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10/28/17 – In the following video from the October 24 council meeting, Don Peterson gives a multitude of examples of the culture of corruption that governs Banning.

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Peterson’s comments were in response to an open letter by outgoing utility director Fred Mason (link), who attacked Peterson for criticizing him and

holding him accountable for things like a 34 day billing cycle (potentially causing a higher tier to be billed), a failed smart meter project, a utility warehouse proposal overpriced by $ 3 million and a proposal to buy overpriced land for the City.

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SMART METERS : UTILITY DIRECTOR’S INCOMPETENCE COST THE CITY OVER $1 MILLION

The smart meter debacle was caused solely by Fred Mason’s incompetence. It alone cost the City over $ 1 million, with the meters still sitting in boxes and not being installed, because the required infrastructure (cell towers etc.) is not in place. In the fast changing world of information technology, these devices should soon be as obsolete as Windows 95 is today.

With such a dismal track record, does Fed Mason really have any room at all to talk?

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FRANKLIN AND OTHERS CAUSED CITY TO LOSE OVER $ 1 MILLION DUE TO DOUBLE BILLED 2011 OIL SPILL

Among other things, Peterson also addresses a 2011 oil spill of 300 gallons of motor oil (not a huge amount by any standards), that the City was charged $1.8 million for by a shady cleanup contractor ( see story here).

A hired consulting firm pointed out that the bill should not be paid, but former City Manager Takata misrepresented the report to the council and recommended that the bill should be paid.

5 councilmembers at the time, including Debbie Franklin, ignored the devastating report. They did not ask any questions and after a 4 min presentation by the city manager they unanimously voted to pay the bill regardless . In 4 Min and 11sec, these councilmembers caused the City to lose about $ 1 million of taxpayer money. Had they done their homework and asked the proper questions, this would have never happened.

Even more disturbing, after the double billing was discovered, Franklin and Co. could not care less that this had happened to the City. No City council member at the time ever asked for an explanation.

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FORMER PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR OBTAINED PERSONAL BENEFITS FROM ENABLING A ROGUE BEE KEEPING OPERATION ON PUBLIC LAND

Among other things, Peterson also adresses the rogue actions of former Public Works Director Duane Burk, who fenced in 3 acres of City land for the purpose of providing it to a commercial bee keeping operation – for free.

Burk even provided the bee keeper with accesses to free, unmetered water from a City water hydrant. All this was done without the knowledge or approval by the Council and went on for 20 years. Burk is said to have regularily received cases of honey as compensation, which in and by itself would constitute the crime of bribery.

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FORMER ROGUE CITY MANAGER  CHANGED CRUCIAL CONTRACT WITHOUT AUTHORITY

Peterson also addresses the rogue actions of former City manager Takata, who singlehandedly changed the legal requirements for the Paseo San Gorgonio retail project, eliminating a mandatory hotel to be build, and allowing it to be substituted with office space for use by the County Probation Department.

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Only Debbie Franklin was in on this unlawful decision, the other councilmembers found out the hard way much later, when the developer publicly claimed no longer being obligated to build a hotel.

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CONCLUSION
And the list goes on. There is little doubt that Councilmember Peterson is resented by those who have been trying to get away with insider deals, rogue actions or with sheer incompetence.

Those elements may refer to Peterson as a “bully”, but the bully card is frequently pulled by those who do not like to be held accountable for their actions.

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