked for the City of Lathrop. Lee also informed the council that the represented employees of the City of Lathrop also presented a vote of no confidence in February of 2008.
Those signing on to the letter were: Public Works Director, Community Development Director, City Engineer, Building Official, Assistant to Finance Director, Recreation Supervisor, Assistant Planner, Human Resource Officer, Confidential Accountant Tech, Accounting Supervisor, Planning Teck/Clerk, Financial Assistant/Treasurer, Public Works Supervisor, 12 Public Works employees, Fiscal Assistant/Treasurer, 3 Fiscal Assistant employees and 4 Facilities employees.

This unexpected reading left the Council with little time left to address the scheduled evaluations, so they were postponed until later, giving the Council the needed time to discuss this new information.

The City Council then adjourned and proceeded to join the Fillmore Unified School District for their joint 7pm meeting at the high school cafeteria. All Fillmore City Council Members and all Fillmore School Board members were in attendance with the exception of School Board Member De La Piedra.

About 35 people attended the joint meeting which began with honoring the nonprofit Child Development Resources (CDR). Mayor Patti Walker presented a proclamation recognizing CDR 30th anniversary celebration and service to the community. CDR Board Member Frank Millar accepted it on their behalf. Millar then went on to announced CDR’s third annual “Celebrate the Child Event” to be held on Sunday October 10th 11:00 am to 4:00 pm at the historic Camarillo Ranch and invited everyone to attend. During the event attendees will enjoy a variety of delicious multicultural foods and participate in child-friendly hands-on activities. Log onto WWW.CDRV.org for more information.

Next up was the public comment time with new running track being the topic of discussion. Many who spoke voiced their desire to have the track opened up to the public and year round use. Fillmore resident Joan Archer brought to the Board and Council’s attention that the citizens of Fillmore had access to the old track and that she didn’t recall disclosure of the restriction in using the newly built track prior to the vote on the bond issue that ultimately resulted in taxpayers dollars paying for the new track.

Archer told the Council that youth fitness programs and facilities are abundant in the City but adult fitness isn’t and could be improved by the use of the track. She went on to say the track is a safe venue to promote public health and fitness, and rather than using it to promote just the youth health and fitness the track could be a combination of city school and volunteer resources. Archer ended her comments with “I believe that the City Council and School Board constitute a small group of thoughtful, committed people who can find a more effective resolution of this issue than has been found thus far.”

A representative of Fillmore Youth Condors Cross Country spoke of the desire for his group to use the new track. The Condors are a non-profit club comprised of young runner’s ages 5 to 16. All are members of the Southern California Youth Track & Field Conference with a goal this year to qualify to run at the AAU Junior Olympic Championships in Orlando, Florida.

Maribella Hernandez and Manuela Twitodell, both members of a runners club, expressed their desire to extend the use of the track to the citizens of Fillmore, adding that because the track is all-weather it could be opened in the winter and would be of such value to those dedicated to running. Twitodell stated the use of the track, “Gives a wonderful profile to the city.”

Council Member Brooks stated he is “…pushing for the public to have as much use as possible” and Council Member Washburn agreed replying, “I hope we can get as much use as possible.” The School Board went on to state, “The students should come first” and voiced their concern of how many groups might be using the track. The School Board also reminded those in attendance that this is a different situation than using a dirt track and the cost of repair and upkeep is considerably more with this track. Also discussed was the cost of liability if someone should get hurt along with the cost of security. A Fillmore resident rebutted the School Board’s concerns over liability with, “These were the same concerns talked about with the other parks in town. We cannot let this prevent us from moving forward; this is no greater liability than a skatepark.”

It was suggested that the public could have access to the track between 6pm and 10pm, to which the School Board responded that that would have an added cost of lighting the track, especially during the winter when it gets dark earlier. The City Council scheduled a meeting for October 20th to discuss the issue and the future use of the track with members agreeing it would require at least two or three meeting to resolve the issue of the tracks future use.

The pool was also on the agenda and a question of whether the City of Fillmore would have the available funds needed to meet a legal requirement of three trained lifeguards on duty while the pool is open. Closing the pool was a possibility if the needed funds could not be found. Presently the school district is using the pool for 3-one hour classes each week.

