Askin' Questions, and Makin' Quotas

TO: SLO County Supervisor, Bruce Gibson, District 2
DATE: 1/26/10

Dear Supervisor Gibson,

I recently asked the Fair Political Practices Commission to investigate your Parks Commissioner, and whether a possible conflict of interest exists involving her ties to the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, and her husband's landscaping firm, the SWA Group.

Here's the link to my complaint:

http://sewerwatch.blogspot.com/2010/01/great-san-los-osobispo-botanical-sewer.html

While I wait for the FPPC's response, I'm curious to what you think about that situation.

Are you o.k. with that arrangement -- where Pandora Nash-Karner is your appointment to the SLO County Parks Commission, and she also sits on the Board of Directors for the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden -- a facility that leases County-owned land, is discussed at Parks Commission meetings, and is also planning a "$20 million" expansion, and, according to their executive director, the one proposal they have received to design the project was from the SWA Group, where Nash-Karner's husband, Gary Karner, was a "Managing Principal and Senior Project Manager for 27 years and is currently retained by SWA."

Do you think there might be a conflict of interest there, or is that arrangement o.k. with you?

Thank you for your time,
Ron

P.S. I also posted this e-mail on my blog. It's at this link:

http://sewerwatch.blogspot.com/2010/01/askin-questions-and-makin-quotas.html

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TO: Jan Di Leo, SLO County Parks Planner
DATE: 1/26/10

Hello Jan,

Real quick...

On the agenda for this Thursday's Parks Commission meeting, it reads:

"Proposal from San Luis Obispo Botanical Gardens – Dave Porter (7:00)"

Please e-mail me the staff report for that item, and the proposal.

Thanks again,
Ron

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[Four weeks down... 48 to go.]