- Home
- News
- Opinion
- Letters
- Sports
- Prospecting
- Essentials
- Obituaries
- Real Estate
- Comics
- Gallery
- Classifieds
- Advertisers
- Coupons
- Contact Us
Share Article
458
504458504
CAMERON PARK RESIDENT Bill Carey brought a controversial sign to the Cameron Park Community Services District meeting Wednesday night, causing board members to walk out. Democrat photo by Dawn Hodson
The board of the Cameron Park Community Services District adopted a budget for the next fiscal year at its meeting Wednesday night.
After three budget workshops, including one on Monday, and endless complaints from the public about deficit spending, the board voted 4 to 1 to accept a budget that has a projected deficit of $113,265 but which will be covered by using contingency funds. The new budget anticipates revenues of $4,875,334 and expenses of $4,988,599. Board President Shiva Frentzen cast the lone no vote.
The district also projects it will end this fiscal year with a deficit of $201,380, which is being covered primarily by savings in the budget of the fire department contract.
Adoption of the budget and other board business was put on hold temporarily because of an incident earlier in the evening.
Resident David Gelbert chastised board member Scott McNeil for the way he treated Board President Shiva Frentzen at Monday’s budget workshop.
While Gelbert spoke, resident Bill Carey placed a sign in front of the podium which said, “McNiel, are you of sound mind tonite?”
Board members then requested that Carey remove the sign and voted 4 to 1 that he do so, with Frentzen voting no.
“Welcome to the people’s republic of Cameron Park,” Carey said.
When Carey didn’t remove the sign, board members got up one by one and left the room followed by their legal counsel. General Manager Mary Cahill then tried to remove the sign but was blocked.
Carey said that he made the sign in response to what happened at Monday’s budget committee meeting when McNeil turned to Frentzen and asked if she was in her right mind. “I felt she had been insulted and in effect he was saying that she was crazy,” Carey said.
The board members returned 10 minutes later and Frentzen asked Carey to remove the sign and keep it next to him. Carey did so and then went to the podium to accuse the rest of the board of not supporting Frentzen. “At the Monday meeting McNeil said Shiva was out of her mind. But none of you pinheads did anything. You’re a bunch of nutless wonders.”
“I want to remind you of what you’re doing,” said resident Vicky Neibauer. ”If you pass this budget it has a huge hole in it. The district has gone from negative net assets in 2010 of $109,500 to negative assets now of $365,000. It’s likely you’re going to see more deterioration of your budget position. You plan to add two staff positions even though you’re facing an operational shortfall. You have the opportunity to truly balance the budget by pulling these two positions. You should make the decision to live within your means and then in September re-evaluate the budget. I urge you to do the responsible thing.”
Other residents echoed Neibauer’s comments. Gelbert asked, “When will the board realize that government at every level is contracting? Why do you think you can expand the staff here? You want two full-time fully benefited staff and have no way to pay for these positions. Why go down that road? Use a temp agency.”
Frentzen then offered a motion to cut park and community center expenses by 10 percent in the new budget in addition to making other changes to the proposed budget. However the motion failed for lack of a second.
Cahill reminded the board that the position of Recreation Coordinator was already a budgeted position and a new person had been hired and was starting July 1. She also said a permanent employee was needed at the front counter because of all the turnover experienced when they hired temp employees.
Board member Greg Stanton responded to the comments from the public by saying that the community center has no revenue stream other than from activities held there. ”Cameron Park is built out unless we annex more property so we will see no additional revenue from property taxes. We are raising revenue by doing a better job of marketing the center and holding more events here,” he said. “Come September, if the money is not there, we will make the cuts needed.”
In a related action, the board also adopted new waste disposal rates after a presentation by Sue VanDelinder of El Dorado Disposal. She said higher rates were needed because of a rise in the consumer price index and because of changes in the law requiring recycling compliance by commercial customers. Residential rates will rise 2.65 percent except for those receiving the senior rate. That will remain flat. Commercial rates will rise 9 percent. The new rates will take effect July 1 and were unanimously adopted by the board.
The Mountain Democrat does not necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full policy
GeraldJune 22, 2012 - 8:25 am
Director Stanton said that we will review the organizational chart in September and at that time it will be determined if cuts will be made and new hires put on hold. How will Director Stanton get rid of the new recreation coordinator position? How will he fund this position? At the meeting he said he wanted to give General Manager Cahill the tools she needs to succeed but no one answered what will the recreation coordinator coordinate in October, November, December, January, February, and March. General Manager Cahill spouted some word salad about the duties of this position but it was nothing more than an unrealistic laundry list of things that need to be done. So now we have a full time recreation manager and coordinator. Yet neither General Manager Cahill nor Director Stanton could or did explain why we need and how we can afford both.