The discussion of the November 12th football game between Fillmore and Santa Paula, which marks the 100th football game between the two towns, brought smiles to all those in attendance with many looking forward to the event with great anticipation. Use of the train to bring Santa Paula residents was suggested to alleviate some of the extra parking that will be needed and security was discussed. Other activities were suggested such as honoring the oldest participant of the rival games who was in attendance. This is an event that so many will be looking forward to, so be sure to mark it on your calendar.

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“I tell you to act upon the orders of Allah…to defeat them (the U.S. and other Western targets) through suicide attacks so that you may be successful before Allah.” -- Usama bin Laden

Homicide Bombers pose one of the most extreme problems law enforcement faces in the 21st century. The homicide bomber essentially becomes a human bomb, who selects the time, place, and situational circumstances of the attack. For Radical Islamic terrorists, human bombs are one of the surest methods of hitting an intended target as well as being simple and low cost operationally.

In Radical Islam, the Arabic word Shahid, which means witness, is used as an honorific to describe Radical Muslim Homicide Bombers who have died while murdering others fighting in Jihad.

The phrase, Suicide Bomber, is not accurate, the Homicide Bomber’s intent is not to solely commit suicide, it is a terrorist act intended to cause the highest possible amount of innocent casualties and as a form of 4th Generation Psychological Warfare to frighten the public through random acts of violence in an attempt to gain extensive publicity for their Radicalized Islamic agenda.

Suicide is a CONTINUED »

Fillmore Unified School District

On Tuesday, September 21 the Fillmore School Board of Trustees met for another regularly scheduled meeting. Member John Garnicas was not present. Coming in from closed session Board President Tony Prado first opened and then closed the public hearings related to the board approving resolutions regarding “The Sufficiency of Textbooks or Instructional Materials for the School Year” and adopting textbooks and materials for the “Structured English Immersion Program”. No comments were made by the public on this topic, or during the general public comment period.

Prado presented Sespe Elementary Kindergarten teacher Norma Vasquez with the first “Students First” award of the year, for her “dedication and outstanding work at Sespe School.” Vasquez thanked the Board and commented, “I’ve always thought of it as part of the job…it’s for the students. And community. For all of us.”

The Board Student Rep Sean Chandler reported on the preparations for homecoming, which will take place on Friday, October 1. The event kicks off with a parade, then a football game against Bishop Diego High School from Santa Barbara, followed by a dance at the school. The floats are being built in the theme of “Cartoons” and will be displayed on Second Street during and following the game.

During Board reports CONTINUED »

November 2nd you will be able to vote for TWO candidates

Question #5: With City budgets shrinking, what cost saving measures would you propose/consider?

Brian Sipes: During these times of financial uncertainty, it is critical that elected officials and staff look at every opportunity to cut any unnecessary expenses while preserving City services.It is possible we will see another budget shortfall. One recommendation would be for the City of Fillmore try to keep our workforce within City Hall, instead of using expensive outside consultants. The City could try to implement and utilize a volunteer/ intern corps of citizens for some tasks. Our Public Works Department may want to transition to automatic irrigation controllers for our parks. This is would have a dual benefit of saving water and energy. In 2007, I brought forward a green energy agreement that cities could sign on to. If our City Council would have signed this agreement, the City of Fillmore would have had the ability to receive grants for fuel efficient vehicles and for common forms of infrastructure. To me, to better our City, we must be fully engaged and open to alternatives. If elected, I would like to create an advisory commission made up of citizens and a few staff members to go through future budgets and make suggestions to reduce overhead.

Patti Walker: Like other cities, Fillmore has battled the effects of the economy - reduction in sales and property tax revenue and payment of about $2.4 from the RDA to the State. The City that has to pay back the money, not the State.
At the start of this fiscal budget cycle, we saw that almost every department had financial issues. City staff came together and brought all ideas to the table to find cost savings on almost every page of the budget. The entire staff worked hard to reduced this year’s budget deficit from more than $1,000,000 to a gap of approximately $275,000.
In my opinion, the citizens of Fillmore have been asked to give enough. They have seen an increase in their sewer and water fees, an increase in trash hauling fees and an addition of paying street sweeping costs. If that wasn’t enough, there have been increases in the costs to use the parks plus a reduction in the hours at the theater and pool. At the county level there will be increases in the bus fares.
As publically stated, there is discussion of setting up furlough days, an idea I support. Other discussions of finding budget reductions to close the $275,000 gap have been turned over to the City staff. Obviously, they can choose to have discussions on paying a percentage of the retirement costs and/or pay some of their other benefits. This council gave direction to avoid cutting positions, but this is something that may not be avoidable.

David Lugo: With our shrinking budget the way to cut cost is by stop outsourcing jobs that our own city employees are capable of doing. Stop all improvements to the city until we start getting more revenue coming into the city buy bringing in new businesses. The Business Park would be a place to start for revenue to the city, getting that going would be a boost for our economy and bring jobs. I would cut the Assistant City Manager and the Economic Development positions that would save about $300,000. They are not needed in this slow period we are in at this time. In times like this we need to ask staff to take on other duties like these to help us get through these times. “Your Voice”

November 2nd you will be able to vote for THREE candidates

Question #5: This year, several administration positions were filled by appointment, without the positions being advertised and ‘hired’. What is your opinion of appointments vs open competition for a vacant position?

Lucy Rangel: Although a Superintendent of a school district may be well within his right to appoint an individual for a vacant administrative position, one should ask whether this practice follows the best procedure for hiring the most qualified individual for that position. It is my opinion that this practice undermines the democratic process which we strive to teach our students. It can lead to an atmosphere of mistrust, lack of respect, and an overall feeling of unfairness, especially for those who would like the opportunity to be considered under an “even playing field”. Hiring practices in the FUSD have been inconsistent and unfair. Qualified individuals have been overlooked because positions have not been opened up.
Choosing a new leader is not an easy task for any organization; and the complex work of any school makes the selection of an individual even more challenging. The increased demand for high quality leaders in schools requires districts to select an individual who is prepared for the task of teaching, learning and organizational performance. It is critical that consistent hiring practices be established. Perhaps there should be a district hiring committee composed of varied stakeholders who know the community, culture, and school processes. Open competition for a vacant administrative position should exist in our district instead of the position being filled by appointment because we owe it to our students, staff, and community to find the best qualified candidate.

Kimberly Rivers: The selection of all employees within the District should be based on the needs of the District, and on which individuals are best qualified to meet those needs, using the most transparent process. Therefore I support “open competition” for available positions at every level. Although, the Board, being a publicly elected body must adhere to current stated policies and employment contracts that govern most aspects of its operations. In reviewing Board policy and the contract with the Superintendent, I have not located any language, which would support the idea that the Board is locked into approving any personnel decisions. The Board as stated in its policy, and in the Superintendents contract has “final approval” of all personnel decisions.
Currently the Board has the authority to annually re-negotiate or choose to not renew the Superintendents contract. I hope the public is aware that Board Policy and the Superintendents contract are public documents, available for viewing by any member of the public. The issue of appointments may be one where the Board needs to hear from concerned members of the community regarding the current procedures for filling vacancies in the District. The Community (including students, classified staff, certificated staff, parents, residents, business owners etc.) has every right to evaluate our Superintendent. When elected I will ensure the Board acts in a responsive and reasonable way to such concerns, always with a focus on what is best for the students, and working to create a transparent and accountable process. www.votekimrivers.com.

Dave Wilde: To be fair and offer all qualified district personnel an equal opportunity positions should be opened up to all who are interested. I'm sure there must have been good reasons for offering those people these new positions, but to demonstrate respect for the rights of district employees the process of announcing an opening and the interview process should be exercised. If there is a person who the district feels is the right fit for an administrative position using the normal hiring practices would not prevent that person from getting the job. So, you have the same desired results and all other interested people feel they had the opportunity to compete. The Fillmore School system is a team made up of all the district's employees. Not recognizing those rights will cause a breakdown in that unit. It may also result in a loss of support when needed at a later date.
Tom Peters, a famous business leader of the late twentieth century, professed that one of the ways to get the most out of your employees was to ensure they were treated with respect and had an active role in running the business. I wish I could remember his exact words, but you could find it in one of several management books he wrote.