Rolo TomassiJune 22, 2012 - 8:27 am
This picture is going to be on my Christmas Cards.
SpellcheckerJune 22, 2012 - 9:05 am
I before E except after C.
Jim RiordanJune 22, 2012 - 12:01 pm
Kudos to Shiva Frentzen for no vote on the budget. It is preposterous to be bringing in "new-hires" on the backs of our firefighters. CPCSD can't even afford the crew they have now, which still has not developed a marketing plan that is sustainable. If it were not for our fire fighters, that CPCSD would be an empty building. Just yesterday one of our young residents and neighbors walked by my house and complained that he could barely afford the new swimming rates. What a shame. In down times, their best plan is to raise the rates on a pool that was overbuilt from day one. Had that darn building been built like the Rescue CSD instead of an unsustainable Taj Mahal in the middle of a market place too small to sustain it, the CPCSD would not be in the position it is today. Greg Stanton's statement that "The community center has no revenue stream other than from activities held there" is beyond belief. My answer is, "well no kidding . . some of us citizens have been trying to tell all of you that since the ballot measure was first brought to the people", under, in my opinion, false pretenses and intentionally understated costs. When I pointed this out PRIOR to the vote, the exact answer I was given, was, "If we put in the real costs the issue will not pass since the people we surveyed said they would only vote for this much." That is the truth. Citizens going to the meetings are simply ignored. I will not attend any meetings since it does no good. My final straw was when Alan Clarke threatened to "throw me out" for challenging his lame answer to a legitimate question. When I stood up and politely invited him to try, he got up and tried to run out of the room until Fred Smith stopped him. What a sick comedy show. The big problem is, the joke is on the backs of all of us taxpayers . . . and now our firefighters! I for one say let our firefighters buy new engines to protect our homes and if the CPCSD cannot break even this year, close it, sell it and give the money to our parks and rec departments to provide facilities within our means.
SharonJune 23, 2012 - 9:05 am
Be sure and send me one Dave! For the hand full of constant complainers let me offer this little observation: the majority of this community voted for the center. We all get it that you few noisy folks didnt. The CSD should exhaust every option to maximize the growth potential of the center that the people voted for. The real facts are your little group just dont want the center to be successful and by cutting everything, your group along with your pal Shiva would be correct! Hopefully the CSD will be able to show you and your obvious pal Frentzen, what responsible government should do.....that would be acting in the interest of the entire community instead of a handful of angry malcontents.
Bill RandallJune 23, 2012 - 1:58 pm
The Board voted 4-1 to add staff, to jump start the recreation program. The plan has us operating the recreation program (including the Community Center) at a loss of over 100k. Not how I would do it, but it is done. The board listened to staff and to the public and made their decision. They will of course be held accountable for the results. The New General Manager said she is working on each program to raise revenues and to cut the unsustainable programs. Let's give her a chance (and our support) to do it. In the end, the CSD has to get the rec program back to a revenue neutral position, such that we can start saving up for the cost of moving the northern fire station and buying needed fire equipment.
Jim RiordanJune 23, 2012 - 2:13 pm
To Sharon No Name The voters only voted for it because they were given unrealistic numbers. The numbers provided to the voters were "designed to fit within what the survey of the voters showed the majority would vote for". Anyone who does not know that does not have the facts. I was there. I personally heard it from the founding group. The voters were duped from day one just as I said in my previous post. If you do not believe that, try asking ALL the voters today if they would vote to pay more to keep it open by putting up the dollars to cover the outlandish deficit.
Jim RiordanJune 23, 2012 - 2:27 pm
Bill, your request does not sound unreasonable, and I certainly agree with you that it is not the way I would do it . . .my concern is . . WE the taxpayers will be held accountable for failure . . . not the board . . . they just walk away if they fail leaving all of us holding the bills for failure. In any marketing team, there are defined goals set , and defined time periods to achieve the goals. I would love to see that enacted here. Then, if withing six months, goals are clearly not being met, just like business you cut your losses and your staff and close the doors like any business has to do. Are there any businesses you know that could go another fiscal year without meeting goals and if they are not met, just keep all new staff and knock on the fire department's door and ask for another handout?? I do not know of any.
Rolo TomassiJune 23, 2012 - 6:00 pm
My question is cam we afford these new positions? Can we continue to bleed red ink? Please ;et me know when I am wrong.
Vic SubiaJune 27, 2012 - 9:20 pm
Does the county or district charter require the CPCSD to balance the budget? Are there any county ordinances or state laws that require a balanced budget?