Mark Austin: My opinion is that the use of appointments for filling vacant administration positions is not appropriate. By using this method, both the School Board and Superintendent, may possibly be accused of violating the public’s trust by not allowing for transparent government. Many individuals living in the boundaries of the Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) view the appointments of these administration positions - just as that - back-room dealings. It is my strong belief that the FUSD needs to move away from this mode of operation in order to begin to gain back the community’s trust.
I believe in the use of open competition to fill vacant positions at the administration levels. These openings should be advertised in a way to acquire a large pool of the most qualified candidates. Existing staff that is employed by the FUSD would be encouraged to apply for these positions. By using this method, the FUSD would allow for a more open and transparent process.
Please visit my website at www.votemarkaustin.com or feel free to contact me at 805-427-0456 to answer any questions or to provide me with input on how you feel the FUSD could be improved.

Tony Prado: One of the few goals of a board is to create an environment where there is on-going positive growth among district leaders. It is essential that the Board agree on hiring a superintendent who is highly qualified and will continue to grow on the job. Attracting a highly qualified individual to become superintendent of F.U.S.D. is very difficult just as it is difficult to attract others for district administrative, principal and assisstant principal positions. Fillmore is a small community and has a small school district with below average District salaries-at all levels.
I believe we have a highly qualified Superintendent, who has faced some critical issues and has successfully resolved them. When a position has become vacant such as district administrator or principle or assisstant principle, it is highly advantageous to open the position for competition. But if the Superintendent believes that there are individuals within the district that have shown leadership capabilities, then he makes his case to the Board and the Board will allow him to appoint his choice or deny it. This scenario allows for district employees an opportunity for advancement. Whatever method is used, the Superintendent owns the decision and benefits or suffers the consequences of his decision.
Remember Vote for Tony Prado
A good superintendent provides professional support to ensure that district and site leadership performs at an optimal level. Successful leadership promotes stability, and stability of leadership helps create effective teaching which brings about learning in the classroom.

FUSD Schools in Program Improvement (PI).

On Monday, September 13, 2010 the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell released the 2009-10 School Accountability Progress Report. According to the press release from O’Connell’s office, the report “Provides results from the state accountability system: the Academic Performance Index (API), as well as the federal accountability system, comprised of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Program Improvement (PI).” It goes on to explain Both the API and AYP data are based on results from the Statewide Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) system. All results for this year and past years are on the California Department of Education (CDE) Website.

What is API? According to the information packet on API provided by the CDE, API scores are “used to measure the academic growth of a school. The API from one year is compared to the API from the prior year to measure improvement. Each school has an annual target, and all numerically significant subgroups at a school also have targets.” API Scores range from 200 to 1000. The CDE has set the minimum target API for all schools at 800, with an ultimate goal of every school meeting or exceeding that target by the 2013-14 school year. To reach that goal each school, and subgroups within the school have “growth targets” to meet each year. The idea is that if the school meets those growth targets, it will achieve the goal of 800 (or above) by the school year 2013-14.

In Ventura County there are 100 schools scoring above 800, with 23 schools scoring above 900, and 69 schools scoring in the 700’s. The remaining schools scored below 700.

What is AYP? According to CONTINUED »

Each year the Fillmore Post 9637 selects a member of the community to Honor for their commitment to help and or recognize our fellow citizens that are serving our country in uniform. This year we honor a man that went into the Marine Corp in January, 1966 and served till October 1969, Dick Diaz.

Not wanting to get his boots dirty he got assigned to a Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron, (kind of like a flying gas station) where he logged more than 1500 hours. These transports also moved troops in and out of Vietnam.

By keeping his nose clean and doing a good job he came out of the service as a sergeant E-5, not bad for 3 years, he also was awarded the Vietnam Service and Campaign Metals as well as the Good Conduct Medal.

With an Honorable Discharge in hand he began a 36 and 1/2 year career in law enforcement. In the 1980's he was chief of Police in Fillmore, went to Ventura County Sheriffs Department as a Lieutenant, and retired as a Captain. His father-in-law is a Korean war vet; his son is in the Navy.

His articles in the Fillmore Gazette highlights service members and lists the local people serving in all branches of the military.

It is our honor to recognize Mr. Dick Diaz